Commentary on John

Cyril of Alexandria, Joel C. Elowsky, David R. Maxwell

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780830866458
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 378-444), one of the most brilliant representatives of the Alexandrian theological tradition, is best known for championing the term Theotokos (mother of God) in opposition to Nestorius of Constantinople. Cyril's great Commentary on John, offered here in the Ancient Christian Text series in two volumes, predates the Nestorian controversy, however, and focuses its theological fire power against Arianism. The commentary, which is addressed to catechists, displays Cyril's breath-taking mastery of the full content of the Bible and his painstaking attention to detail as he seeks to offer practical teaching on the cosmic story of God's salvation.David Maxwell provides readers with the first complete English translation of the text since the nineteenth century. It rests on Pusey's critical edition of the Greek text and puts on display Cyril's theological interpretation of Scripture and his appeal to the patristic tradition that preceded him. Today's readers will find the commentary an indispensable tool for understanding Cyril's approach to Scripture.Ancient Christian Texts are new English translations of full-length commentaries or sermon series from ancient Christian authors that allow you to study key writings of the early church fathers in a fresh way.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA

Commentary on John
[1]

OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS
CYRIL
ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
INTERPRETATION OR COMMENTARY
ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN

PREFACE

“The Lord will give words to those who proclaim the gospel with great power,” as the psalmist eloquently puts it.1 I do not think just anyone should attempt this, however, but only those who are enlightened by grace from above because “all wisdom is from the Lord,”2 as it is written, and “every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”3 It is dangerous for ordinary people to speak about the essence that transcends all things and about its mysteries, and doing so risks penalty. Silence is the safer course in these matters. Nevertheless, the one who is God over all4 deprives us of that course even though we think that silence is quite appropriate for us. He says to one of his saints, Paul, “Speak [2] and do not be silent.”5 The statutes of the law stress this even more when they command those who have been called to the divine priesthood to use trumpet blasts to announce to the people what they need to learn.6 (These statutes are indicating spiritual matters in an earthly type.) When God wanted to give his most excellent law, I do not think he intended the leaders of the people to put their hands over their mouths, according to the text. Just because they were afraid of giving the impression of making a rash attempt at matters high above human understanding, God did not want them to refuse to give instruction so necessary to those whom they were leading to godliness and the knowledge of God, or to choose silence, which would harm those who were progressing toward discipleship.

By contrast, the disciple of Christ strikes fear into our hearts by saying, “Let not many of you become teachers.”7 In addition, the supremely wise preacher of Ecclesiastes figuratively shows the danger of teaching these things. “The one who chops wood,” he says, “will be endangered in the process. If the ax head slips, that person grimaces and will need more exertion.”8 He compares the sharp mind with the ax head because it is the sort of thing that pierces through and sinks into the innermost parts even though it is resisted by the thickness and density of the wood. The thoughts in the divinely inspired Scripture are figuratively referred to as “wood.” These thoughts turn the books that contain them into a kind of paradise of knowledge; even more, they are in labor, giving birth to the fruit bearing that comes from the Holy Spirit. One tries to split open the wood of knowledge, that is, the divine and mystic thoughts of the divinely inspired Scriptures, when one searches them with painstaking attention and a sharp mind. The great danger, he says, is that the ax head may slip. [3] This happens when the mind is not borne along the lines of the true understanding of what is written but goes outside right judgment, leaves the straight path, so to speak, and is carried to some other path of interpretation that has turned away from what is right. When this happens to someone, their soul, that is, their heart, will grimace and groan. They will also increase the exertion of those wicked powers that oppose them, which use pointed and perverted words to persuade the mind of the deceived. These powers do not permit the mind to see the beauty of the truth; rather, they have many ways of turning it away and persuading it to go after crazy ideas. For no one says, “Let Jesus be cursed” except by Beelzeboul.9

