Catechetical Lectures 11 part 8/12

And do you wish to know from where those who teach the contrary came into such madness? They read the apostle's good word in a bad way—the saying, "For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet."

And they say that when the enemies are put under His feet He no longer reigns—saying this badly and foolishly.

For He who reigns before He subdues the enemies, how will He not the rather reign after gaining the mastery over the enemies? And they have dared to say this too, that the saying, "When all things are subjected to Him, then will the Son Himself also be subjected to Him who subjected all things to Him," means that the Son too is resolved back into the Father.

Then, O most unholy of all men, do you, the creatures of Christ, abide, while Christ, through whom both you and all things came to be, perishes? Blasphemous is the saying.

And how will all things be subjected to Him—as perishing, or as abiding? Then do the other things, being subjected to the Son, abide, while the Son, being subjected to the Father, does not abide? And He will be subjected, not in that He then begins to obey the Father (for He always does the things pleasing to Him at all times), but in that even then He obeys, having a subjection not constrained, but a willing compliance of His own choice.

For He is not a servant, that He should be subjected by necessity, but He is a Son, that He should comply of His own choice and out of filial love.

But let us examine them as to what the word "until" or "as far as" means; for I, coming to close grips with the very expression, will try to overturn the error.

Since they have dared to say that "until He has put His enemies under His feet" signifies His end, and have dared to circumscribe the eternal kingdom of Christ and by a word to bring His unceasing authority to a stop, come then, let us read like sayings in the apostle.

"But death reigned from Adam until Moses."

Did men then die until that time, and no one die any more after Moses, or did death of men no longer occur after the law? But you see that the word "until" is not a limit of time, but rather that Paul made this plain—and that, though Moses was a righteous and

admirable man, yet the deadly sentence pronounced against Adam reached even him and those who came after, even though they had not sinned in like manner to Adam in the disobedience of eating from the tree.

Receive again another like saying.

"For until this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart."

Does "until this day" then mean only until Paul? Not rather until this day and even to the consummation? And if Paul says to the Corinthians:

"For we have reached even as far as you in the gospel of Christ, having hope, as your faith increases, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you,"

you see clearly that the word "as far as" is not an end, but has something following.

How then ought you to understand "until He has put the enemies"? As the same Paul elsewhere says:

"And exhort one another every day, as long as it is called Today"—that is to say, continually.

For just as one ought not to speak of a beginning of the days of Christ, so neither should you tolerate anyone ever speaking of an end of His kingdom.

"For His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom," it is written.

Although I have many more testimonies from the divine Scriptures concerning the unending, everlasting kingdom of Christ, I shall for now be content with those already cited, because the day is far spent.

But you, the hearer, worship Him alone as King, fleeing every heretical error.

And if the grace of God grants it, the remaining articles of the faith shall be spoken to you in due season.

May the God of all keep you all safe, mindful of the signs of the consummation, and remaining unconquered by the Antichrist.

You have received the signs of the deceiver who is to come.

You have received the proofs of the true Christ, who comes down openly from the heavens.

Flee the one, the false; await the other, the true.

You have learned the way by which, when judged, you may be found among those on the right hand.

Keep the deposit concerning Christ, excelling in good works, that with boldness you may stand before the Judge and inherit the kingdom of the heavens.

Through Him and with Him be glory to God, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Sixteenth Catechetical Lecture of the candidates for enlightenment, delivered extempore at Jerusalem, on the words:

"And in one Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who spoke in the prophets";

and a reading from the First Epistle to the Corinthians:

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."

Truly we need the grace of the Spirit, that we may discourse concerning the Holy Spirit;

not that we may speak according to His worth, for that is impossible, but that, telling only what is from the divine Scriptures, we may pass through safely.

For truly a great fear is written in the Gospels, since Christ has plainly said:

"Whosoever shall speak a word against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come."

And there is often fear lest someone, either out of ignorance or out of a supposed reverence, by saying what he ought not concerning Him, should incur condemnation.

Jesus Christ, the Judge of the living and the dead, has declared that there is no forgiveness for it.

If then anyone should stumble, what hope has he? It would therefore be the work of the very grace of Jesus Christ both to grant us to speak without fault and to grant you to hear with understanding.

For understanding is needful not only to those who speak, but also to those who hear, lest while hearing one thing they receive another in their minds.

Let there therefore be spoken by us concerning the Holy Spirit only the things that are written.

And if anything is not written, let us not be over-curious about it.

The Holy Spirit Himself spoke the Scriptures; He Himself has said concerning Himself as much as He willed, or as much as we could contain.

For what He has not said, we dare not say.

There is but one Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

And just as there is one God the Father, and there is no second Father; and just as there is one only-begotten Son and Word of God, and He has no brother; so there is one only Holy Spirit, and there is no second Spirit equal in honor to Him.

