The Works of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Volume 1

CATECHESIS XI

CATECHESIS XI On the Only-begotten Son of God, Born of the Father before all Ages, True God, through whom All Things Were Made "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers in the prophets, last of all in these days has spoken to us in his Son."l (1) In yesterday's discourse we gave adequate expression, as far as we could, to the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Yet we must not simply believe in Jesus Christ nor accept Him as one of many who are improperly called Christs. Though there were figurative Christs, He is the true Christ, not raised to the priesthood by advancement among men, but possessing the dignity of the priesthood eternally from the Father. For this reason the Faith, guarding against our supposing Him to be one of the ordinary Christs, adds to the creed we profess the words: "in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God." (2) Again, when you hear "Son," do not think of Him as an adopted Son, but a Son by nature, an Only-begotten Son, having no brother. He is called Only-begotten because, in the dignity of the Godhead and His generation from the Father, He has no brother. We call Him Son of God not of ourselves, but because the Father Himself named Christ His Son. For the name given to their children by fathers is a true one. (3) Our Lord Jesus Christ put on man's nature, but He was not known by the many. Wishing to teach what was not 1 Heb. 1.1, 2. 211 212 ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM known, He gathered His disciples together and asked: "Who do men say the Son of Man is?"2 He was not seeking vain glory, but wished to show them the truth, that they, living with God, the Only-begotten Son of God, might not look down upon Him as a mere man. When they said that some said Elias and others Jeremia,3 He said to them: "They who know not are excusable; but you, My Apostles, who in My Name cleanse the lepers, cast out devils, and raise the dead to life, you ought not to be ignorant of Him, by whom you work these wonders." When all were silent (for this lesson was beyond man's powers), Peter, the leader of the Apostles and chief herald of the Church, inventing no words, nor following human reasoning, but enlightened in mind by the Father, said to Him: "Thou art the Christ"; and not that merely, but: "the Son of the living God."4 At once a blessing follows his declaration (for truly it was above man), and upon what he said was put this seal, that it was the Father who had revealed it to him. For our Savior said: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my Father in heaven."5 Therefore, he who acknowledges our Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God shares this blessing; but he who denies the Son of God is a wretched and miserable man. (4) Again, when you hear "Son," do not think of it in an improper sense, but in a true sense, that is, a Son by nature, without beginning, not raised from bondage to the rank of adoption, but a Son begotten from all eternity by an inscrutable and incomprehensible generation. Similarly, when you hear "first-born," do not think of this in human fashion; for among men the first-born have other brothers; and it is somewhere written: "Israel is my son, my first-born";6 but like Reuben, Israel was a rejected first-born; for Reuben went 2 Matt. 16.13. 3 Ibid. 14. 4 Ibid. 16. 5 Ibid. 17. 6 Exod. 4.22. CATECHESIS XI 213 up to his father's bed,7 and Israel cast the Son of the Father out of the vineyardS and crucified Him. To others also Scripture says: "You are children of the Lord your God";9 and elsewhere: "I said, You are gods; all of you sons of the Most High."l0 Note "I said," not "I begot." They, from the fact that God said it, received the adoption which they did not have; but He was not begotten to be other than He was before...