on the Gospel of John, is often overlooked or even ignored.1 In addressing christological questions and concerns already within his commentaries, Cyril began to make incarnational distinctions, to develop incarnational concepts and to employ incarnational language that he would draw upon during the Nestorian debate, and thus these would acquire deeper insight and clearer articulation as the controversy evolved. This can be seen in a sixfold interrelated manner. Cyril’s christological thought