St Basil the Great ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, Complete

Translated by Bl. Jackson.

St Basil the Great Resources Online and in Print

88 Pages

Page 70

And like reason in the soul, which is at one time the thought in the heart, and at another speech uttered by the tongue, [1237] so is the Holy Spirit, as when He "beareth witness with our spirit," [1238] and when He "cries in our hearts, Abba, Father," [1239] or when He speaks on our behalf, as it is said, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of our Father which speaketh in you." [1240] Again, the Spirit is conceived of, in relation to the distribution of gifts, as a whole in parts. For we all are "members one of another, having gifts differing according to the grace that is given us." [1241] Wherefore "the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you," [1242] but all together complete the Body of Christ in the Unity of the Spirit, and render to one another the needful aid that comes of the gifts. "But God hath set the members in the body, every one of them, as it hath pleased Him." [1243] But "the members have the same care for one another," [1244] according to the inborn spiritual communion of their sympathy. Wherefore, "whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it." [1245] And as parts in the whole so are we individually in the Spirit, because we all "were baptized in one body into one spirit." [1246]

[1237] The distinction between the logos endiathetos, thought, and the logos porphorikos, speech, appears first in Philo. II. 154. On the use of the term in Catholic Theology cf. Dr. Robertson's note on Ath., De Syn. S: xxvi. p. 463 of the Ed. in this series. Also, Dorner, Div. I. i. p. 338, note.

[1238] Rom. viii. 16.

[1239] Gal. vi. 4.

[1240] Matt. x. 20.

[1241] Rom. xii. 5, 6.

[1242] 1 Cor. xii. 21.

[1243] 1 Cor. xii. 18, slightly varied in order.

[1244] 1 Cor. xii. 25.

[1245] 1 Cor. xii. 26.

[1246] An inversion of 1 Cor. xii. 13.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of St Basil - On the Holy Spirit

St Basil the Great Home Page / Works ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/basil/holy-spirit.asp?pg=70