Let no one make the mistake of thinking that this interpretation of the passage is either itself a mistake or that it is based on false reasoning in some way. After all, the Holy Scripture sometimes refers to the thoughts in the divinely inspired Scriptures as “wood,” as we said before. For example, God who is over all says something like this to the people at that time through the supremely wise Moses: “If you make war against a city and besiege it for many days to take it, do not destroy its trees by cutting them down with an ax. You may eat from them, so do not remove them. A tree in the woods is not a person, is it, who enters the fort ahead of you? But do destroy and remove the tree that you know does not bear edible fruit.”10 I suppose it is clear to everyone that the God of all would not have deemed it worthy to give such commands to us if he were talking about trees from the ground. Even so, I should demonstrate also from [4] another command that he has no concern at all for such matters, and he places no importance on them. On the contrary, what does he command should be done with their so-called gods? “Demolish their altars,” he says, “smash their pillars in pieces, and cut down their groves.”11 And he permits no tree whatsoever to grow next to his own altar. He proclaims clearly, “Do not plant for yourselves any grove next to the altar of the Lord your God.”12 If I need to say anything more about this, I will speak in the manner of the supremely wise Paul, “Is God concerned about trees? Does he not speak entirely for our sake?”13 Through earthly examples, he leads us to the contemplation of spiritual matters.

Now let us think of the writings of the unholy heretics as cities. They are fortified, perhaps elaborately, with the wisdom of the world and a tangle of deceptive ideas. However, everyone who contends for the holy doctrines of the church arrives to lay siege on them and encircles them, as it were, “taking the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”14 Such a person is strong in every way and ready for battle against their false speaking, trained to demolish arguments, as Paul says, “and every proud obstacle that rises up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”15 Such a soldier of Christ, he says, goes around the bitter writings of heresy like an alien land and happens on the most cultivated trees; that is, the soldier finds words that are from the divinely inspired Scriptures, or words spoken by the prophets [5] or even testimonies from the New Testament dragged off for the purposes of the heretics. When this happens, you should not apply your sharp mind like some ax to cut them down and remove them. Just because these words were employed by people who do not know how to interpret them correctly does not mean that you should reject what comes from the mouth of God. Since it bears edible fruit, it will help and nourish you. They sometimes took the words foolishly, but when we turn the words around to the right argument for the faith, not only will we avoid being caught with an unstrung bow, but also our bowstring will be taut and ready with words against heresy. Immediately, then, he adds an argument to convince the hearers that it is right for those on the side of truth to mount an attack, not to overturn divine sayings but to remove the errors of the opponents. He says, “A tree in the woods is not a person, is it, who enters the fort ahead of you?”16 Do you really think, he says, that the words of the Holy Scriptures will of themselves arise to attack you like some archheretic? Aren’t these words rather defrauded by the folly of the heretics? So do not cut them down, he says. Let them be your food. “But do destroy and remove the tree that you know does not bear edible fruit.”17 The fruit of these people’s writing is inedible for the one who wants to know the truth. Let every ax strike them. Let every spiritual lumberjack show strength. Let the strong ax gleam against them by advocating for the truth. The prophet Hosea also masterfully explains to us how useless and profitless the nonsense of the heterodox is: “The sheaf is not robust enough to yield grain, and if it does yield grain, [6] strangers will eat it.”18 Those who are eager to alienate themselves from friendship with God will feast on the weak old wives’ tales of their own ignorance.

Now as I was saying at the beginning (for I think we must go back to that), the interpretation of the divine mysteries is extremely difficult. But your many words persuade me, my most diligent brother, to offer this work as a kind of fruit of my lips and spiritual sacrifice.19 Therefore, I do not shrink back from the task because I trust in God who makes wise the blind and does not seek from us what is completely beyond our abilities but accepts equally even the offerings of the poor. The lawgiver commanded, in the beginning of Leviticus,20 that whoever wants to bring a gift as a whole burnt offering to the Lord is to offer a bull. In this passage he defines the amount of honor due for each type of sacrifice. Nevertheless, he lowers the standard and says that those who might not have enough for this should offer sheep. But he knew full well that sudden grinding poverty would claim some so that perhaps they would be too weak for this. Therefore, he says, “Offer a gift of turtledoves or pigeons.”21 He even honors the one who is too poor for these and who approaches with the most worthless gifts. “Fine flour,” he says, “will be their gift,”22 defining an offering which I suppose is attainable for everyone and does not demand too much even for the deepest poverty. The lawgiver knew very well, I suppose, that it is better to bear fruit even a little than to be bereft of it. People who might otherwise be ashamed that their gifts seem inferior to the gifts of others should not be forced to the conclusion that they should not honor the Lord of all. [7]

Since I am understandably persuaded by all these considerations, I have banished all hesitation, that ally of silence, from my thoughts. I think I should honor my Lord with whatever I have, and I will offer, like fine flour wet with oil, a discourse that is nourishing and joyful to those who will read it. I will undertake an immense task and begin the book of John. But because of faith, I am not weak. I must without protest confess that I will speak and think less than is fitting. The great difficulty of the book, or more accurately, the weakness of my understanding, will persuade me rightly to seek pardon for this.

