GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN - ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

GREEK TEXT: “...Μᾶλλον δὲ φιλοσοφήσω σοι περὶ αὐτοῦ μικρὸν ἄνωθεν. Περὶ τριάδος γὰρ καὶ πρότερον διειλήφαμεν. Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον Σαδδου καῖοι μὲν οὐδὲ εἶναι τὸ παράπαν ἐνόμισαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀγγέλους, οὐδὲ ἀνάστασιν· οὐκ οἶδ' ὅθεν τὰς τοσαύτας περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίας ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ διαπτύσαντες. Ἑλλήνων δὲ οἱ θεολογικώτεροι, καὶ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν προσεγγίσαντες, ἐφαντάσθησαν μέν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ· περὶ δὲ τὴν κλῆσιν διηνέχθησαν, νοῦν τοῦ παντός, καὶ τὸν θύραθεν νοῦν, καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα προσαγορεύσαντες. Τῶν δὲ καθ' ἡμᾶς σοφῶν οἱ μὲν ἐνέργειαν τοῦτο ὑπέλαβον, οἱ δὲ κτίσμα, οἱ δὲ θεόν, οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ὁπότερον τούτων, αἰδοῖ τῆς γραφῆς, ὥς φασιν, ὡς οὐδέτερον σαφῶς δηλωσάσης. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε σέβουσιν, οὔτε ἀτι μάζουσι, μέσως πως περὶ αὐτοῦ διακείμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λίαν ἀθλίως. Καὶ τῶν θεὸν ὑπειληφότων οἱ μὲν ἄχρι διανοίας εἰσὶν εὐσεβεῖς, οἱ δὲ τολμῶσιν εὐσεβεῖν καὶ τοῖς χείλεσιν. Ἄλλων δὲ ἤκουσα μετρούντων θεότητα σοφωτέρων, οἳ τρία μὲν εἶναι καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁμολογοῦσι τὰ νοούμενα, τοσοῦτον δὲ ἀλλήλων διέστησαν, ὡς τὸ μὲν καὶ οὐσίᾳ καὶ δυνάμει ποιεῖν ἀόριστον· τὸ δὲ δυνάμει μέν, οὐκ οὐσίᾳ δέ· τὸ δὲ ἀμφοτέροις περιγραπτόν· ἄλλον τρόπον μιμούμενοι τοὺς δημιουργόν, καὶ συνεργόν, καὶ λειτουργὸν ὀνομάζοντας, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς ὀνόμασι τάξιν καὶ χάριν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθίαν εἶναι νομίζοντας...” - (Chapter 31, Oration 5, [31.5] “Fifth Theological Oration Oration,” MPG.)

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN (circa. 329-390 C.E.): “...But as concerning [Or: “as respects”] those of us [Or: “among us” “in our midst”] who are wise [Or: “who are learned”], indeed, there are those who are [Or: “some who are”] of the opinion [Or: “support” “accept” “concieve” “take as their interpretation/opinion”] THAT IT IS AN ACTIVE FORCE [Or: “a power that is at work inwardly” “an energizing influence”], but others, a created thing [Or: “something resulting from an act of creation” “a creature”], yet others again, that it is a god [Or: “God” with a capital “G”], but there are ones who do not know which of the forgoing [they believe] out of a [Or: “their”] deep respect [Or: “profound awe or reverence”] for the opinion of the scriptures, merely affirming, that neither are clearly defined as actually written [Or: “explicitly made clear” “explained in an obvious manner” “distincly legible”]...” - (Chapter 31, Oration 5, [31.5] “Fifth Theological Oration Oration,” Translated by Matt13weedhacker 13/07/2014)

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN (circa. 329-390 C.E.): “...some consider the holy spirit to be [Gk., ( ENERGIA ) Gk., ( ενέργεια )] A FORCE, others a creature, others God. Others making the vagueness of Scripture their excuse, decline to commit themselves...” - (Chapter 31, Oration 5, [31.5] “Fifth Theological Oration Oration,” Page 183, Subheading 7, “The Holy Spirit, (Pneumatology),” Chapter 8, “The 12 Essential Doctrines for Christianity,” in: “Essential Christianity Essential Christianity: Foundations for a Faithful Faith,” By Keith Sherlin, Forward by Dr. Mal Couch : 1st President of Tyndale Theological Seminary, Author House, 2006.)

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN (circa. 329-390 C.E.): “...Of the wise amongst us some consider the Holy Spirit to be [Gk., ( ENERGIA ) Gk., ( ενέργεια )] an energy, others a creature, others God, while others again cannot make up their minds to adopt any definite view out of reverence for Scripture, as they put it, because it does not make any very definite statement on the point. On this account they neither accord to Him divine adoration nor do they refuse it to Him, and thus take a middle road, but which is really a very bad path. Of those again who hold Him to be God, some keep this pious belief to themselves, while others state it openly. Others to a certain degree measure the Godhead since like us they accept the Trinity, but they put a great distance between the three by maintaining that the first is infinite in substance and power, the second in power, but not in substance, while the third is infinite in neither of these two respects...” - (Chapter 31, Oration 5, [31.5] “Fifth Theological Oration Oration,” Page 115, Appendix: “The Doctrine of The Holy Ghost and of The Trinity,” in: “HISTORY OF DOGMA,” Volume IV, By Dr. Adolph Harnack, Translated from the Third German Edition, By Neil Buchanan, Published in the United Kingdom by Constable and Company Limited, 10 Orange Street, London W. C. 2. Dover edition, 1961.)
[FOOTNOTE]: Adolf Harnack (cica. 1851-1930 C.E.)

GREGORY OF NAZIANZEN (circa. 329-390 C.E.): “...Or rather, let me reason with you about Him from a somewhat earlier point, for we have already discussed the Trinity. The Sadducees altogether denied the existence of the Holy Spirit, just as they did that of Angels and the Resurrection; rejecting, I know not upon what ground, the important testimonies concerning Him in the Old Testament. And of the Greeks those who are more inclined to speak of God, and who approach nearest to us, have formed some conception of Him, as it seems to me, though they have differed as to His Name, and have addressed Him as the Mind of the World, or the External Mind, and the like. But of the wise men amongst ourselves, some have conceived of him as [Gk., ( ENERGIA ) Gk., ( ενέργεια )] an Activity, some as a Creature, some as God; and some have been uncertain which to call Him, out of reverence for Scripture, they say, as though it did not make the matter clear either way. And therefore they neither worship Him nor treat Him with dishonour, but take up a neutral position, or rather a very miserable one, with respect to Him. And of those who consider Him to be God, some are orthodox in mind only, while others venture to be so with the lips also. And I have heard of some who are even more clever, and measure Deity; and these agree with us that there are Three Conceptions; but they have separated these from one another so completely as to make one of them infinite both in essence and power, and the second in power but not in essence, and the third circumscribed in both; thus imitating in another way those who call them the Creator, the Co-operator, and the Minister, and consider that the same order and dignity which belongs to these names is also a sequence in the facts...” - (Chapter 31, Oration 5, [31.5] “Fifth Theological Oration Oration,” 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.)

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