The bronze laver: cleansing by water, a figure of baptism
Palladius: Well said.
Cyril: Yet the law, speaking in riddles, did not order cleansing by blood alone; it also commanded cleansing with holy water. For this is the most perfect path to cleansing, according to the mystery that is in Christ.
Palladius: And how has it shown this as well, or in what way?
Cyril: It is written: ‘And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Make a bronze laver, with its base of bronze, for washing. You shall set it between the tent of witness and the altar, and you shall pour water into it. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it with water. Whenever they go into the tent of witness, they shall wash with water, and they will not die; or whenever they approach the altar to minister and to offer whole burnt offerings to the Lord, they shall wash their hands and their feet with water. Whenever they go into the tent of witness, they shall wash with water so that they may not die; and it shall be a perpetual ordinance for them, for him and for his generations after him’ (Exodus 30:17–21). It is plain enough, then, that the grace given through holy baptism was being sketched in advance here. For when we are baptized, what we gain is not the removal of dirt from the flesh (1 Peter 3:21); rather, we are set free from the defilements of mind and heart, and we wash away the stains of our offenses, by the grace and loving-kindness of the One who calls us to salvation. For we have been justified not by works of the law, as the Scriptures say, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16). Now see how Aaron, though he was holy according to the law, and those appointed to minister with him as well, first wash their hands and feet with water, and only then set their hands to the sacred tasks and run into the Holy of Holies free from fear. Here, I think, the law shows plainly and clearly, and the fact itself all but cries out, that even one who seems to be consecrated according to the law is unconsecrated before God unless he washes in the water, and that the power of worship under the law is not enough for cleansing. At any rate, they washed beforehand, even though they had been sanctified according to the law; and what is cleansed is surely not what is clean, but what is dirty and unclean. Christ himself said something of this kind: ‘One who has bathed has no need except to wash his feet, for he is clean’ (John 13:10). And the most wise Paul writes that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). So the law falls short of sanctification unless saving baptism is added for those who thirst for closeness to God. That is why the blessed John too, though richly crowned with the highest honors, and though he knew how to advance so far in virtue that he had already reached the highest rank, begged the Savior to baptize him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you’ (Matthew 3:14).
Palladius: True.
Cyril: The washing of hands and feet signifies purity and sincerity in what we do and in our course, so to speak, toward each of our duties.
Greek
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀλλ' οὔτι πω μόνῳ τῷ αἵματι καθαίρεσθαι δεῖν αἰνιγματωδῶς ὁ νόμος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὕδατι τῷ ἁγίῳ προστέταχε. Τελεωτάτη γὰρ ἤδε πρὸς κάθαρσιν ὁδὸς, κατά γε τὸ ἐν Χριστῷ μυστήριον.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πῶς δὲ δὴ ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο δέδειχεν, ἢ τίνα τρόπον;
{ΚΥΡ.} Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι «Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωσῆν, λέγων· Ποίησον λουτῆρα χαλκοῦν, καὶ βάσιν αὐτοῦ χαλκῆν, ὥστε νίπτεσθαι. Καὶ θήσεις αὐτὸν ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. Καὶ ἐκχεεῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ὕδωρ· καὶ νίψονται Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας ὕδατι. Ὅταν εἰσπορεύωνται εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου, νίψονται ὕδατι, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνωσιν· ἢ ὅταν προσπορεύωνται πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον λειτουργεῖν, καὶ ἀναφέρειν τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα Κυρίῳ, νίψονται τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας ὕδατι. Ὅταν εἰσπορεύωνται εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου, νίψονται ὕδατι ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσι· καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς νόμιμον αἰώνιον αὐτῷ. καὶ ταῖς γενεαῖς αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτόν.» Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἡ διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος ὡς ἔν γε δὴ τούτῳ προανεγράφετο χάρις, οὐκ ἀσυμφανές. Βαπτιζόμεθα γὰρ, οὐ σαρκὸς ἀπόθεσιν ῥύπου ἀποκερδαίνοντες, ἀλλὰ τῶν νοῦ καὶ καρδίας ἀπαλλαττόμενοι μολυσμῶν, καὶ τὰς τῶν πλημμελημάτων ἀπολουόμενοι κηλίδας, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ καλοῦντος εἰς σωτηρίαν. Δεδικαιώμεθα γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, ἀλλ' ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Θέα δὲ δὴ, ὅπως καίτοι κατὰ νόμον ἅγιος ὢν ὁ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ μὴν καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ λειτουργεῖν ἐπιτεταγμένοι, προσαπονίζονται χεῖράς τε καὶ πόδας ὕδατι, πόνων δὲ οὕτως ἅπτονται τῶν ἱερῶν, καὶ μὴν εἰς τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων εἰστρέχουσι, δειμάτων ἐλεύθεροι, σαφῶς τε καὶ ἐναργῶς καταδηλοῦντος, οἶμαί που, καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ νόμου, μόνον δὲ οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτοῦ διακεκραγότος τοῦ πράγματος, ὡς ἀνίερος παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ ὁ δοκῶν εἶναί τις κατὰ νόμον ἱερὸς, εἰ μὴ ἀπολούσαιτο τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ ὅτι τῆς ἐν νόμῳ λατρείας ἡ δύναμις οὐκ ἀπόχρη πρὸς κάθαρσιν. Προαπενίζοντο γοῦν, καίτοι κατὰ νόμον ἡγιασμένοι, καθαίρεται δὲ, οὔτι που τὸ καθαρὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ῥυποῦν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον. Τοιουτονὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, «Ὁ λελουμένος οὐ χρείαν ἔχει, εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας νίψασθαι, ἔστι γὰρ καθαρός.» Γράφει δὲ καὶ σοφώτατος Παῦλος, ὡς ἔστιν ἀδύνατον αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων ἀφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας. Ἀτελὴς οὖν ὁ νόμος εἰς ἁγιασμὸν, εἰ μὴ προσγένοιτο τοῖς δεδιψηκόσι τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν οἰκειότητα τὸ σωτήριον βάπτισμα. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἰωάννης, καίτοι τοῖς ἄγαν αὐχήμασιν εὖ μάλα κατεστεμμένος, καὶ ἀρετῆς εἰς τοῦτο διέρπειν εἰδὼς, ὡς εἰς λῆξιν ἤδη γενέσθαι τὴν ἀνωτάτω, βαπτίζεσθαι παρεκάλει τῷ Σωτῆρι λέγων· «Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἀληθές.
{ΚΥΡ.} Χεῖρες δὲ καὶ πόδες ἀπονιπτόμενοι, ἔργου καὶ πορείας τῆς οἱονεὶ πρὸς ἕκαστα τῶν πρακτέων,