Fragments on Matthew · §63 · Cyril of Alexandria

Matthew 6:10

Economically, as man, Christ is called king, though he is God by nature. So the faithful pray that this may hold also for unbelievers: that, believing in Christ, they may call him their own, and through him share the perfect goods — now having only the earnest and the partial good.

Then the passions will not be at work when passionlessness is present; death will be gone and corruption unseen, when life reigns in us and incorruption holds the power. Christ is God by nature and man by nature, and is called king economically — that is, as man. That is why the righteous pray for this for themselves, and also for unbelievers: that seeing and believing in him they may have him as their own king.

Jesus can also forgive sins as God, but while the disciples were still imperfect he had not yet handed over the word about his own divinity clearly (Matthew 6:12).

Greek

Οἰκονομικῶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Χριστὸς βασιλεὺς καλεῖται καίπερ ὢν φύσει θεός. ἐπεύχονται τοίνυν οἱ πιστοὶ ἐνυπάρξαι καὶ τοῖς ἀπί στοις, ἵνα εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πιστεύ σαντες ἴδιον ἐπικαλῶνται, δι' οὗ μεθέξουσι τῶν τελείων ἀγαθῶν νῦν μόνον ἔχοντες τὸν ἀρραβῶνα καὶ τὸ ἐκ μέρους ἀγαθόν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐνεργῆ τότε τὰ πάθη τῆς ἀπα θείας παρούσης, φροῦδος ὁ θάνα τος, ἀφανὴς ἡ φθορά, ὅταν ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ ζωὴ βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἀφθαρ σία τὸ κράτος ἔχῃ. Φύσει θεὸς ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπάρ χων καὶ φύσει ἄνθρωπος οἰκονο μικῶς λέγεται βασιλεύς, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος. διὰ τοῦτο οἱ δίκαιοι ἐπεύχονται ἑαυτοῖς τοῦτο ὑπάρξειν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀπίστοις, ἵνα ὁρῶν τες καὶ πιστεύοντες εἰς αὐτὸν οἰκεῖ ον ἑαυτῶν ἕξωσι βασιλέα. 73 Mt 7 6, 14 ∆ύναται καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὡς θεὸς ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔτι ἀτελέσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς οὔπω τὸν περὶ τῆς ἰδίας θεότητος παρέδωκε λόγον καθαρῶς.

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