Sermo ad Alexandrinos

Of the same holy Cyril, from the first homily, that one must not say a man is God-bearing, but that God became man. Great indeed was the blessed Moses; for he heard God saying, "I know you above all, and you found favor with me." But he was like a faithful servant in a house. Admirable was the prophet Samuel, but he was numbered among those who call upon the God of all. The blessed prophets became holy, yet they acknowledged the measure of servitude and fulfilled the service befitting servants, conveying the words from above and from God to those of that time, and indeed also to us. For they always cried out, "Thus says the Lord." And Christ himself said somewhere concerning the blessed Baptist, "No greater one among those born of women than John the Baptist has arisen." But he, although according to the true word of the Savior he obtained the highest rank in righteousness, did not ignore the preeminence; he acknowledged the master, he yielded the victory to the glory of Christ. For he said plainly, "This was the one about whom I said, 'After me comes a man whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.'" Therefore, although very many saints had the Word of God within themselves, concerning none of them is it written that "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Upon none of the holy prophets will we find the heavenly powers dancing. For tell me, at whose birth did "a multitude of the heavenly host" make songs of thanksgiving on our behalf?

Only for Emmanuel have they said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men." Therefore, as I said, although God dwelt in many saints, once at the consummation of the ages the Word of God is said to have sojourned, once he became man, and concerning one the prophet says, "Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel." He alone and only "ransomed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." The Father gave one Son for us; one Son laid down his own life for us; one was crucified and revived, having trampled the power of death. Therefore we acknowledge the Word of God as having truly become flesh, that is, united to flesh; and we do not say that Emmanuel is a man who is God-bearing; but we confess that, being God by nature, having taken the form of a servant, he also became a son of man; and he is the same, both God and man together.