CHAPTER 9. Distinctive ideas concerning the Spirit which
ST. BASIL THE GREAT
and "Peace! Be still!" *" and "But I say to you..."™ and "You deaf and dumb spirit, I command you," ™ and other similar expressions, we will be led to recognize Him as our Master and Creator. This recognition will teach us to know the Father of our Master and Creator, and the true doctrine will be upheld on all sides: the Father creates through the Son. This does not insinuate that the Father's creation is imperfect, or that the Son's energy is feeble, but shows their unity of will. Therefore the expression through whom admits of a principal Cause, but cannot be used an an objection against the efficient Cause.
CHAPTER 9. Distinctive ideas concerning the Spirit which follow the teachings of Scripture.
22.
We shall now examine what kinds of ideas about the Spirit we hold in common, as well as those which we have gathered from the Scriptures, or received from the unwritten tradition of the Fathers. First of all, who can listen to the Spirit's titles and not be lifted up in his soul?
Whose thoughts would not be raised to contemplate the supreme nature? He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father," right Spirit, willing Spirit. His first and most proper title is Holy Spirit, a name most especially appropriate to everything which is incorporeal, purely immaterial, and indivisible. That is why the Lord taught the Samaritan woman, who thought that God had to be worshipped in specific places, that "God is Spirit." "° He wanted to show that an incorporeal being cannot be circumscribed. When we hear the word
"spirit" it is impossible for us to conceive of something 18 Mik. 4:39.° 4 Mt. 5:22 ff.5
97° Mk. 9:25:
Tn. US226:
ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
whose nature can be circumscribed or is subject to change or variation, or is like a creature in any way. Instead, we are compelled to direct our thoughts on high, and to think of an intelligent being, boundless in power, of unlimited greatness, generous in goodness, whom time cannot measure. All things thirsting for holiness turn to Him; *" everything living in virtue never turns away from Him. He waters them with His life-giving breath and helps them reach their proper fulfillment. He perfects all other things, and Himself lacks nothing; He gives life to all things, and is never depleted. He does not increase by additions, but is always complete, self-established, and present everywhere.
He is the source of sanctification, spiritual light, who gives illumination to everyone using His powers to search for the truth — and the illumination He gives is Himself. His nature is unapproachable; only through His goodness are we able to draw near it. He fills all things with His power, but only those who are worthy may share it. He distributes
His energy in proportion to the faith of the recipient, not confining it to a single share. He is simple in being; His powers are manifold: they are wholly present everywhere and in everything. He is distributed but does not change.
He is shared, yet remains whole. Consider the analogy of the sunbeam: each person upon whom its kindly light falls rejoices as if the sun existed for him alone, yet it illumines land and sea, and is master of the atmosphere.
In the same way, the Spirit is given to each one who re-> ceives Him as if He were the possession of that person alone, yet He sends forth sufficient grace to fill all the 126 Tn, 4:24, 1277Tt must be borne in mind that "tO mveduUa" is a neuter form, and perhaps the pronoun "it" would be more appropriate.
Nevertheless, the use of the neuter gender in English would depersonalize the Holy Spirit; therefore I have chosen the masculine, somewhat arbitrarily.
Both the neuter and the masculine may be found in Scripture.
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universe. Everything that partakes of His grace is filled with joy according to its capacity—the capacity of its nature, not of His power.
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The Spirit does not take up His abode in someone's life through a physical approach; how could a corporeal being approach the Bodiless one? Instead, the Spirit comes to us when we withdraw ourselves from evil passions, which have crept into the soul through its friendship with the flesh, alienating us from a close relationship with God. Only when a man has been cleansed from the shame of his evil, and has returned to his natural beauty, and the original form of the Royal Image has been restored in him, is it possible for him to approach the Paraclete. Then, like the sun, He will show you in Himself the image of the invisible, and with purified eyes you will see in this blessed image the unspeakable beauty of its prototype. Through Him hearts are lifted up, the infirm are held by the hand, and those who progress are brought to perfection. He shines upon those who are cleansed from every spot, and makes then spiritual men through fellowship with Himself. When a sunbeam falls on a transparent substance, the substance itself becomes brilliant, and radiates light from itself. So too Spirit-bearing souls, illumined by Him, finally become spiritual themselves, and their grace is sent forth to others. From this comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of hidden things, distribution of wonderful gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the choir of angels, endless joy in the presence of God, becoming like God, and, the highest of all desires, becoming
God. These are only a few of the many things we have been taught concerning the greatness, dignity, and working of the Holy Spirit, and we have learned them from the Spirit's own words. But now we must attempt to refute our opponents' false ideas which have been directed against us.