Faith and Works
The Lord called them fools, saying that those who claim to be wise have become foolish. He knew that after his departure, false teachers would arise, and so the Holy Spirit, keeping us safe, warns us against the ravings of heretics. In the early days, it was customary for ships to have symbols of the Dioscuri, which were considered foreign and possibly idolatrous, as Isaiah says, they will sail in foreign ships, navigating the sea (Isaiah 60:9). 'Let him ask in faith, with no doubting' (James 1:6). Cyril: The one who doubts is plainly insolent. For if you did not believe that he will fulfill your request, you should not have come at all, so as not to be found accusing the Almighty by being double-minded against your will. So we must refuse so shameful a sickness. 'Do you want to know, you empty man, that faith without works is dead? Abraham our father...' (James 2:20–21). Cyril, from the Letter to the Romans: Since the blessed James says that Abraham was justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar, while Paul says that he was justified by faith, the apparent contradiction is to be understood this way: before he had Isaac he believed, and he received Isaac as the reward of his faith; yet when he offered Isaac on the altar, he not only did the work he was commanded but also did not let go of his faith, reckoning that in Isaac his seed would multiply like the stars, and that God is able even to raise from the dead. Yet Paul makes the blessed David, a man famous for piety, a witness and helper of his own words, and wisely sets forth, as in the Spirit, the forgiveness that comes through faith and announces it to all people; for he knew that it would be present in Christ in due time. 'You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works faith was made complete' (James 2:22). Cyril: He was bringing the rational sacrifice, bidding the laws of nature farewell, trampling the goad of a father's unyielding love, and setting nothing earthly against his love for God. 'And Abraham believed God' (James 2:23). Cyril: So the one who honors the God and Master of all with faith has righteousness as his prize. 'If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well' (James 3:2).
Greek
καὶ μωροὺς αὐτοὺς ἐκάλεσε λέγων· Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν. Ἐγὼ οἶδα ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἄφιξίν μου εἰσελεύσονται λύκοι βαρεῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ἵνα μὴ ξενιζώμεθα τῶν αἱρετικῶν τὰ ἐκβράσματα, Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀσφαλιζόμενος ἡμᾶς ταῦτά φησι. Ἐν πλοίῳ ... Ἀλεξανδρινῷ παρασήμῳ ∆ιοσκούροις. ‹74.773› Κυρίλλου. Ἔθος ἀεί πως ἐν ταῖς Ἀλεξανδρέων μάλιστα ναυσὶ πρός γε τῇ πρώρῃ δεξιά τε καὶ εἰς εὐώνυμα γραφὰς εἶναι τοιαύτας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν εἰκὸς εἰδωλολατρίας κρατούσης κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἐν ᾧ γεγράφθαι τῇ νηῒ τοὺς ∆ιοσκόρους, ταύτῃ τοι νοεῖν ἀκόλουθον ἀλλόφυλον, τουτέστιν εἰδωλολάτριν. Καθώς που καὶ Ἡσαΐας φησί· Πετασθήσονται ἐν πλοίοις ἀλλοφύλων, θάλασσαν ἅμα προνομεύσουσιν. SANCTI CYRILLI FRAGMENTA IN EPISTOLAS CATHOLICAS. IN EPISTOLAM B. JACOBI APOSTOLI. Αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου. Ὑβριστὴς γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως ὁ διακρινόμενος. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ πεπίστευκας ὅτι τὴν σὴν αἴτησιν ἀποπεραίνει, μηδὲ προσῆλθες ὅλως ἵνα μὴ κατήγορος εὑρεθῇς τοῦ πάντα ἰσχύοντος, διψυχήσας ἀβουλήτως. Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν τὴν οὕτως αἰσχρὰν παραιτεῖσθαι νόσον. Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενὲ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων νεκρά ἐστι; Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, κ. τ. λ. Κυρίλλου ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Ῥωμαίους Ἐπιστολῆς. Ἐπειδὴ ὁ μακάριος Ἰάκωβος τὸν Ἀβραὰμ λέγει ἐξἔργων δεδικαιῶσθαι ἀνενεγκόντα Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, ὁ δὲ Παῦλος λέγει αὐτὸν ἐκ πίστεως δεδικαιῶσθαι, οὕτω τὴν δοκοῦσαν ἐναντιότητα νοητέον· ὅτι πρὸ μὲν τοῦ ἔχειν τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐπίστευσεν, καὶ μισθὸν πίστεως ἔλαβε τὸν Ἰσαάκ· ὅμως καὶ ὅτε ἀνήνεγκε τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, οὐ μόνον τὸ ἔργον ἐποίει ὃ προσετάγη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἀπέστη, ὅτι Ἐν τῷ Ἰσαὰκ μέλλει τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ πολυπληθεῖν ὡς τὰ ἄστρα, λογισάμενος, ὅτι Καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγεῖραι δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός. Ὅμως ὁ Παῦλος μάρτυρα τῶν ἰδΐων λόγων καὶ συλλήπτορα ποιεῖται τὸν μακάριον ∆αβὶδ, ἄνδρα διαβόητον ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ, καὶ σοφῶς διασκευάζει ὡς ἐν Πνεύματι τὴν διὰ πίστεως ἄφεσιν καὶ διαγγέλλει πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· ᾔδει γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ παρεσομένην κατὰ καιρούς. Βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη; Κυρίλλου. Προσεκόμιζε τὸ λογικὸν ἱερεῖον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως νόμοις ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσας, καὶ τῆς ἀπαραιτήτου φιλοστοργίας πατήσας τὸ κέντρον, καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων οὐδὲν τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀντιπαρεξάγων ἀγάπης. ‹74.1009› Ἐπίστευσε δὲ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ. Κυρίλλου. Γέρας οὖν ἔχει τὴν δικαιοσύνην ὁ πίστει τιμῶν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν καὶ ∆εσπότην. Εἴ τις ἐν λόγῳ οὐ πταίει, οὗτος τέλειος ἀνὴρ, δυνατὸς χαλιναγωγῆσαι καὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα. 6