The Spirit as the inspirer of the Prophets [125–131]
Part IV: The Spirit’s Procession, Sending, and Proper Names [110b–131]
The Spirit’s “coming forth” from the Father [110b–116]
And so, the Holy Spirit removes all doubt and conjecture regarding himself so that he will not be classified as one of the created substances. He is the Spirit of God, and the words of the Savior in the Gospel declare that he has gone out from the Father: When the Consoler whom I will send to you comes, the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father, he himself will give testimony about me [Jn 15.26]. Now the Holy Spirit is called the Consoler who comes, being given a name derived from his activity. He is thus named not only because he consoles those whom he has found worthy of himself and renders them free from all sadness and disturbance, but also because he bestows on them incredible joy and gladness, to such an extent that anyone who gives thanks to God for being considered worthy of such an important guest can say: You have put joy into my heart [Ps 4.8]. For there is abiding, everlasting joy in the heart of those indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
111. The Spirit, who is the Consoler, is sent from the Son, not in the way that the angels or the Prophets and Apostles are sent to minister, but as is appropriate for the Spirit of God to be sent from Wisdom and Truth. For the Spirit has an undivided nature together with the same Wisdom and Truth. After all, when the Son is sent from the Father, he is not separated and sundered from him, as he remains in him and has him in himself.
112. Furthermore, the Spirit of Truth who is sent by the Son in the way mentioned above comes forth from the Father without moving from one place to another. After all, this is as impossible as it is blasphemous. For if the Spirit comes forth from one place and goes to another, then the Father himself resides in a place, and the Spirit of Truth is circumscribed by a particular location as befits a corporeal nature, and abandoning one place he migrates to another. But just as the Father is not in a place since he is beyond every corporeal nature, so too the Spirit of Truth is in no way confined by any spatial boundary, since he is incorporeal and, to tell the truth, he surpasses every essence of rational creatures.
113. And so, since it is impossible and impious to believe such things about incorporeal beings, we ought to understand that the Holy Spirit goes out from the Father as the Savior himself goes out from God, to which he bears witness when he says: I have gone out from God and have come [Jn 8.42]. And just as we separate places and changes of place from incorporeal realities, so too do we distinguish emissions (whether internal or external) from the nature of intellectual realities, since they belong to bodies which can be touched and have extension.
114. And so, we ought to believe the following statements that used ineffable words known by faith alone: the Savior has gone out from God [Jn 8.42], and the Spirit of Truth comes forth from the Father [Jn 15.26]—the same Father who said: The Spirit who comes forth from me [Is 57.16]. Indeed, well-said is the passage: he who comes forth from the Father [Jn 15.26]. For even though it is possible to say “from God” or “from the Lord” or “from the Almighty,” none of these is used. Instead, from the Father is used, but not because the Father is different from God Almighty—for it would be criminal to think this! Rather, the Spirit of Truth is said to come forth from the Father [Jn 15.26] according to the distinctive feature of the Father and the concept of fatherhood.
115. Although on many occasions the Savior says that he has gone out from God, he nevertheless claims for himself the distinctive feature and, as it were, that kinship (to which we have already devoted much discussion) when he speaks of himself using the term “Father,” as when he says: I am in the Father and the Father is in me [Jn 14.10], and elsewhere: I and the Father are one [Jn 10.30]. An observant reader will find in the Gospel many other passages that are similar to these.
116. And so, regarding this Holy Spirit who comes forth from the Father, the Lord said: he will testify about me [Jn 15.26]. In this, he bears testimony similar to the testimony of the Father, about whom the Lord says: The Father who sent me has borne testimony about me [Jn 5.37].
The sending of the Spirit by the Father and the Son [117–120]
117. Now when the Son sends the Spirit of Truth, whom he called the Consoler [Jn 15.26], at the same time the Father also sends him. The Father does not send the Spirit without the Son sending him since he comes through the identical will of the Father and Son, seeing that the Savior speaks through the Prophets (as will be clear to anyone who reads through this entire passage): And now the Lord has sent me and his Spirit [Is 48.16]. Without a doubt, God sends not only the Son but also the Spirit. 118. In addition, the Apostle says: These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit who is sent from heaven [1 Pet 1.12].
Furthermore, in the Book of Wisdom (which is named Πανά ρετος, or All-Perfect, by those who have obtained from God the gifts of grace), the voice there is understood to be giving thanks to God: Who has searched out what is in the heavens? Who has come to know your will, unless you have given Wisdom and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? And thus the paths of those on earth were made straight and people were taught what is pleasing to you [Wis 9.16–18]. 119. In this text the Father not only gives the Wisdom of God (that is, his Only-Begotten Son), but also sends the Holy Spirit.
