Cyril of Alexandria: Fragments on Matthew · §98

Matthew 10:9

The saying forbids every possession to excess — from gold down to a staff — as the greatest hindrance to virtue and piety. It does not forbid necessary food. If it were possible for us to live without food, he would have forbidden that too.

Greek

Ἔνθα μὴ πρόκειται εἰ πρὸς θεὸν τιμή, δίκαιον τιμᾶν τοὺς γονεῖς· ἐπὰν δὲ τὰ δύο ἐν μέσῳ ᾖ, τοῦ μὲν δεῖ ἀντέχεσθαι, τοῦ δὲ καταφρονεῖν, μάλιστα εἰ ἐμποδίζεται πρὸς τὸ ἀρέσαι θεῷ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς γονεῖς τιμή· τοῖς γὰρ πρωτείοις δεῖ δοξάσαι τὸν θεόν, ἵνα μὴ εὑρεθῶμεν κατὰ τὸν Κάϊν τὰ δευτερεῖα τῷ θεῷ ἀπονέμοντες. ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς νόμος τοὺς ἱερέας ἐκώλυε προσπελάζειν τοῖς νεκροῖς καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἔχεσθαι λει τουργίας καὶ μὴ κατάγεσθαι περὶ τὰς σαρκικὰς συμπαθείας, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν διὰ σκιῶν, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς ἀπαρακαλύπτως διδάσκει τὸν τῷ θεῷ προσεδρεύειν θέλοντα μηδεμιᾶς συγγενείας λόγον ποιεῖσθαι εἰς τὸ ἀπα σχοληθῆναι τῷ συνεῖναι Χριστῷ· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς συν όντας ὠφέλειαν ὑπερεῖδεν μητέρα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς εἰπών· "τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ τίνες οἱ ἀδελφοί μου" καὶ "μήτηρ μού ἐστιν".

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.