THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Cyril. The moment of our Savior’s Resurrection signifies a transformative experience for those sanctified by the Spirit and justified through faith, enabling them to produce the fruits of a new and blameless existence. This truth is clearly illustrated in the law, which states: ‘And then you shall bring a new grain offering to the Lord: From your dwellings you shall bring two loaves of libation, which shall consist of two tenths of an ephah of wheat flour, and shall be baked sour, as the firstfruits unto the Lord; and with the loaves you shall present seven lambs without blemish, of one year old, and of cattle one calf and two rams. ...; let these be a burnt offering to the Lord, and the grain offering and the libation to them, a sacrifice, a sweet savour to the Lord.
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Prepare also out of the flock of goats one goat for a sin offering, and two yearling lambs for a peace-offering.... And the priest shall bring it, shaking it before the Lord, together with the first-fruits loaves and the two lambs, and it shall be a holy thing unto the Lord: to the priest that bringeth it shall belong: and ye shall call the people this day, a holy convocation shall ye have, ye shall work no work: this is an everlasting ordinance in all your dwellings throughout your generations’ (Leviticus 23:16-21). In this renewal of creation, Immanuel represents the beginning and the firstfruits of what is restored, seen as the initial bread and the new blend among us. We, too, are called a new mixture, having begun walking in this new way. This is indicated by the presentation of new fruit offerings, yet the law specifies that not just one loaf should be offered, but two, symbolizing the unity of two nations through Christ the Mediator. It is pertinent that only the leavened bread is to be baked here. We must explore the significance of this profound teaching, striving to grasp the true depth of the law. Should we interpret this leaven as synonymous with wickedness and injustice? That notion seems unreasonable. How could we then regard those renewed by the gospel as devoid of such unrighteousness? Furthermore, how could one be labeled a new mixture if remnants of this leaven still linger, and if they remain affected by unholy impurities? Therefore, we ought to understand that there is another type of leaven being referenced here, one that is not condemned but rather deemed worthy of reverence in the sacred Scriptures. The Savior compares the transformative power of the Divine message to leaven, stating: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which the woman took and put into three measures of flour, until all was leavened’ (Matthew 13:33). Just as this leaven permeates the flour, the revitalizing influence of the gospel reshapes the soul, body, and spirit into its own essence. This is the leaven with which the nations, represented as loaves, ought to be infused. Each loaf signifies a ‘double tithe,’ which mysteriously alludes to a duality of teaching.