Cyril
of Jerusalem
Lecture 17, Part C
“For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom….” — 1 Corinthians 12:8
Summary: If before, St. Cyril raced, now he flies; continuing, with references to Peter, Aeneas, Tabitha, Cornelius, Barnabas, Paul, and others whose lives the Spirit touched. He mentions Judaizing and the Jerusalem Council. Then he speeds on with Elymas, and the Philippian Jailer; to Athens, and Corinth; to trials before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa… all by the Spirit, Who is about to be received by the Catechumens at Baptism; Who will also test our hearts to see if they are true; Who seals us to redemption; Who blesses us with the whole fruit.
Preview: 27. “In the power of the same Holy Spirit Peter …
healed Aeneas the paralytic in the Name of Christ at Lydda … and at Joppa raised
from the dead Tabitha rich in good works.
And being on the housetop in a trance, he saw heaven opened, and by means
of the vessel let down as it were a sheet full of beasts of every shape and sort,
he learned plainly to call no man common or unclean….[i] And when he was sent for by Cornelius, he heard
clearly the Holy Ghost Himself saying, Behold,
men seek you; but arise and get you down, and go with them, nothing doubting;
for I have sent them. And that it might
be plainly shown that those of the Gentiles also who believe are made partakers
of the grace of the Holy Ghost, when Peter had come to Caesarea, and was teaching
the things concerning Christ, the Scripture says concerning Cornelius and them who
were with him; While Peter yet spoke
these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word; so that they
of the circumcision also which came with Peter were astonished, and when they
understood it said that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the
Holy Ghost.[ii]” 28. “And
… Barnabas was sent hence as far as Antioch to help on the good work, being a
good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith;[iii]
who seeing a great harvest of believers in Christ, brought Paul from Tarsus to Antioch,
as his fellow-combatant. And when crowds
had been instructed by them and assembled in the Church, it came to pass that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch;[iv]
And as they ministered to the Lord and
fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them.[v]
And after hands had been laid on them, they were sent forth by the Holy Ghost.
Now it is manifest, that the Spirit which
speaks and sends, is a living Spirit, subsisting, and operating….” 29. “This Holy Spirit, who in unison with Father and
Son has established the New Covenant in the Church Catholic, has set us free from
the burdens of the law … which were given for a season, and had a shadow of
the good things to come,[vi] but which,
when the truth had come, were rightly withdrawn. For when Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Apostles,
because of the question moved at Antioch by them who said that it was necessary
to be circumcised and to keep the customs of Moses, the Apostles who were here at
Jerusalem by a written injunction set free the whole world from all the legal and
typical observances;[vii] yet they attributed not
to themselves the full authority in so great a matter, but send an injunction in
writing, and acknowledge this: For it has seemed good unto the Holy Ghost
and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that
you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication;[viii] showing
evidently by what they wrote, that though the writing was by the hands of human
Apostles, yet the decree is universal from the Holy Ghost: which decree Paul and
Barnabas took and confirmed unto all the world.” 30. “And
now … I ask indulgence … from the Spirit … For when shall I in terms worthy of Himself
declare the marvelous deeds wrought by the operation of the Holy Ghost in the Name
of Christ? Those wrought in Cyprus upon Elymas
the sorcerer, and in Lystra at the healing of the cripple, and in Cilicia and Phrygia
and Galatia and Mysia and Macedonia?[ix] Or those at Philippi (the preaching, I mean, and
the driving out of the spirit of divination in the Name of Christ; and the salvation
by baptism of the jailer with his whole house at night after the earthquake);[x] or the
events at Thessalonica;[xi] and the
address at Areopagus in the midst of the Athenians;[xii] or the
instructions at Corinth,[xiii] and
in all Achaia?[xiv] … the mighty deeds which were wrought at Ephesus
through Paul, by the Holy Ghost?[xv] Whom they of that City knew not before, but came
to know Him by the doctrine of Paul; and when Paul had laid his hands on them, and
the Holy Ghost had come upon them, they spoke with tongues, and prophesied.[xvi] And so great spiritual grace was upon him, that
