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Translated by Bl. Jackson.
St Basil the Great Resources Online and in Print
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88 Pages
Page 56
It is the Spirit which says, as the Lord says, "Get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them." [1134] Are these the words of an inferior, or of one in dread? "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." [1135] Does a slave speak thus? And Isaiah, "The Lord God and His Spirit hath sent me," [1136] and "the Spirit came down from the Lord and guided them." [1137] And pray do not again understand by this guidance some humble service, for the Word witnesses that it was the work of God;--"Thou leddest thy people," it is said "like a flock," [1138] and "Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock," [1139] and "He led them on safely, so that they feared not." [1140] Thus when you hear that when the Comforter is come, He will put you in remembrance, and "guide you into all truth," [1141] do not misrepresent the meaning.
[1134] Acts x. 20.
[1135] Acts xiii. 2.
[1136] Isa. xlviii. 16. Mr. C. F. Johnston remarks: "In Isaiah xlviii. 16 St. Didymus, as translated by St. Jerome, gives Spiritum suum. The Targum has the same. St. Ambrose writes: Quis est qui dicit; misit me Dominus Deus et Spiritus Ejus; nisi Qui venit a Patre, ut salvos faceret peccatores? Quem ut audis, et Spiritus misit; ne cum legis quia Filius Spiritum mittit, inferioris esse Spiritum crederes potestatis,' (De Sp. S. iii. 1, S: 7.) The passage is quoted by St. Athanasius, St. Basil, St. Cyril Hieros., and, as far as the editor is aware, without any comment which would help to determine their way of understanding the case of to pneuma; but Origen, on the words Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child' (Comm. in Evang., Matt. xiii. 18) says,--quoting the original, which may be rendered, "humbling himself as this little child is imitating the Holy Spirit, who humbled Himself for men's salvation. That the Saviour and the Holy Ghost were sent by the Father for the salvation of men is made plain by Isaiah saying, in the person of the Saviour, the Lord sent me, and His Spirit.' It must be observed, however, that the phrase is ambiguous, for either God sent and the Holy Ghost also sent, the Saviour; or, as I understand, the Father sent both, the Saviour and the Holy Ghost.'" The Vulgate and Beza both render "Spiritus." The order of the Hebrew is in favour of the nominative, as in the Vulgate and lxx. cf. Note A on Chap. xlviii. of Isaiah in the Speaker's Commentary.
[1137] Is. lxii. 14, LXX.
[1138] Ps. lxxvii. 20.
[1139] Ps. lxxx. 1.
[1140] Ps. lxxviii. 53.
[1141] John xvi. 13. cf. xiv. 26.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/basil/holy-spirit.asp?pg=56
