Cyril of Jerusalem, Lecture 12, Part B

Cyril of Jerusalem

Lecture 12, Part B

https://www.swrktec.org/catechism

“And the Lord spoke again unto Ahaz, saying, ‘Ask you a sign....’ ”  and “Behold!  A virgin[i] shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel….” — Isaiah 7:10-14

Summary: Jesus became man because we mere men could not endure His blazing countenance: so, He conformed to our infirmity.  He was baptized to sanctify baptism; He took our nature to save it, that we might partake of God; He intended to empty [Hell].  Keep this deposit [a trust] that God became Man.  The Jews disbelieve this in spite of many evidences.  Jesus, by virgin birth, is the seed of David, Whose kingdom and peace are boundless.

Preview:  13.  The Jews read these things; yet, did not listen.  Christ became what we are, men, because we could not endure to see “Him as He was”: for His appearance was brighter than the sun.  14.  Should Christ our Savior be “a minister of destruction”?  “Or that He should suit His grace to our measure?”  Daniel could not bear the sight of an Angel.  “So then after trial shown of our weakness, the Lord assumed that which man required: for since man required to hear from one of like countenance, the Savior took on Him the nature of like affections, that men might be the more easily instructed.”  15.  “Christ [also] came that He might be baptized, and might sanctify Baptism….”  “The Lord took on Him from us our likeness, that He might save man's nature: He took our likeness, that He might give greater grace to that which lacked; that sinful humanity might become partaker of God.”  His body therefore was made a bait to death that the dragon, hoping to devour it, might disgorge those also who had been already devoured.  16.  Was not Christ made Man according to the Scriptures?  “Keep … this deposit undisturbed, and let none remove you: believe that God became Man.”  “If the Jews still disbelieve: Abraham ate with God[ii], Jacob [wrestled] with God[iii], Moses saw God[iv], Elias heard God[v]: for a Prophet like Moses will arise[vi], a Prince will arise from Judah[vii], Who is the expectation of the Gentiles.  18.  Yet He rules them with a rod of iron.[viii]  19.  Even the time of His coming was told.[ix]  20.  The place, Bethlehem Ephrathah was known.[x]  21.  The Jews even contradict with damsel instead of virgin; but they are overthrown elsewhere,[xi] as is also the case with Abishag.[xii]  22.  If Hezekiah had fulfilled the prophecy he would have been begotten “nine years before the prophecy” was given; thus, there would be no prophecy.  23.  He was also the seed of David, by the eternal [covenant], not of Solomon; which was witnessed by the children[xiii], blind[xiv], Gabriel[xv], and Paul[xvi].  24.  These things trouble the Jews, who may wish they were burned with fire: for His kingdom and peace are boundless.[xvii]

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[i] St. Cyril is clearly teaching from the Septuagint: for the Greek has παρθένος, virgin; whereas, the Hebrew has הָעַלְמָ֗ה, young woman.  Obviously, the Rabbis who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek (circa 200 BC), understood that young woman was not a suitable translation in this context: for young woman is not a sign at all, let alone the miracle anticipated by the context.  We should logically conclude that virgin is the only reasonable translation: but, the Rabbis came to this conclusion two hundred years before Christ was born.  Who knows who else holds this certainty from the time of Isaiah (eighth century BC), six hundred years earlier than the Septuagint; surely Isaiah did: but, we have no surviving written record, older than Septuagint.

[ii] Genesis 18:1-33

[iii] Genesis 32:24-32

[iv] Exodus 33:18-30

[v] 1 Kings 19:5-18

[vi] Deuteronomy 18:15-22

[vii] Genesis 49:8-12; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:5

[viii] Psalm 2; Daniel 2:44

[ix] Daniel 9:25

[x] Micah 5:2; Psalm 132:6 (note that Cyril uses 131, the Septuagint numbering)

[xi] The proof consists of the fact that the בְּתוּלִֽים, which is not always translated virgin, must cry out, according to Mosaic law; and she must have tokens of her virginity; therefore the un-betrothed young woman of Isaiah 7:14 must have tokens; or, upon detailed gynecological examination, exhibit virginity in pregnancy, else she would be slain: the proof is both air and water tight.  Deuteronomy 22:14-29

[xii] 1 Kings 1:3, 15

[xiii] On Palm Sunday John 12:13

[xiv] Matthew 20:30

[xv] Luke 1:32

[xvi] Romans 1:3; 2 Timothy 2:8

[xvii] Isaiah 9:5-7