On Adoration and Worship in Spirit and Truth, Book 10 · §12

Golden jar fullness = deity bodily; jar before Father; Korah; twelve rods begin

Cyril: …holy temple, the one from Virgin I mean; in the same manner also the golden jar for us, travailing the sense-perceptible manna, shows the Word from above and life-making, clear that the one from Father, as in a holy and unstained body. And the jar also is filled full of the manna. ‘For in him all the fullness of the godhead has dwelt bodily,’ according at least to blessed Paul’s voice. ‘And not from measure does he give the Spirit.’ For Christ is all-perfect. And the jar was set away, unto keeping unto the generations of the sons of Israel. For incorruptible and remaining always, and in every season and time most known is Christ. And he is opposite Lord—that is, in the eyes of the Father. For when the Only-begotten has come to be according to us, then also he has entered into the Holies of holies, through the greater and more perfect tent—that is, into the heaven, now to be manifested to the face of God for us, according as has been written. For he does not set himself in sight of the Father, but us as in himself, though having come to be from face and somehow as from eyes, through the transgression in Adam, and the sin that tyrannized over all. In Christ therefore we have had the approach, and the boldness unto the entrance of the Holies, just as wise Paul said to us. For just as also we have been raised together and seated together in the heavenly things in Christ, so again in him we have also come to be in face of the Father. And concerning the sacred jar let these things be said; and it signifies that Aaron’s rod also itself means Christ—come then let us say, if it seems good.

Palladius: And very much.

Cyril: Korah then and indeed also Abiram, and in addition to this Dathan, sprouted from tribe and blood of Levi; and having been entrusted, he says, with a liturgy arranged by the votes from above in the holy tent, they have thirsted for the glory of Moses and of Aaron, snatching the honor for themselves, though not having been called toward this by God. And indeed also priding themselves unto harsh boldness, and being very supercilious, they were making the abuse against both no longer bearable, but altogether hard to carry; and as untamed bulls they were separating themselves, and shaking off the slavery under God, they were persuading other impious ones to leap away together with them. But they were exacting justice of the things dared by them. For the earth opening its mouth was sending down into Hades the boastful people, with those of the same race, tents and properties; and wishing to make clear that by the vote from above, and not by Moses’ wills, Aaron has been allotted the excelling order in priesthood, the lawgiver said toward all-excellent Moses: ‘Speak to the sons of Israel, and take from them a rod, according to houses of families, from all their rulers, according to houses of their families, twelve rods, and of each write his name upon the rod. And Aaron’s name write upon the rod of Levi. For there is one rod. According to tribe of house of their families they will

Greek

ἁγίῳ ναῷ, τῷ ἐκ Παρθένου φημί· τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἡ στάμνος ἡμῖν ἡ χρυσῆ, τὸ μάννα τὸ αἰσθητὸν ὠδίνουσα, τὸν ἄνωθεν καὶ ζωοποιὸν ἐμφαίνει Λόγον, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸν ἐκ Πατρὸς, ὡς ἐν ἱερῷ καὶ ἀχράντῳ σώματι. Ἐπίμεστος δὲ καὶ ἡ στάμνος τοῦ μάννα. «Ἐνῴκησε γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς,» κατά γε τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου φωνήν. «Καὶ οὐκ ἐκ μέτρου δίδωσι τὸ Πνεῦμα.» Παντέλειος γὰρ ὁ Χριστός. Ἀπέκειτο δὲ ἡ στάμνος, εἰς διατήρησιν εἰς τὰς γενεὰς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ. Ἄφθαρτος γὰρ καὶ μένων ἀεὶ, καὶ ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ τε καὶ χρόνῳ γνωριμώτατος ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ ἔστιν ἔναντι Κυρίου, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ Πατρός. Ὅτε γὰρ γέγονε καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Μονογενὴς, τότε καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων, διὰ τῆς μείζονος καὶ τελειοτέρας σκηνῆς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, νῦν ἐμφανισθῆναι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καθὰ γέγραπται. Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἐν ὄψει καθίστησι τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλὰ ἡμᾶς ὡς ἐν ἑαυτῷ, καίτοι γεγονότας ἐκ προσώπου καὶ οἱονεί πως ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν, διὰ τὴν ἐν Ἀδὰμ παράβασιν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ πάντων τυραννήσασαν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐν Χριστῷ τοιγαροῦν ἐσχήκαμεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν, καὶ τὴν παῤῥησίαν εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν Ἁγίων, καθάπερ ἡμῖν ὁ σοφὸς ἔφη Παῦλος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ συνεγηγέρμεθα καὶ συνεκαθίσαμεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ, οὕτω πάλιν ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν προσώπῳ γεγόναμεν τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ στάμνου μὲν πέρι τῆς ἱερᾶς εἰρήσθω τάδε· σημαίνει δὲ ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ τὸν Χριστὸν ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν, φέρε δὴ λέγωμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ.

{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ μάλα.

{ΚΥΡ.} Κορὲ τοίνυν καὶ μέντοι καὶ Ἀβειρὼν, καὶ πρός γε τούτῳ Δαθὰν, φυλῆς τε καὶ αἵματος ἐξέφυσαν τῆς Λευΐ· συντεταγμένην δὲ, φησὶ, ταῖς ἄνωθεν ψήφοις ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σκηνῇ λειτουργίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένοι, τὴν Μωσέως τε καὶ Ἀαρὼν δεδιψήκασι δόξαν, ἑαυτοῖς ἁρπάζοντες τὴν τιμὴν, κεκλημένοι δὲ οὐχὶ πρὸς τοῦτο παρὰ Θεοῦ. Καὶ μὴν καὶ εἰς ἀπηνὲς ἀπογαυρούμενοι θράσος, ἐξοφρυώμενοί τε ἄγαν, φορητὴν μὲν οὐκέτι, δύσοιστον δὲ κομιδῇ κατ' ἀμφοῖν ἐποιοῦντο τὴν κατάῤῥησιν· ἀτιμαγέλαι δὲ ὥσπερ ἀπενοσφίζοντο ταῦροι, καὶ τὴν ὑπὸ Θεῷ δουλείαν ἀποσειόμενοι, συναποθρώσκειν αὐτοῖς ἑτέρους δυσσεβοῦντας ἀνέπειθον. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν τῶν σφίσι τετολμημένων εἰσεπράττοντο δίκας. Διοιγνῦσα γὰρ ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς, αὐτοῖς ὁμογενέσι, σκηναῖς καὶ περιουσίαις, εἰς ᾅδου καθίει τὸν ἀλαζόνα λαόν· ὅτι δὲ ψήφῳ τῇ ἄνωθεν, καὶ οὐχὶ θελήμασι τοῖς Μωσέως, τὴν προὔχουσαν ἐν ἱερωσύνῃ τάξιν Ἀαρὼν διεκληρώσατο, διατρανοῦν ἐθέλων ὁ νομοθέτης, εἰς τὸν πανάριστον ἔφη Μωσέα· «Λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λάβε παρ' αὐτῶν ῥάβδον, κατ' οἴκους πατριῶν, παρὰ πάντων τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν, κατ' οἴκους πατριῶν αὐτῶν, δώδεκα ῥάβδους, καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπίγραψον ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάβδου. Καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Ἀαρὼν ἐπίγραψον ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάβδου Λευΐ. Ἔστι γὰρ ῥάβδος μία. Κατὰ φυλὴν οἴκου πατριῶν αὐτῶν δώ

About this text

Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 10 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.

English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 10 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.

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  • Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 10)
  • Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 10)

English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.