120. The Gospel itself also declares that the Father gives and sends the Holy Spirit, when the Savior says: And I will ask my Father, and he will give to you another Paraclete to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth [Jn 14.16–17]. And again: But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things [Jn 14.26]. These passages are saying that the Father gives another Paraclete [i.e. the Son], another apart from the one who is sent by the Son [i.e. the Spirit] according to the passage: But when he comes, the Paraclete whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth [Jn 15.26]. The Son has not called him another Paraclete because they are different in nature, but because they have separate activities.
The Spirit as the Consoler [121–124]
121. Since the Savior has the role of mediator and ambassador, in virtue of which he prays for our sins as high-priest, forever saving those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to intercede for them with the Father [Heb 7.25], the Holy Spirit has been named “Paraclete” in another sense: because he is the consolation for the sorrowing. 122. But do not think that the natures of the Son and Holy Spirit are different because they have separate activities. After all, we find in other passages that the Spirit Paraclete fulfills the role of ambassador to the Father, as in this one: For we do not know how we ought to pray as is fitting, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings, and he who searches hearts knows what the Spirit desires since he makes requests for the saints according to God [Rom 8.26–27].
123. The consolation for which the Holy Spirit is named “Paraclete” is also effected in the hearts of those in need by the Savior. For it is written: And he has consoled the downcast of his people [2 Cor 7.6]. It is for this reason that he who attained this benefit gave him praise, saying: Lord, when there was a multitude of cares in my heart, your consolations gave joy to my heart—or have shown love to my soul [Ps 93.19]. For even today we find both readings in different copies.
124. The Father himself is also called the God of all consolation [1 Cor 1.3]. He consoles those who are in affliction so that they may attain first salvation and then the crown of glory through patience in their distresses. And so, the Father gives the Spirit, who is the Consoler and Holy and the Spirit of Truth, so that he may always abide with the disciples of Christ. With them the Savior also abides, saying: Behold! I am with you to the consummation of the age [Mt 28.20].
The Spirit as the inspirer of the Prophets [125–131]
125. Since both the Holy Spirit and the Son are always present in the Apostles, it follows from this that the Father is also with them. For he who receives the Son receives the Father, and the Son with the Father makes his home in those who are worthy of his presence. In addition, one instantly finds the Son wherever the Holy Spirit is. Thus, when the Holy Spirit is in the Prophets, causing them to predict future events and do the other things which pertain to the activity of prophets, it is said that the Word of God has come to them. For that phrase which customarily indicates prophetic activity, Thus says the Lord [Is 38.5] is preceded by the phrase, the Word which came to Isaiah [Is 38.4], or to one of the other Prophets.
126. We know that the Prophets have the Holy Spirit because this is what God clearly says: Whatever I commanded to my servants the prophets by my Spirit [Zech 1.6]. In addition, the Savior indicates in the Gospel that the just men and those who prophesied future events to the people before his coming were filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit. For when the Savior asked the Pharisees what they thought about the Christ and heard [their reply] that he would be the son of David, he said: How is it then that David says about him: “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand”? Therefore, if David by the Holy Spirit called him “Lord,” how is he his son? [Mt 22.43–45]. 127. Furthermore, Peter says to his companions in faith: It was fitting for the scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit predicted through the mouth of David of Judah, and so forth [Acts 1.16]. Again, in the same book: You who spoke through the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David your servant: “Why is there tumult among the nations, and among the peoples useless murmuring?” [Acts 4.25].
128. It is reported at the end of the same Acts that the Word of God impelled Isaiah to prophesy, and Isaiah did so at the command of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “Go to this people and say: ‘You will hear with your ears . . . ’” and the rest [Acts 28.25–26]. 129. But the Prophet’s own book relates that the prophecy Paul claimed to be pronounced by the Holy Spirit was said by the Lord: And I heard, said Isaiah, the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send, and who shall go to this people?” And I said: “Here I am! Send me.” And he said: “Go, and say to this people: “You will hear with your ears . . . Then after a few words, the Lord himself says: and they turn and I should heal them. Then at once the Prophet replied: How long, Lord? [Is 6.8–11]. Although the Lord told the Prophet to say what is written, and although the Prophet replied to the Lord when commanded by him, saying: How long, Lord?, Paul nevertheless claims that what the Lord said through the Prophet was actually pronounced by the Holy Spirit.
130. This clearly shows (as we have often said) that the Lord and the Holy Spirit have the same will and nature, and that the name of Lord is also to be understood when the Spirit is mentioned. 131. For in [the epistle to the] Corinthians, attributing the name “God” to the Father and the name “Lord” to Son deprives neither the Father of his lordship nor the Son of his deity. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is named Lord by the same rationale by which the Father is Lord and the Son is God. But if he is Lord, it follows from this that he is also God (as we said a little earlier when we cited the saying of the Apostle Peter to Ananias who withheld money). For deity is also to be understood when we say “Holy Spirit.”