I will muster my discourse for battle, as well as I can, against the false opinions of those who teach wrongly. I will direct the discussion at every point to a doctrinal explanation. I will not extend the length as much as I could. In fact, I will even get rid of the excess. I am anxious to see that what I do is appropriate. The list of the chapters below will show the subjects that the discourse covers. I have added numbers to it so that the readers will very quickly be able to find what they are looking for. [9]

CHAPTERS IN BOOK ONE

1. The Only Begotten is eternal and before the ages; on the words “In the beginning was the Word.”
2. The Son, who is both God and of the same substance as the Father, exists in his own hypostasis, just as the Father does; on the words “And the Word was with God.”
3. The Son is God by nature and is in no way less than or unlike the Father; on the words “And the Word was God.”
4. Against those who dare to say that the natural Word in the mind of God the Father is different from the one called “Son” in the Holy Scriptures. Such an evil opinion belongs to the followers of Eunomius; on the words “This one was in the beginning with God.”
5. The Son is by nature creator with God the Father because he is from the Father’s substance and not taken on as a subordinate; on the words “All things came to be through him.”
6. The Son is by nature life. Therefore he did not come into being but is from the substance of God the Father; on the words “That which came into being—in it was life.”
7. The Son is by nature light. Therefore, he did not come into being but is from the substance of God the Father as true light from true light; on the words “And the life was the light of all people.” [10]
8. The Son of God alone is true light; the creation is not, because it participates in the light as something originate; on the words “He was the true light.”
9. The human soul does not exist before the body, nor is embodiment the result of former sins, as some say; on the words “He was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world. He was in the world.”
10. The Only Begotten alone is by nature the Son of the Father because he is from him and in him; on the words “No one has ever seen God.” [11]

OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS
CYRIL
ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA
EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY
ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BOOK ONE

God has instructed the thought of the holy Evangelists, and it is truly precise. From a hill or a lookout post, as it were, they scan with an eagle eye in every direction for something to benefit their hearers. With intense zeal, they track down what they think would profit those who thirst for the true exposition of divine teachings and who search with good intentions for the meaning hidden in the Holy Scriptures. The Spirit does not reveal the truth to those who spend too much effort preparing for battle and who exult in tangled and deceptive arguments rather than rejoice in the truth. That is because the Spirit does not “enter a deceitful soul,”1 nor does he otherwise allow his precious pearls to be rolled under the feet of swine.2 Instead, he would rather spend his time with simple minds because they move without guile and [12] avoid superfluous sophistry. Such sophistry leads to senselessness and to a departure from the straight royal road because one leans too far to the right. “For the one who walks simply, walks surely,” as Solomon says.3

The holy Evangelists have a precision in their writing that is quite amazing because they are not the ones who are speaking, as the Savior says, but the Spirit of the Father who is in them.4 One might with good reason say that the composition of the book of John far surpasses even wonder itself when one looks at the excellence of his thoughts, the sharpness of his reasoning and the unceasing introduction of one idea after another. The Evangelists are like a team of horses in the interpretation of divine teachings that has left the starting gate and is racing towards one goal. The character of the discourse, however, is put together differently for each of them. It seems to me that they are like people who are ordered to assemble in one city but by no means are to travel by one and the same route. One can see that the other Evangelists provide a precise account of our Savior’s genealogy according to the flesh. They trace the descendants in order from Abraham down to Joseph,5 or they go from Joseph back up to Adam.6 But the blessed John is not overly concerned about these matters. He harnesses the lightning-hot motion of his thoughts to reach for subjects that are beyond human comprehension. He dares to narrate the ineffable and unutterable birth of God the Word,7 knowing that the “glory of God hides speech”8 and that the dignity that befits God is greater than all our thought and speech. [13] The properties of t...