lxiv
From Saint Cyril
54￣ Although how, rather, ought the disciples to announce him to people everywhere?
For this was the work of those ordained by him to apostleship. But, as the holy
scripture says, “There is a time for everything.” * It was necessary for that which
remained to follow what had already been accomplished in the proclamations about
him. This was: the cross, the passion, the death in the flesh, the Resurrection
from the dead, that great and truly remarkable sign through which he is attested as
true God, and Son of God by nature and the Emmanuel of the Father. For to abolish
9:19￣ They answered,
‘John the Baptist; but others
Elijah; and still others, that
one of the ancient prophets has
arisen.’ 9:20He said to them,
‘But who do you say I
am?’ ￣ Peter answered,
‘The Messiah of God.’
9:21 54￣ He sternly ordered and
commanded them not to tell anyone,
9:22saying,
death completely
and to overturn
destruction, and
to plunder hell
and undo the
tyranny of the
devil, and to make
sin depart and to
open to those on
the earth the
gates above and
to join earth to
heaven: as I have
said, this revealed
him as being truly God.
For the moment, he
therefore orders them
to be silent about the mystery until the whole plan of the dispensation should come to
its fitting term. For at that point, having been raised from the dead, he instructed that
the mystery should be laid bare to all throughout the earth, setting before everyone
righteousness through faith and purification through holy baptism. For, he said, “All
authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all
nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of Jesus and the Holy Spirit” *
and so on.