not only his touch wrought cures, but even the handkerchiefs and napkins,[xvii] brought
from his body, healed diseases, and scared away the evil spirits; and at last they
also who practiced curious arts brought their books together, and burned them
before all men.[xviii]” 31. “…
Eutychus, who being borne down by his sleep fell down from the third loft,
and was taken up dead; yet was saved alive by Paul.[xix] … the Elders of Ephesus … to whom he openly said,
That the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city, saying…. for by saying, in
every city, Paul made manifest that the marvelous works done by him in each
city, were from the operative power of the Holy Ghost….[xx] By the power of this Holy Ghost, the same Paul
was hastening to this holy city Jerusalem, and this, though Agabus[xxi] by the
Spirit foretold what should befall him; and yet he spoke to the people with confidence,
declaring the things concerning Christ. And
when … set amid tribunals of justice … before Felix[xxii] … before
Festus[xxiii] …
Agrippa[xxiv], Paul
obtained of the Holy Ghost grace so great, and triumphant in wisdom, that at last
Agrippa himself the king of the Jews said, Almost you persuade me to be a
Christian…. This Holy Spirit granted
to Paul … to receive no harm when bitten by the viper, and to effect various cures
on the diseased. This Holy Spirit guided
him … even as far as imperial Rome, and there he persuaded many of the Jews to believe
in Christ, and to them who gainsaid he said plainly, Well spoke the Holy
Ghost by Esaias the Prophet, saying unto your fathers….”[xxv] 32. “…
hear from [Paul] himself as he writes plainly in his Epistles; And my speech,
he says, and my preaching was not in persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power.[xxvi] … But He who sealed us for this very purpose
is God, who gave us the earnest of the Spirit.[xxvii] … He that raised up Jesus from the dead shall
also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit which dwells in you.[xxviii] … That good thing which was committed to you
guard through the Holy Ghost which was given to us.[xxix] 33. “And
that the Holy Ghost subsists, and lives, and speaks, and foretells … Paul writes
plainly to Timothy: Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in later times
some shall depart from the faith[xxx] — which
we see in the divisions not only of former times but also of our own; so motley
and diversified are the errors of the heretics.[xxxi] … Paul says, Which in other generations
was not made known unto the sons of men, as it has now been revealed unto His
Holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit.[xxxii] … Wherefore, as says the Holy Ghost;[xxxiii] …
The Holy Ghost also witnesses to us.[xxxiv] … And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, with all prayer and supplication.[xxxv] … Be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and
hymns, and spiritual songs.[xxxvi] … The grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love
of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.[xxxvii]” 34. “By
all these proofs … is the personal, and sanctifying, and effectual power of the
Holy Ghost established for those who can understand; for the time would fail me
… if I wished to quote what yet remains concerning the Holy Ghost from the fourteen
Epistles of Paul…. And to … the Holy Ghost
… to grant to us forgiveness for what we have omitted … while from the frequent
reading of the sacred Scriptures those of you who are diligent come to understand
these things … and from what has before been told you, hold more steadfastly the
Faith in One God the Father
Almighty; and in our Lord Jesus Christ, His Only-Begotten Son; and in the Holy
Ghost the Comforter. Though the word itself and title of Spirit is
applied to Them in common in the sacred Scriptures, — for it is said of the Father,
God is a Spirit,[xxxviii]
… of the Son, A Spirit before our
face, Christ the Lord,[xxxix] …
of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost,[xl] … yet
the arrangement of articles in the Faith,[xli] if religiously
understood, disproves the error of Sabellius also….” 35. “Beware
lest … thou come to the dispensers of Baptism in hypocrisy, your heart the while
not seeking the truth. It is ours to protest,
but it is yours to secure yourself. If you
stand in faith,[xlii] blessed
are you; if you have fallen in unbelief, from this day forward cast away your unbelief,
and receive full assurance. For, at the season
of baptism, when you have come before the Bishops, or Presbyters, or Deacons … approach
the Minister of Baptism, but approaching, think not of the face of him you see,
but remember this Holy Ghost of whom we are now speaking. For He is present in readiness to seal your soul,
and He shall give you that Seal at which evil spirits tremble, a heavenly and sacred