The Holy Spirit, then, is a most mighty power, something divine and unsearchable.

For He lives and is rational, sanctifying all things that have been made

by God through Christ.

He enlightens the souls of the righteous; He was also in the prophets, and He is also in the apostles in the New Covenant.

Let those be detested who dare to separate the operation of the Holy Spirit.

There is one God, the Father, Lord of both the Old and the New Covenant; and one Lord Jesus Christ, who was foretold in the Old and came in the New; and one Holy Spirit, who through the prophets proclaimed concerning Christ, and when Christ had come, descended and pointed Him out.

Let no one therefore separate the Old Covenant from the New.

Let no one say that the Spirit there is one, and the Spirit here is another;

for he thereby offends against the Holy Spirit Himself, who is honored together with the Father and the Son, and is included in the Holy Trinity at the time of holy baptism.

For the only-begotten Son of God said plainly to the apostles:

"Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Our hope is in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We do not proclaim three gods—let the Marcionites be silenced—but, together with the Holy Spirit, through one Son, we proclaim one God.

The faith is indivisible, the godliness is inseparable.

We neither separate the Holy Trinity, as some do, nor do we work a confusion of persons, as Sabellius did.

But we know in godliness one Father, who sent to us the Savior, the Son.

We know one Son, who promised to send from the Father the Comforter.

We know the Holy Spirit, who spoke in the prophets, and at Pentecost descended upon the apostles in the form of fiery tongues, here in Jerusalem, in the upper church of the apostles.

For with us are all the dignities.

Here Christ came down from the heavens.

Here the Holy Spirit came down from the heavens.

And it would have been most fitting, indeed, that just as we speak of the things concerning Christ and Golgotha here at this Golgotha, so also we should speak concerning the Holy Spirit in the upper church.

But since He who descended there shares the glory of Him who was crucified here, therefore we speak here of the things concerning Him who descended there.

For godliness is undivided.

We now wish to say something concerning the Holy Spirit—not to expound His subsistence with exactness, for that is impossible, but to tell of the various aberrations of some concerning Him, lest at any time, out of ignorance of those errors, we should be brought down; and to cut off the ways of error, that we may travel the one royal road.

And if for safety's sake we now recount anything said by the heresies, let it turn against their own heads, and let us who speak and you who hear be guiltless.

For the heretics, most impious in all things, sharpened their tongue also against the Holy Spirit and dared to utter unlawful things, as Irenaeus the expositor wrote in the treatises he composed against the heresies. Some dared to say that they themselves were the Holy Spirit, the first of whom was Simon, the magician mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

For having been rejected, he dared to teach such things.

And those called Gnostics, impious men, uttered other blasphemies against the Spirit; and the lawless Valentinians, again, uttered yet others.

And the ungodly Manes dared to say that he himself was the Comforter sent by Christ.

And others said that the Spirit was one thing in the prophets and another in the New Covenant.

And great is their error—or rather, their blasphemy.

Hate therefore such men, and flee those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit and have no forgiveness.

What fellowship have you, who are now to be baptized also into the Holy Spirit, with the hopeless? If he who joins himself to a thief and runs along with him is liable to punishment, what hope shall he have who offends against the Holy Spirit? Let the Marcionites also be detested, who took away the words of the Old Covenant from the New.

For Marcion the most godless was the first to say there are three gods; and knowing that there are embedded in the New Covenant the prophets' testimonies concerning Christ, he cut out the testimonies from the Old Covenant, that the King might be left without witness.

Let the aforesaid be detested, who are Gnostics in name but filled with ignorance,

having dared to say such things concerning the Holy Spirit as I dare not utter.

Let those of the Phrygians be detested, and Montanus the originator of these evils, and his two so-called prophetesses, Maximilla and Priscilla.

For this Montanus, deranged and truly maddened—for he would not have said such things had he not been mad—dared to say that he himself was the Holy Spirit, he, the most wretched, filled with all uncleanness and licentiousness.

For it suffices to say this by hints, out of respect for the modesty of the women present.

And having seized Pepuza, a very small village in Phrygia, and falsely naming it Jerusalem, and most wretchedly slaughtering the little children of women and cutting them up for unlawful food under pretext of their so-called mysteries (wherefore until lately, during the persecution, we ourselves were suspected of doing this, because those Montanists too were called—falsely, yet by the same name—Christians), he, filled with all impiety and inhumanity, having a condemnation that admits no defense, dared to call himself the Holy Spirit.

There also strove hard, as has been said before, the most impious Manes, who gathered together the evils of all the heresies.

And he, being the final pit of perdition, having collected all the heretics' teachings together, fashioned and taught a yet newer error.

