Cyril
of Jerusalem
Lecture 18, Part C
“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.” — Ezekiel 37:1
Summary: St. Cyril, after firmly and decisively showing that Judaism is cut off, sings the praises of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church[i] in a beautiful chorus and litany of Scripture quotations. He warns of the dangers of false churches, and the wolves that would come, spoiling the flock; he especially reminds us of the fact of the resurrection and eternal life. He emphasizes that salvation requires of us both faith and works. He concludes his catechetical lectures, prior to Baptism, with the assurance that our Baptism should fill us with exceeding joy, as the wealth of the Spirit begins to grow within us.
Preview: 25. “The Psalmist sang, Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord … from the fountains of Israel.[ii]” After which there can be no doubt about the cutting
off of the Jews as a chosen nation from the kingdom of God, because of their evil
deeds; not as repentant individuals.[iii] “But after the Jews … were cast away from His
grace, the Savior built … a second Holy Church … of us Christians, concerning which
he said to Peter, And upon this rock I will
build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.[iv] And David … said plainly of the first … I have hated the Congregation of evil doers;[v]
but of the second … Lord, I have loved the
beauty of Your house;[vi]
and … In the Congregations will I bless you,
O Lord.[vii] For now that … Judea is cast off, the Churches
of Christ are increased over all the world … Sing unto the Lord a new song, His praise in the Congregation of Saints.[viii] … the prophet also said to the Jews, I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord Almighty;[ix]
… For from the rising of the sun even unto
the going down of the same, My name is glorified among the Gentiles.[x] Concerning this Holy Catholic Church Paul writes
to Timothy, That you may know how you ought
to behave yourself in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the
pillar and ground of the truth.[xi]” 26. But
since the word Ecclesia is applied to different things … And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the Assembly,[xii]
… [or] that there is a Church of evil doers … for this cause the Faith has
securely delivered to you now the Article, And in one Holy Catholic Church;
that you may avoid their wretched meetings [of false churches], and ever abide with
the Holy Church Catholic in which you were regenerated.” “for it is written, As Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it….[xiii] and is a figure and copy of Jerusalem which is above, which is free, and
the mother of us all[xiv]….” 27. In
this Church, “God has set, as Paul says, first Apostles, secondly Prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then
gifts of healings, helps, governments, various kinds of tongues,[xv]
and every sort of virtue … wisdom and understanding, temperance and justice, mercy
and loving-kindness, and patience unconquerable in persecutions. She, by
the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor,[xvi]
in former days [of] persecutions and tribulations … and now in times of peace by
God’s grace receives her due honors from kings
and those who are in high place[xvii]…. And while the kings of particular nations have
bounds set to their authority, the Holy Church Catholic alone extends her power
without limit over the whole world; for God,
as it is written, has made her border peace.[xviii]” 28. “In
this Holy Catholic Church … we shall attain the kingdom of heaven, and inherit eternal
life; for which also we endure all toils, that we may be made partakers thereof
from the Lord.” “Wherefore … after the words,
And in the resurrection of the flesh … we are taught to believe also in
the life eternal, for which as Christians we are striving.” 29. “The
real and true life … is the Father, … through the Son in the Holy Spirit pours forth
as from a fountain His heavenly gifts to all; and through His love to man, the blessings
of the life eternal are promised without fail to us men also. … for with
God all things are possible.[xix] … and that we may look for eternal life, Daniel
declares, And of the many righteous shall
they shine as the stars for ever and ever.[xx] And Paul says, And so shall we be ever with the Lord[xxi]. … And these
shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.[xxii]” 30. “And
many are the proofs concerning the life eternal [and ways of gaining it].” “… it is by faith; for it is written, He that believes in the Son has eternal life….[xxiii]
… and again … Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My word, and believes Him
that sent Me, has eternal life….[xxiv] … it is by the preaching of the Gospel; for He
says, that He that reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit unto life eternal.[xxv] … [it is] by martyrdom and confession in Christ’s
name; for He says, And he that hates his life
in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.[xxvi] … [it is] by preferring Christ to riches or kindred;
And every one that has forsaken brethren,
or sisters[xxvii]
… shall inherit eternal life. … it is
by keeping the commandments, You shall not
commit adultery, You shall not kill…. as He answered to him that came to Him,
and said, Good Master, what shall I do that
I may have eternal life?[xxviii] … it is by departing from evil works, and henceforth
serving God; for Paul says, But now being
made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification,
and the end eternal life.[xxix]” 31. “The
ways of finding eternal life are many, though I have passed over them by reason
of their number. … that … all might enjoy it without hindrance. Thus much have we … spoken … concerning the life
eternal … the last doctrine of those professed in the Faith, and its termination;
which life may we all, both teachers and hearers, by God’s grace enjoy!”[xxx] 32. “And
now, brethren beloved … prepare your souls for the reception of the heavenly gifts. As regards the Holy and Apostolic Faith … we have
spoken through the grace of the Lord as many Lectures, as was possible … not that
this is all we ought to have said, for many are the points omitted…. But now the holy day of the Passover is at hand,
and you, beloved in Christ, are to be enlightened by the Laver of regeneration.
