Homily of Rabbula delivered in Constantinople

Translation of the Homily of Mar Rabbula, Bishop of Edessa, delivered in the Church of Constantinople before the whole people. The small ones are by nature in word and in knowledge. You, however, the great ones, are by the wisdom of the Spirit and the eloquence of the tongue. For this reason, it is not fitting that one should speak in a church such as this. For it is a very serious matter that laymen should interpret the word of the scribe. But I, however, have been praying and asking of God that every man might thus be, his understanding with the gift of the Spirit which is in their hearts, so that the teaching of his companion might not be hindered. For the source of all instruction is grace, by which my Lord adorns His church and sings. For even if I had knowledge of nature, yet sin ruled over me by will and darkened my understanding. For this reason, the gift of the written law is given, so that by its sight, which is manifest, that which is hidden in it might be awakened. For, moreover, the ancients, by the laxity of their flesh, brought their pure bodies to death, and buried the law in their souls. For by the weakness of their flesh, they were unable to complete it in deeds. That same thing which they knew by their nature and remembered by the law. But when the grace of God, which strengthens all, was revealed to all the faithful, that they might repent by the wisdom of her, to deny in poverty and in the strifes of the world, and to live in this world in poverty, in mourning, and in the fear of God. For the governance of my Lord and His passion, which is the salvation of all, gave to you true assistance which heals your sickness. So that not only knowledge might be in you, but also power for the work of His commandments. These things are sufficient, my brothers, if you wish to be instructed.

...ce of nature are in word and in knowledge. You, however, the great ones, are by the same nature, but you are also by grace and by choice. Therefore, let us now put aside all the pursuit of subtleties and the fabrication of words. And let us turn to deeds, seeking the sin of those who act with haste. For it is not fitting for you, O men of today, to bind the whole of your thought with excessive pursuit and with the dryness of words. For this is a matter of contempt and of great burden, that through emptiness one should speak about the greatness of God, without fear and with arrogance. For that one is a heretic who was envious of the first honor and cast down from his place by his own machinations, that same one also errs today in the final redemption that has come to you, for he was overthrown by his own pride even from the height of heaven. For he turns you away from the service of the commandments of the Lord by his own deceits, those which are able to bind you to him in the partnership of his error. But as for the severe pursuit that passes beyond measure, it leads you to lose your life. The helper, however, who is able to bring knowledge to measure, from his own part is zealous for good deeds, just as it is also fitting for you to look at the sun through... the beauty of the deed, so that the excellence of its creator may be understood. But if, outside of the faculty, someone should attempt to gaze at the sun, not only would he not see as he wishes, but he would also injure the light of his eyes by his own audacity. I wished, however, to speak about the conduct of the blessed one concerning the Church of God, not because of my own teaching—a country man and one who lives with country folk—for he speaks also in Syriac as if in abundance. What, then, can he teach a congregation like this, which is sufficient to teach everyone? Two principal commandments, O beloved ones, those in which the law and the prophets are summed up: first, that you love the Lord your God with your whole heart. For when one loves, he does not delay but obeys.

...on of nature are in word and in knowledge. You, however, the great ones, are by the same nature, but you are also by grace and by choice. Therefore, let us now put aside all the pursuit of subtleties and the fabrications, and not in words but in deeds. For what does it profit me to keep the commandments? Another thing is that which is like it: that you should love your neighbor as yourself. What again is that which profits? Not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, nor to deceive. For that which one does not wish to be done to him by another, that one does not do to another. But just as he wishes that the sons of men should do to him, so also he does to them, while he loves them. These are the profitable teachings of the souls of the brethren, and that which is necessary for the life of the whole Church of Christ. For this reason, it is right for you to be occupied at all times with deeds. For these alone are the good filling of true righteousness. Because the father of blessedness knows that the understanding of your hearing together with the intelligence of your inner being, the word and the faith, are free and capable of hearing, and for the truth that is in Christ, he is eager to know. He is constrained by your love to speak before you. Those which in silence alone of faith ought alone to be honored. This, then, is the inquiry which you have made: whether Mary the Virgin is truly the mother of God, or is she so called in name only, or whether it is not even proper that she be so called. Now, concerning this, in true opinion, for it is also life, and it is credible to you, for it is also glory. They say now with a loud voice without concealment that Mary is the mother of God. And in the preaching also she is proclaimed thus. For she became on earth a mother to the Word of God by his will. For to him who is pure, she was not a mother in heaven. For God sent his Son, and he was from a woman, while the apostle was still preaching.

...ons of nature are in word and in knowledge. You, however, the great ones, are by the same nature, but you are also by grace and by choice. Therefore, let us now put aside all the pursuit of subtleties and the fabrications. For if someone dares to say: "Naturally she gave birth to God the Word," not only does he not speak well, but he also confesses wickedly. For the holy Virgin is called "Mother of God," not because she naturally gave birth to the divinity, but because God the Word was born from her, while he was in the beginning. For behold, no virgin gives birth and bears a son, and his name is called "Emmanuel," which is interpreted "with us is God." But rather, as it were, from the blessed Virgin, the Lord of the beginning, the first beginning, was present. For the Word was in the beginning with his Father, according to the testimony of John. But as he, who is God over all by nature, appeared in flesh because of his mercy, so, my beloved, let us cease because of the brevity of the word. For it is not after the teachings of the rhetoricians of syllogisms that we speak. For we have no custom that we first write a translation, then learn it, and then recite it. But whatever grace of birth brings forth in your thought, that is what we speak now, without preparation, to the people of God. To you, however, my brothers, I now exhort that you look naturally at the power of the simple word, and not at the composition of polished words. Believe now, therefore, that God the Word was with God, and naturally from eternity he was born from the Father. But at the end of times, for the sake of our salvation, he was born in flesh from the Virgin. Therefore, those who think that he was naturally born from the Virgin confess well. Nor can those who say that he is a mere man, or that Mary gave birth to Christ the Spirit, avoid blasphemy; rather, they are also reproached. For because the heads are questioned against the heretics, they proclaim that the holy Virgin gave birth to God.

...sons of nature are in word and in knowledge. You, however, the great ones, are by the same nature, but you are also by grace and by choice. Therefore, let us now put aside all the pursuit of subtleties and the fabrications, and let us confess, as the confession of our holy and faithful fathers, that God the Word became incarnate and became man for our sake. And it was not one thing in another, but the same one who is from eternity with the Father in the nature of the Father—he, when he was born in flesh from the seed of the house of David, from the holy virgin, the Mother of God, without thereby losing what he was: God, Son, and Only-begotten. But even when he was in the womb, he was God by his nature, Son by his person, and Only-begotten by his reality. Also firstborn in his humanity. And no addition or diminution, as in a change, occurred to him. When, however, he was in his nature without suffering, he suffered in his own flesh by his will. For he, the Only-begotten, as a priest offered to his Father on our behalf a spotless sacrifice, and he brought life through his death upon the faces. For just as he struggled in his flesh with the adversary and defeated him and placed him under his feet, so also he suffered...