seal, as also it is written, In whom also ye believed, and were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise.[xliii]” 36. “Yet
He tries the soul. He casts not His pearls before swine; if you play the hypocrite,
though men baptize you now, the Holy Spirit will not baptize you.[xliv] But if you approach with faith, though men minister
in what is seen, the Holy Ghost bestows that which is unseen. … but keep the Seal upon your soul, no evil spirit
will approach you; for he will be cowed; for verily by the Spirit of God are the
evil spirits cast out.” 37. “If you believe, you shall not only receive remission
of sins, but also do things which pass man's power. … For you shall receive grace according to the
measure of your capacity and not of my words.… All your life long will your guardian
the Comforter abide with you; He will care for you, as for his own soldier …
[against] your plotting foes. And He will
give you gifts of grace of every kind, if you grieve Him not by sin; for it is written,
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you were sealed unto the day
of redemption.[xlv] What then, beloved, is it to preserve grace? Be ready to receive grace, and when you have received
it, cast it not away.” 38. “And may the very God of All, who spoke by the
Holy Ghost through the prophets, who sent Him forth upon the Apostles on the day
of Pentecost in this place, Himself send Him forth at this time also upon you; and
by Him keep us also, imparting His benefit in common to us all, that we may ever
render up the fruits of the Holy Ghost, love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,[xlvi] in
Christ Jesus our Lord:— By whom and with whom, together with the Holy Ghost, be
glory to the Father, both now, and ever, and for ever and ever. Amen.[xlvii]”
[i]
Acts 9:32-35; 36-42; 10:11-16
[ii]
Acts 10:17-48
[iii]
Acts 11:22-26
[iv]
Acts 11:26
[v]
Acts 13:2-5
[vii]
We do not need the Law written in ordinances: for Christ has fulfilled all the
righteous requirements of the Law perfectly, and we are in Christ by the
Spirit’s Baptism. There are no bloody
sacrifices: for Christ has completed all of them. The typology is done away since the reality has
come. The Law is being written in our
hearts; the ordinances remain as a tutor to help us understand what is being
written: but, obedience is all of the Spirit working in us.
[viii]
Acts 15:1-29
[ix]
Acts 13:8; 14:8;15:41; 16:6-9
[x]
Acts 16:12-19; 23-45
[xi]
Acts 17:1, 11
[xii]
Acts 17:15-34
[xiii]
Acts 18:1-11
[xiv]
Acts 18:12-18
[xvi]
Acts 19:6
[xvii]
Acts 19:12
[xviii]
The burning of books, here, was voluntary; nevertheless, it had some
unfortunate repercussions: for, now, there are floating rumors of what was
supposedly written, without any means of recovering the facts. On the other hand, there are some things so
evil that they are better left unknown, unread, unseen, unwritten; facts
ascertained or transmitted by gossip, innuendo, or rumor can always be exposed
for what they are, arguments from silence — hearsay, inadmissible in any court
— we simply demand that the evidence be produced — finding no evidence, we move
on. Acts 19:19
[xix]
Acts 20:6-12
[xx]
Acts 20:16-26
[xxi]
Acts 21:10, as well as Acts 11:28 for background on Agabus
[xxii]
Acts 23:24, 26; 24:3, 22, 24, 25, 27; 25:14
[xxiii]
Acts 24:27; 25:1, 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24; 26:24, 25, 32
[xxiv]
Herod Agrippa Ⅱ and his sister
Bernice… Acts 25:13, 22, 23, 24, 26;
26:1, 2, 7, 19, 27, 28, 32
[xxv]
Isaiah 6:9-11; Matthew 13:14; Mark 4:12; Acts 28:25-29
[xxvi]
1 Corinthians 2:4
[xxvii]
2 Corinthians 1:22
[xxviii]
Romans 8:11
[xxix]
2 Timothy 1:14
[xxxi]
Note that St. Cyril lumps all the divisions of the Church together, including
the catholic divisions, as heretical apostasy; how, pray tell, is the honest
and sincere simple Christian supposed to sort this out on his/her own
authority? The sins of the churches are
obstructing the pathway to heaven. May
the Spirit provide more abundant grace in the face of such disaster. Shame on all of us; God forgive us, we know
not what we do. The Spirit is not and
cannot be divided. The Body of Christ is
not and cannot be divided. A said
catholicity is not the same thing as true catholicity.
[xxxiv]
Hebrews 10:15
[xxxvi]
Psalm 66:1 Septuagint; 75:1 Septuagint; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16
[xxxix]
We dare not say that St. Cyril has erred: for his command of the Septuagint is
so excessively better than ours: nevertheless, we failed to find the Jeremiah
reference. Job 4:15; 2 Corinthians 3:18
[xli]
The Nicene Creed, which is the course or teaching followed by St. Cyril and
others.
[xliii]
Ephesians 1:13
[xliv]
Note that St. Cyril denies the opinion of ex opere operato, which was moved at Trent.
[xlvii]
John 14:17, 26; Galatians 1:3-5; Jude 1:25