You shall therefore again be taught what is requisite, if God so will; with
how great devotion and order you must enter in when summoned, for what purpose each
of the holy mysteries of Baptism is performed, and with what reverence and order
you must go from Baptism to the Holy Altar of God, and enjoy its spiritual and heavenly
mysteries; that your souls being previously enlightened by the word of doctrine,
you may discover in each particular the greatness of the gifts bestowed on you by
God.” 33. And after Easter’s Holy Day of salvation, you
shall come on each successive day, beginning from the second day of the week, after
the assembly into the Holy Place of the Resurrection , and there, if God permit,
you shall hear other Lectures; in which you shall again be taught the reasons of
everything which has been done, and shall receive the proofs thereof from the Old
and New Testaments — first, of the things done just before Baptism, — next, how
you were cleansed from your sins by the Lord, by the washing of water with the word[xxxi]
…[how] you have become partakers of the Name of Christ … how the Seal of the fellowship
of the Holy Ghost was given to you … the mysteries at the Altar of the New Testament
… how ye must approach them, and when and how receive them … how for the time to
come ye must behave yourselves worthily of this grace both in words and deeds, that
you may all be enabled to enjoy the life everlasting.” 34. “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice: for your redemption has drawn near,[xxxii]
and the heavenly host of the Angels is waiting for your salvation.[xxxiii] … the voice
of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord;[xxxiv]
… Ho, you that thirst, come ye to the water;[xxxv]
… Hearken unto me, and you shall eat that
which is good, and your soul shall delight itself in good things.[xxxvi] … Shine,
shine, O thou new Jerusalem; for your light has come.[xxxvii] … And afterwards
you shall be called the city of righteousness, Zion, the faithful mother of cities;
because of the law[xxxviii]
which went forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,[xxxix]
which word has from hence been showered forth on the whole world. … Lift up
your eyes round about, and behold your children gathered together;[xl]
… Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as
doves with their young ones to me?[xli]” “… Who knows
such things? Or who has seen it thus? Did ever a land bring forth in one day? Or
was ever a nation born all at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth
her children.[xlii] … Behold,
I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.[xliii] 35. “…
Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth;
… for the Lord has had mercy on His people,
and comforted the lowly of His people.[xliv] … Behold,
I will blot out as a cloud your transgressions, and as a thick cloud your sins.[xlv] … Upon My
servants shall be called a new name which shall be blessed on the earth,[xlvi]
… Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places
in Christ[xlvii] … in whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our
sins, according to the riches of His grace, wherein He abounded towards us….[xlviii] … But God
being rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, when we were dead
through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ….[xlix] … But when
the kindness of God our Savior, and His love towards man appeared, not by works
of righteousness which we had done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through
the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on
us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace,
we might be made heirs, according to hope, of eternal life.[l] And may God Himself the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, give unto you
a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Himself, the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened,[li]
and may He ever keep you in good works, and words, and thoughts; to Whom be glory,
honor, and power, through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Ghost, now and ever,
and unto all the endless ages of eternity.
Amen.
[i]
He refers to neither the Orthodox Catholic nor the Roman Catholic churches: for,
in the fourth century there was only one true Church, in spite of the claims of
Donatists, Nestorians, Nicolaitans, Novationists, Rogatists, and many others… too
numerous and tedious to list.
[ii]
Psalms 68:26
[iii]
We ought not suppose that the events around 1666 reversed this situation in any
way. There is no Judeo-Christian ethic or
union. There may be an Abrahamic-Israelite-Mosaic-Christian
theology. Make no mistake, the continuing
Old Testament Church is Christianity, not Judaism: for Judaism continues to resist
the Word of God in countless ways. Repentance
and faith are the only cures: Jews need to be baptized and become Christians.
[v]
Psalms 26:5
[vi]
Psalms 26:8
[vii]
Psalms 26:12
[viii]
Psalms 149:1
[xviii]
Psalms 147:14
[xix]
Matthew 19:23-30
[xx]
Daniel 12:3
[xxiv]
John 5:24
[xxv]
John 4:36
[xxvi]
John 12:25
[xxvii]
Matthew 19:29
[xxviii]
Mark 10:17-23
[xxix]
Romans 6:22
[xxx]
This seems to us to be a somewhat circuitous, complex and contrived way of saying
the same thing that James 2:14-26 so clearly explains. It is impossible that true biblical faith and
true biblical works every be separated one from the other: for the Law, working
alive within us due to the perfect work of Christ, urges us onward to do what is
right in every situation. There just ain’t
no such thing as easy believism….
[xxxii]
Philippians 4:4; also, Philippians 4:1-7
[xxxiii]
Note that St. Cyril understands joining the Church through Baptism to be a specific
act of the Spirit; not of the application of water, which is an act of man; yet,
St. Cyril expects this spiritual act to take place along with the application of
water, and he will be surprised if this spiritual act does not take place; nevertheless,
the Spirit will not come wherever He perceives an evil heart of unbelief: this is
not magic. So, the Spirit Himself acts ex
opere operato, wherever He wishes; but, humanity has no power to confect such an
act, with or without water. Therefore, we
should be awestruck by the power of God in this matter: for He can neither be deceived
nor denied. Thus, the person being touched
by the Spirit may experience considerable spontaneous emotional response and excitement. Indeed, it is exciting every time the Spirit speaks
to us; yet, He comes mostly in a still small voice, teaching the Bible, so our excitement
quiets down into a more peaceful love.
[xxxiv]
Isaiah 40:3
[xxxv]
Isaiah 55:1
[xxxvi]
Isaiah 55:2-7
[xxxvii]
Isaiah 60:1
[xxxviii]
Note the necessity of the Law here, and its equation with the Word of the Lord,
Who is Christ Himself.
[xxxix]
The Church is the New Jerusalem, the City of Righteousness. Isaiah 1:21, 26-31; 45:13; Daniel 9:16, 18, 24
Septuagint
[xl]
Isaiah 40:9, 26; 49:18; 60:4
[xli]
Isaiah 60:8
[xlii]
Isaiah 66:8 Septuagint
[xliii]
Isaiah 65:18
[xliv]
Isaiah 49:13
[xlvi]
Isaiah 62:2; 65:15-16; 66:22
[xlvii]
Ephesians 1:3
[xlviii]
Ephesians 1:7-9
[xlix]
Ephesians 2:4-7
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