And he dared to say that he himself was the Comforter whom Christ promised to send.

But the Savior, when He promised, said to the apostles:

"But sit you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be clothed with power from on high."

What then? Did the apostles, who died two hundred years before, wait for Manes, until they should be clothed with the power? And will anyone dare to say that they were not from that time full of the Holy Spirit? Yet it is written that then they laid on their hands, and received the Holy Spirit.

Did not this take place before Manes, and many years before, when the Holy Spirit descended on the day of Pentecost? Why was Simon the magician condemned? Was it not because, coming to the apostles, he said:

"Give me also this authority, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit"? For he did not say, "Give me also fellowship of the Holy Spirit," but "authority," that he might sell to others the unsalable thing which he himself did not possess.

And he brought silver to those who possessed nothing, and that too while seeing those who brought the prices of what was sold and laid them at the apostles' feet.

And he did not consider that those who trampled under foot the wealth offered for the nourishment of the poor would not for a fee grant the authority of the Holy Spirit.

And what do they say to Simon? "Your money perish with you, because you thought to obtain the gift of God with money."

"For you are a second Judas, having expected to traffic in the grace of the Spirit by means of money."

If then Simon, who wished to receive the authority for a fee, is destined for perdition, how great is the impiety of Manes, who said that he himself was the Holy Spirit? Let us hate those worthy of hatred; let us turn away from those whom God turns away from.

Let us ourselves also say to God with all boldness concerning all heretics:

"Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord, and pine away over Your enemies?" For there is also a good enmity, as it is written:

"And I will put enmity between you and her seed."

For friendship with the serpent works enmity with God and death.

Let these things, then, have been said by us concerning those who have been cast out.

Now let us return to the divine Scriptures, and let us drink waters from our own vessels, the holy fathers, and from the spring of our own wells.

Let us drink from living water, springing up unto life eternal.

And this the Savior said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed on Him were about to receive.

"He that believes on Me"—not simply, but as the Scripture said (He referred you to the Old Covenant)—"out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water"; not perceptible rivers watering merely a land bearing thorns and trees, but rivers that bring light to souls.

"But the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of living water, springing up unto life eternal."

A newer kind of living and springing water, springing up upon the worthy.

And why then did He name the spiritual grace "water"? Because by water is the constitution of all things.

Because water makes things green and gives life.

Because the water of the rains comes down from the heavens.

Because it comes down in one form, but works in many forms.

For one fountain waters the whole paradise, and one and the same rain comes down upon all the world.

And it becomes white in the lily, red in the rose, purple in violets and hyacinths, and varied and manifold in all kinds of forms.

And it is one thing in the palm, another in the vine, and all things in all, while being of one form and not being other than itself.

For the rain does not, by changing itself, come down now as one thing and now as another, but adapting itself to the constitution of those who receive it, becomes to each what is suitable.

So also the Holy Spirit, being one and of one form and indivisible, distributes the grace to each as He wills.

And just as the dry tree, when it partakes of water, puts forth shoots, so also the soul in sins, when through repentance it is counted worthy of the Holy Spirit, brings forth clusters of righteousness.

And though He is of one form, by the will of God and in the name of Christ He works many virtues.

For He employs the tongue of one for wisdom; the soul of another He enlightens in prophecy; to another He gives power to drive out demons; to another He gives the gift of interpreting the divine Scriptures.

He strengthens the self-control of one, teaches another the things concerning almsgiving, teaches another to fast and to practice asceticism, teaches another to despise the things of the body, prepares another for martyrdom—different things in different persons, while He Himself is not other than Himself.

"And to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit."

"For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of power; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues."

"But all these works that one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one severally as He wills."

But since concerning "spirit" in general many and various things are written in the divine Scriptures, and there is fear lest someone out of ignorance fall into confusion, not knowing concerning which spirit a thing is written, it is well now to make sure which the Scripture says is the Holy one.

For just as Aaron is called "anointed" (christ), and David, and Saul, and others are called anointed ones, yet there is only one true Christ; so also, since the appellation of "spirit" is used of various things, it is good to see what specifically is the Holy Spirit.

For many things are called "spirit."

Our soul is called spirit.

And an angel is called spirit.

And this wind that blows is called spirit.

And a great virtue is called spirit.

And an unclean deed is called spirit.

And an adversary demon is called spirit.

Take heed therefore, when you hear these things, lest because of the sameness of name you take one thing for another.

For concerning our soul the Scripture says:

"His spirit shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth."

And concerning the same soul it says again:

"He who forms the spirit of man within him."

And concerning the angels it says in the Psalms:

"Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire."

And concerning the wind it says:

"With a violent wind You shall break the ships of Tarshish."

And, "As when a tree in the forest is shaken by the wind."

