ATHANASIUS "...FIRST AND ALONE..." TO TEACH THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY ACCORDING TO GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN

Athanasius, the first? 

And alone? 

To write the correct doctrine on the Tri{3}nity?

GREEK TEXT: “...Τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων ἁπάντων, ὅσοι τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγου, τριχῆ νενεμημένων, καὶ πολλῶν μὲν ὄντων τῶν περὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀῤῥωστούντων, πλειόνων δὲ τῶν περὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἔνθα καὶ τὸ ἧττον ἀσεβεῖν εὐσέβεια ἐνομίσθη, ὀλίγου δὲ τῶν κατ' ἀμφότερα ὑγιαίνοντος· πρῶτος καὶ μόνος, ἢ κομιδῆ σὺν ὀλίγοις ἀποτολμᾷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν σαφῶς οὑτωσὶ καὶ διαῤῥή δην, τῶν τριῶν μίαν θεότητα καὶ οὐσίαν ἐγγράφως ὁμολογήσας· καὶ ὃ τῷ πολλῷ τῶν Πατέρων ἀριθμῷ περὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἐχαρίσθη πρότερον, τοῦτο [35.1124] περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος αὐτὸς ἐμπνευσθεὶς ὕστερον, καὶ δῶρον βασιλικὸν ὄντως καὶ μεγαλοπρεπὲς τῷ βασιλεῖ προσενεγκὼν, ἔγγραφον τὴν εὐσέβειαν κατὰ τῆς ἀγράφου καινοτομίας· ἵνα βασιλεῖ μὲν βασιλεὺς, λόγῳ δὲ λόγος, γράμματι δὲ γράμμα κατα παλαίηται...” - (Oration 21.33, “In Laudem Athanasii,” or: “Εἰς τὸν μέγαν Ἀθανάσιον ἐπίσκοπον Ἀλεξανδρείας," “On the Great Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria,” [ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΑʹ, Page 12, 35.1123-1124 M.P.G.])

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN (circa. 329-390 C.E.): “...Here too was shown in a very high degree the simple-mindedness of Athanasius, and the steadfastness of his faith in Christ. For, ( when all the rest who ) sympathized ( with us ) were divided into three parties, and ( many ) were faltering in their conception of the Son, and ( still more ) in that of the Holy Ghost, (a point on which to be only slightly in error was to be orthodox) AND ( FEW INDEED ) WERE SOUND UPON ( BOTH ) POINTS, HE WAS --- THE FIRST AND ONLY ONE, --- OR WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF BUT A FEW, to venture to confess in writing, with entire clearness and distinctness, the Unity of Godhead and Essence of the Three Persons, AND THUS TO ATTAIN IN LATER DAYS, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INSPIRATION, to the same faith in regard to the Holy Ghost, as had been bestowed at an earlier time [= Nicea 325 C.E. ] on most of the Fathers in regard to the Son. [= Consubstantial ] This confession, a truly royal and magnificent gift, he presented to the Emperor, opposing to the unwritten innovation, a written account the orthodox faith, so that an emperor might be overcome by an emperor, reason by reason, treatise by treatise...” - (Paragraph 33, Oration 21, "On the Great Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria," Translated by Charles Gordon Browne and James Edward Swallow. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 7. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co.,1894.)

Was not the “Orthodox” the majority? Completely unified on this teaching from the beginning? From the time of the apostles?

Is this not a historical anomaly?

This should not be!

If Tri{3}nitarian claims, and theory is correct?

But of course, the Tri{3}nitarian theory and claims are definitely not correct.

Comments

  1. Hey Matt...I am about to do a debate on Just Martyr and I have a few questions. I had not idea how to get a hold of you so I figured I'd try this. Please send me a private pm or email me at Doeyhead@gmail.com if you feel you have the time to answer a few questions. Thanks! I love this site btw.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi ForJah. I sent you an email in response to your request. We can discuss your questions that way. Thanks for your comments.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment