Cyril of Jerusalem, Lecture 8

Cyril of Jerusalem

Lecture 8

https://www.swrktec.org/catechism

“The Great, the strong God, Lord of great Counsel, and mighty in His works, the Great God, the Lord Almighty and of great name.” — Jeremiah 39:18, 19 (Septuagint).

Summary: God’s Oneness in Deity, in Fatherhood, is amplified in His unbounded power or strength.  There is no place where it does not reach; no one it does not rule … save Son and Spirit, Who, fully share in it.  Money, especially, is neither for our slavery, nor is it a curse; it is God’s gift to the faithful.[i]

Preview: 1.  Belief in One God cuts off any form of polytheism common among the Greeks; belief in the Father cuts off the circumcision’s [denial of the Trinity]; now we add “Almighty”[ii] to these titles.  2.  For the Greeks [philosophers] God’s power is the soul of the world: not reaching beyond heaven, to earth; neither to hell.[iii]  3.  Heretics do not see God’s might as unbounded, which is refuted by Scripture, especially Matthew 10:28.[iv]  4.  We know only One God from Scripture and doctrine: for He even rules over idolaters in His forbearance; over heretics who value Him as nought; over the devil; over Angels; over mankind.  His patient and wise providence lays the groundwork for salvation; as Joseph’s imprisonment, born from his brothers malice, worked for their salvation; so, the devil’s wrestling, is groundwork for the victor’s crowns, who through their weakness, but through God’s strength, overcome a former-Archangel.  5.  None of this diminishes God’s power: for all are His servants, except Son and Spirit; as “Nebuchadnezzar once learned by experience.  6.  Riches are not the devil’s [property]: for riches are gifts for the faithful, not the faithless, like the devil.  Yet, faithless people squander God’s gift, impiously blaming their own mismanagement on their Creator.  But, the faithful may be justified by money.[v]  7.  Heretics count physical things accursed: for we should neither be slaves of money, nor count God’s gifts as a curse.  The devil’s claim that all these things are his, requires careful evaluation.[vi]  8.  “God, then, is One, the Father, the Almighty, whom …  heretics have dared to blaspheme … the Lord of Sabaoth, who sits above the Cherubim … to Whom be the glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

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[i] We must proceed with caution here: for St. Cyril is not teaching a prosperity theology.  In every supporting Scripture, wealth proves to be a blessing as the faithful judiciously give it away or share it.  A blessing, selfishly kept, is no blessing at all.

[ii] We ought not draw a cataphatic conclusion from this; for the purists, we point out that St. Cyril means that God’s might is infinite: which is to say that it is without human counting, definition, or measure.  In other words, God’s might is another of those unspeakable mysteries, about which we know from Scripture; yet, are far beyond human comprehension, conception, or imagination: of which they can only be spoken in extreme abstractions.  Apophatic theology was not invented in the fourteenth century by St. Gregory Palamas.  To be sure, our understanding of apophaticism has increased in profundity since the fourth century; ideas like zero and infinity have been more accurately construed: this, however, has only served to increase the enigma of the mystery… hidden in Christ with God.

[iii] We must understand the Greek world of the forms here, perfection in concept; but, flawed in nature: hence, impotent in the physical earth or past the River Styx in Hades.  Possibly, Plato or Aristotle are in view.

[iv] Matthew 12:29 and/or Mark 3:27 are also quoted as proof.

[v] Matthew 25:35-36; also Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21

[vi] Matthew 4; Luke 4

Psalm 73:2-12

... in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.  Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.  Glory to You, our God, Glory to You.

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Psalm 73:2-12[1]

But as for me, my feet were almost gone.  My steps had well near slipped: for I was envious at the foolish, [when] I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

There are] no pangs in their death.  Their strength [is] firm.  They [are] not in trouble [as other] men.  Nor are they plagued like [other] men.  Therefore pride circles about them as a chain.  Violence covers them [as] a garment.  Their eyes bulge out with fatness.  They have more than heart could wish.  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly [of] oppression.  They speak loftily.  They set their mouth against the heavens.  Their tongue walks through the earth.  Therefore his people return here.  Waters of a full [cup] are wrung out to them.  They say, “How does God know?  Is there knowledge in the most High?” Behold, these [are] the wicked, who prosper in the world.  They increase [in] riches.[2]

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[1] This is, among other things, a political commentary for all time.  It shows quite plainly how the hidden agendas of politics really work.

It explains why our anti-Constitution Supreme Court has decided on its own volition, not by any real law other than its own invention, has unilaterally decided that money is the equivalent to the right to vote.  This is no mere deduction or induction or other contrivance of logic.  Our Supreme Court has made such declarations in the public news.

It explains why our elected and appointed officials are no longer public servants, but our masters, overlords, and tyrants.

Pity the freshman politicians, who take office believing that they are public servants; that they will, with experience, become statesmen and women.  In relatively short periods of time they, for the most part, will be perverted by this system that worships wealth as the supreme god.  The few that do survive will be quickly marginalized, so that they are without real influence.

Pity, the wealthy: for all they really have is their wealth.  Soon they will discover that what they have been hoarding as gold is nothing but worthless sand.  This loss is already evident in 1933, and amplified in 1963, today our fiat wealth is nothing more than worthless paper, electrons, not even sand.  Its only value is the faith we, the people put into it.  Nevertheless, the wealthy have broken faith with the people, they have lost all sense of noblesse oblige, and more and more rule with an iron fist.  They suppose, because God is very patient, that He does not observe their folly, and judge it.

Know this.  God is patient, and God is kind.  He has an intense sense of noblesse oblige.  The poorest of the poor is His treasured child.  So we must concern ourselves with praying through our Bibles, learning to see the world from God's perspective.  It matters not that we live or die, but that we will live again.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your commandments.

Blessed are You, O Lord; teach us Your statutes.

Blessed are You, O Lord; show us how to love You.

Blessed are You, O Lord; help us love our neighbors.

Blessed are You, O Lord; provide us with Your manna.

Blessed are You, O Lord; crush the deception of the nations.

Blessed are You, O Lord; set your people free.

 

[2] If you have been blessed or helped by any of these meditations in Psalms, please repost, share, or use any of them as you wish.

These meditations are not controlled by Creative Commons or other licenses, such as: copyright, CC, BY, SA, NC, or ND.  They are designed and intended for your free participation.  They were freely received, and are freely given.  No other permission is required for their use.