On The Holy Spirit



He is called Spirit, as "God is Spirit" (Jn 4:24), and "the breath of our nostrils, the Lord's anointed" (Lam 4:20). He is called holy, as the Father is holy, and the Son is holy, for to the creature holiness was brought in from without, but to the Spirit holiness is the fulfillment of nature, and it is for this reason that He is described not as being sanctified, but as sanctifying. He is called good, as the Father is good, and He who was begotten of the Good is good, and to the Spirit His goodness is essence. He is called upright, as "the Lord is upright" (Ps 92:15), in that He is Himself truth, and is Himself Righteousness, having no divergence nor leaning to one side or to the other, on account of the immutability of His substance. He is called Paraclete, like the Only Begotten, as He Himself says, "I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Counselor" (Jn 14:16).

Thus names are borne by the Spirit in common with the Father and the Son, and He gets these titles from His natural and close relationship. From what other source could they be derived?

Again He is called royal, Spirit of Truth, and Spirit of wisdom. "The Spirit of God," it is said, "has made me" (Job 33:4), and God filled Bezalel with "the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship" (Ex 31:3). Such names as these are super-eminent and mighty, but they do not transcend His glory.

And his operations, what are they? For majesty ineffable, and for numbers innumerable. How shall we form a conception of what extends beyond the ages? What were His operations before that creation whereof we can conceive? How great the grace which He conferred on creation? What the power exercised by Him over the ages to come? He existed; He pre-existed; He co-existed with the Father and the Son before the ages. It follows that, even if you can conceive of anything beyond the ages, you will find the Spirit yet further above and beyond...Is it Christ's advent? The Spirit is forerunner. Is there the incarnate presence? The Spirit is inseparable. Working of miracles, and gifts of healing are through the Holy Spirit. Demons were driven out by the Spirit of God. The devil was brought to naught by the presence of the Spirit. Remission of sins was by the gift of the Spirit, for "you were washed, you were sanctified...in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor 6:11).

There is close relationship with God through the Spirit, for "God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' " (Gal 4:6). The resurrection from the dead is effected by the operation of the Spirit, for "When You send forth Your spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth" (Ps 104:30).

With these thoughts before us, are we to be afraid of going beyond due bounds in the extravagance of the honor we pay? Shall we not rather fear lest, even though we seem to give Him the highest names which the thoughts of man can conceive or man's tongue can utter, we let our thoughts about Him fall too low?

-St. Basil the Great