THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The holy apostles were entrusted with the sacred mysteries of our Redeemer, and this was not through their own merit, nor through any ambition for such an honor. Instead, they were selected for their apostolic roles and called to proclaim the message of salvation throughout the entire celestial realm, which is the Gospel of Christ. For Christ appointed them as magnificent architects of the mysteries, instructing, ‘Go, make disciples of all nations’ (Matt. 28:19). Thus, with great eagerness to follow the Lord’s directives, they illuminated the world. Guided by their heavenly Father, they enabled others to receive grace, faithfully remembering Christ’s command to them: ‘freely ye have received, freely give’ (Matthew 10:8).
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The apostle Paul elaborates on the profound mystery of the Incarnation, stating, ‘Since the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless, God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sacrifice for sin, and condemned sin in the flesh, that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit’ (Rom. 8:3-4). For Christ became sin on our behalf, even though He was completely without sin (1 Cor. 5:7). We declare He became sin because He knew no sin, being God by nature and having emerged from the Father, yet took on the role of a sin offering: ‘for our Passover, Christ, was slain for us’ (1 Cor. 5:7). Therefore, we affirm that He became associated with sin as He offered Himself as a sacrifice, redeeming us for the heavenly realm: ‘for ye are bought with a dear price’ (1 Cor. 6:20), as Scripture states, and we no longer belong to ourselves but to Him who bore our sins, freeing us from our former transgressions. Through His sacred body and blood, He bestows holiness upon us, as foretold by the Divine law. In the book of Leviticus, it is recorded: ‘And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law concerning the sin-offering: The sin offering shall be slain before the Lord in the place where the burnt offering is slain; it is a great holy thing; the priest who makes the sin offering shall eat it; it shall be eaten in the holy place, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation; whatever touches its meat shall be sanctified; And if a garment be sprinkled with its blood, it shall be washed in the holy place; the earthen vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken; if it was boiled in a brass vessel, it shall be cleaned and washed with water; all the male sex of the priestly race may eat it: it is a great holy thing’ (Lev. 6:24-29). Therefore, understand how the sin offering is commanded to be sacrificed. The goat symbolized Christ, who, as noted, was made sin for our sake. For He was ‘accounted with the lawless’ (Mark 15:28), crucified alongside criminals, and endured shame and condemnation: ‘for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree’ (Galatians 3:13). Though He became anything but ordinary for our benefit, He remains holy, not because He was derived from another, but by His very nature as God. We believe that through Him all creation is made holy, including angels and other exalted beings, as well as thrones and principalities. Everything is sanctified solely by the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Therefore, while He became sin, He retained His divine holiness, ‘for gives ... not in measure the ... Spirit,’ as stated in John (John 3:34). Moreover, even the death of His body, which was resurrected for the mortality of flesh, was sacred and pleasing to God the Father, as the law indicates: ‘The sin-offering shall be slain before the Lord in the place where the burnt-offering is slain.’ Christ is the burnt-offering, the complete and perfect offering made in fragrant submission to God the Father, and thus He is undeniably the Holy of Holies. Through Him, we are sanctified, serving as our justification and the sanctification of the highest beings, as previously mentioned.
It is not possible for anyone to be cleansed from impurity and to escape sin except through Christ, in whom and through whom all cleansing occurs, as He suffered the redemptive sacrifice for us. This truth is readily understood from the subsequent statute that is connected to it: 'And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: The sin offering must be slain before the Lord in the same place where the burnt offering is made; it is a most holy thing; the priest who offers the sin offering shall partake of it; it shall be consumed in
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the holy area, in the courtyard of the tabernacle of assembly; anyone who touches its flesh shall be made holy; and if a garment is sprinkled with its blood, the item that was sprinkled must be washed in the holy place; the earthen vessel in which it was cooked shall be broken; but if it was prepared in a bronze vessel, it shall be scrubbed and rinsed with water; all male members of the priestly line may consume it: it is a most holy thing' (Lev. 6:24-29). Thus, the sin offering is none other than Immanuel, the true 'Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). However, He suffers death in the same area as the burnt offering; for Christ is not partially holy as we are, since He 'committed no sin' (1 Pet. 2:22), but is completely fragrant and sacred, the source of holiness for all. Though He was 'counted with the transgressors' (Is. 53:12), and placed among the condemned, the Father recognized the holiness of the Son’s death. Hence, it is stated, 'in the place where the burnt offering is killed; it is a holy sanctuary...' (Lev. 6:25). The Son is both the God of gods and the Holy of Holies, sanctifying all of creation by His Spirit, as He was born of the Father and is truly divine. The text further notes, 'the priest who offers the sacrifice shall eat it' (Leviticus 6:26): I believe every one of those elevated to the sacred office will gather the fruits of his labors and enjoy the rewards of his service. The remainder of the offering shall be consumed in the holy places, within the vestibule of the holy tabernacle (Lev. 6:16): for within the churches, the sacraments are dispensed, and there the chosen people are honored with a sacred meal. The area in which lawful priests serve is also to be regarded as holy. Thus, the offering sanctifies anyone who comes into contact with it, and the sprinkling of the blood (Lev. 6:27): we approach the holy mysteries solely to commune with the sacred Christ through an incomprehensible and spiritual sacrifice. The vessels used for the offering are purified as well, so that those which have served in the holy setting are not misused for common purposes. This law is upheld within the churches. Moreover, it is fitting for the laborers to be blessed, which the law clarifies by stating, 'all male members of the priestly line may eat it' (Leviticus 6:29). The message is evident.