Cyril of Alexandria: Fragments on Matthew · §216

Matthew 21:42

Blessed David marveled at this corner — that is, the meeting of the two peoples into one — saying, “This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” So the stone is saving for the corner made by him, but crushing and ruin for those who remained outside this intelligible and spiritual concurrence. For some, Christ is “a rock of stumbling and a stone of scandal.”

Greek

216 Ἀφιέντος ἡμῖν τοῦ πάντων θεοῦ τὰ χαλεπὰ τῶν πλημμελημάτων, διὰ τῶν πολλῶν δηλοῦται ταλάντων, εἰ μὴ τοῖς συνδούλοις ἀνίεμεν αὐτοὶ τὰ ρʹ δηνάρια, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὰ ὀλίγα κοσμικὰ πταίσματα ἐκ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτοῖς μισοπονηρίας, οἱ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐφεστῶτες ἄγγελοι καὶ ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἡμῖν ὄντες τῆς δεσποτείας ζυγὸν τὴν παρὰ θεῷ ποιοῦνται κατάρρησιν οὐχ ὡς ἀγνοοῦντι σημαίνοντες– πάντα γὰρ οἶδεν ὡς θεός– ἐξαιτοῦντες δὲ μᾶλλον κατά γε τὸ εἰκὸς χρησίμως παιδεύεσθαι τοὺς ἑλομένους καταφρονεῖν καὶ τοὺς τῆς φιλαλληλίας ἀτιμάζειν νόμους. εἰ δὲ δὴ πάθοιμεν τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις καταβολήν, ἢ παιδευόμεθα κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον οἱονεί τισι βασανισταῖς πειρασμοῖς τε καὶ ἀρρωστίαις παραπεμπόμενοι ἢ γοῦν εἰς αἰῶνα τὸν μέλλοντα κολαζόμενοι. ὅτι δὲ παιδεύει θεὸς ἐπιστρεπτικῶς τὸν ἀπειθῆ καὶ δυσάγωγον μετασκευάζων ἐπὶ τὸ ἄμεινον, ἀταλαίπωρον ἰδεῖν· μεστὴ γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἡ θεία γραφή, ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ σοφῶς εἰρημένον "ὃν ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱόν, ὃν παραδέχεται" καὶ πάλιν "εἰς παιδείαν ὑπο μένετε" καὶ ἑξῆς.

About this text

Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.

English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.

Witnesses

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.