Basil of Caesarea, De Spiritu Sancto

39. But when we speak of the dispensations made for man by our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, 26 Titus ii. 13, R.V. The A.V. favours the view, opposed to that of the Greek Fathers, that “the great God” means the Father. cf. Theodoret in this edition, pp. 319 and 321 and notes. who will gainsay their having been accomplished through the grace of the Spirit? Whether you wish to examine ancient evidence;—the blessings of the patriarchs, the succour given through the legislation, the types, the prophecies, the valorous feats in war, the signs wrought through just men;—or on the other hand the things done in the dispensation of the coming of our Lord in the flesh;—all is through the Spirit. In the first place He was made an unction, and being inseparably present was with the very flesh of the Lord, according to that which is written, “Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is” 27 John i. 33. “my beloved Son;” 28 Matt. iii. 17. and “Jesus of Nazareth” whom “God anointed with the Holy Ghost.” 29 Acts x. 38. After this every operation was wrought with the co-operation of the Spirit. He was present when the Lord was being tempted by the devil; for, it is said, “Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.” 30 Matt. iv. 1. He was inseparably with Him while working His wonderful works; 31 δυνάμεις, rendered “wonderful works” in Matt. vii. 22; “mighty works” in Matt. xi. 20, Mark vi. 14, and Luke x. 13; and “miracles” in Acts ii. 22, xix. 11, and Gal. iii. 5. for, it is said, “If I by the Spirit of God cast out devils.” 32 Matt. xii. 28. And He did not leave Him when He had risen from the dead; for when renewing man, and, by breathing on the face of the disciples, 33 Gen. ii. 7, lxx. is ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. “εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον” is thence imported into John xx. 22. Mr. C.F.H. Johnston notes, “This addition…is found in the Prayer at the Little Entrance in the Liturgy of St. Mark. Didymus, in his treatise on the Holy Spirit, which we have only in St. Jerome’s Latin Version, twice used ‘insufflans in faciem corum,” §§6, 33. The text is quoted in this form by Epiphanius Adv. Hær. lxxiv. 13, and by St. Aug. De Trin. iv. 20.” To these instances may be added Athan. Ep. i. § 8, and the versions of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Thebaic, known as the Sahidic, and the Memphitic, or Coptic, both ascribed to the 3rd century. restoring the grace, that came of the inbreathing of God, which man had lost, what did the Lord say? “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever ye retain, they are retained.” 34 John xx. 22, 23. And is it not plain and incontestable that the ordering of the Church is effected through the Spirit? For He gave, it is said, “in the church, first Apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues,” 35 1 Cor. xii. 28. for this order is ordained in accordance with the division of the gifts that are of the Spirit. 36 cf. 1 Cor. xii. 11.

26 Titus ii. 13, R.V. The A.V. favours the view, opposed to that of the Greek Fathers, that “the great God” means the Father. cf. Theodoret in this edition, pp. 319 and 321 and notes.

27 John i. 33.

28 Matt. iii. 17.

29 Acts x. 38.

30 Matt. iv. 1.

31 δυνάμεις, rendered “wonderful works” in Matt. vii. 22; “mighty works” in Matt. xi. 20, Mark vi. 14, and Luke x. 13; and “miracles” in Acts ii. 22, xix. 11, and Gal. iii. 5.

32 Matt. xii. 28.

33 Gen. ii. 7, lxx. is ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. “εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον” is thence imported into John xx. 22. Mr. C.F.H. Johnston notes, “This addition…is found in the Prayer at the Little Entrance in the Liturgy of St. Mark. Didymus, in his treatise on the Holy Spirit, which we have only in St. Jerome’s Latin Version, twice used ‘insufflans in faciem corum,” §§6, 33. The text is quoted in this form by Epiphanius Adv. Hær. lxxiv. 13, and by St. Aug. De Trin. iv. 20.” To these instances may be added Athan. Ep. i. § 8, and the versions of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Thebaic, known as the Sahidic, and the Memphitic, or Coptic, both ascribed to the 3rd century.

34 John xx. 22, 23.

35 1 Cor. xii. 28.

36 cf. 1 Cor. xii. 11.

[39] Τὰς δὲ περὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οἰκονομίας, τὰς ὑπὸ «τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ» κατὰ τὴν ἀγαθότητα τοῦ Θεοῦ γενομένας, τίς ἀντερεῖ μὴ οὐχὶ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος πεπληροῦσθαι; Εἴτε βούλει τὰ παλαιὰ σκοπεῖν: τὰς τῶν πατριαρχῶν εὐλογίας, τὴν ἐκ τῆς νομοθεσίας δεδομένην βοήθειαν, τοὺς τύπους, τὰς προφητείας, τὰ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδραγαθήματα, τὰ διὰ τῶν δικαίων σημεῖα: εἴτε τὰ περὶ τὴν ἔνσαρκον τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίαν οἰκονομηθέντα: διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτῇ τῇ σαρκὶ τοῦ Κυρίου συνῆν, χρῖσμα γενόμενον, καὶ ἀχωρίστως παρὸν κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον: «Ἐφ' ὃν ἂν ἴδῃς τὸ Πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον καὶ μένον ἐπ' αὐτόν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός.» Καί: «Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ, ὃν ἔχρισεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ». Ἔπειτα πᾶσα ἐνέργεια συμπαρόντος τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνηργεῖτο. Τοῦτο καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πειραζομένῳ παρῆν. «Ἀνήχθη γάρ, φησίν, ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, τοῦ πειρασθῆναι.» Καὶ ἐνεργοῦντι τὰς δυνάμεις ἀχωρίστως συνῆν. «Εἰ γὰρ ἐγώ, φησίν, ἐν Πνεύματι Θεοῦ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια.» Καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάντος οὐκ ἀπελείπετο. Ἀνακαινίζων γὰρ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἣν ἀπώλεσε χάριν ἐκ τοῦ ἐμφυσήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταύτην πάλιν ἀποδιδούς, ἐμφυσήσας εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τῶν μαθητῶν, τί φησι; «Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται: καὶ ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται.» Ἡ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διακόσμησις οὐχὶ σαφῶς καὶ ἀναντιρρήτως διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργεῖται; Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἔδωκε, φησί, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ «πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους, ἔπειτα δυνάμεις, ἔπειτα χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, ἀντιλήψεις, κυβερνήσεις, γένη γλωσσῶν». Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ τάξις κατὰ τὴν διαίρεσιν τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεῶν διατέτακται.