And, "Fire and hail, snow and ice, stormy wind."

And concerning good teaching the Lord Himself says:

"The words that I have spoken to you, they are spirit and they are life"—that is, they are spiritual.

But the Holy Spirit is not spoken through a tongue; rather, He is a living being, granting one to speak wisely, Himself the one who speaks and converses.

And do you wish to know that He converses and speaks? Philip, by a revelation of an angel,

went down to the road that leads to Gaza, when the eunuch was coming.

And the Spirit said to Philip:

"Go near, and join yourself to this chariot."

Do you see the Spirit speaking to him who hears? And Ezekiel says thus:

"The Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and said to me:"

The Holy Spirit said to the apostles in Antioch:

"Separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Do you see the living Spirit, separating and calling and authoritatively sending? And Paul said:

"Save that the Holy Spirit witnesses to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me."

For this good sanctifier of the Church, and helper and teacher, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, of whom the Savior said, "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance" (He did not say merely "He shall teach," but also "shall bring to remembrance all that I said to you";

for the teachings of Christ are not one thing and those of the Holy Spirit another, but the same)—He foretold to Paul the things that should befall him, that he might be the more cheerful through foreknowing them.

But these things have been said by us on account of the word that was spoken:

"The words that I have spoken to you are spirit"—that you may not think this to be a talk of lips, but the good teaching.

Here too sin is called spirit, as we have said, but in another and contrary sense, as when it says:

"By a spirit of fornication they were led astray."

The unclean spirit, the demon, is also called spirit, but with the addition of "unclean."

To each is attached the proper designation, that it may show its own particular nature.

If it speaks the "spirit" concerning the soul of man, it speaks with the addition of "of man."

If it speaks of the wind, it says "a stormy spirit."

If it speaks of sin, it says "a spirit of fornication."

If it speaks of the demon, it says "an unclean spirit"—that we may know concerning which of them the word is, and that you may not think this to be concerning the Holy one.

For this name "spirit" is a generic one, and everything that has not a gross body is, generally speaking, called spirit.

Since therefore the demons also have not such bodies, they are called spirits.

But there is a great difference.

For when the unclean demon comes upon the soul of a man (may the Lord deliver from this every soul of those who hear, and of those not present), it comes like a blood-thirsty wolf ready for its prey upon a sheep.

Most savage is its coming, most grievous the sensation.

The mind becomes darkened.

And its assault is unjust, and the seizing of another's possession.

For it forcibly uses another's body as its own, and another's instrument.

For it belongs to him who fell from heaven.

The eye is open, yet through it the soul does not see.

And the wretched man writhes tremblingly before death.

Truly enemies of men are the demons, treating them shamefully and pitilessly.

Not such is the Holy Spirit.

For He has His dealings, on the contrary, toward the good and the salutary.

First of all, His coming is gentle, the perception of Him is fragrant, His burden is most light.

Rays of light and knowledge flash forth before His coming.

He comes with the tender mercies of a true guardian.

For He comes to save and to heal, to teach, to admonish, to strengthen, to comfort, to enlighten the mind, first of him who receives Him, and then, through him, the minds of others.

And just as one who was previously in darkness, then suddenly seeing the sun, has the sight of his body enlightened and sees clearly what he did not see, so also he who is counted worthy of the Holy Spirit is enlightened in soul and, beyond human power, sees things he did not know.

His body is on earth, and his soul mirrors the heavens.

He sees, like Isaiah, the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up; and he sees, like Ezekiel, Him who is above the cherubim; he sees, like Daniel, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

And the little man sees the beginning of the world and the end of the world and the midst of times, and the successions of kings.

For the true Enlightener is present.

The man is within walls, yet the power

of his knowledge is sent forth afar, and he sees even the things being done by others.

Peter was not present with Ananias and Sapphira when they were selling their possessions, but he was present through the Spirit.

"Why," he says, "has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" There was no accuser.

Whence did he know what had been done? "Whiles it remained, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own power? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?" The unlearned Peter, through the grace of the Spirit, learned what not even the wise among the Greeks knew.

You have the like also in the case of Elisha.

For when he had freely healed Naaman's leprosy, Gehazi took the reward, receiving the reward of another's good deeds.

And he received the money from Naaman and laid it in the dark.

But the darkness is not dark to the holy ones.

And when he came, Elisha asked him, and, like Peter saying:

"Tell me, did you sell the field for so much?"—he too examines:

"Whence, Gehazi?"—not being ignorant of the whence, but mourning the whence.

"From darkness you came, and to darkness you shall go."

"You have sold the healing of the leper, and you inherit the leprosy."

"I," he says, "fulfilled the command of Him who said to me:"

"Freely you received, freely give. But you have sold the grace."

"Accept the consequence of your selling."

But what does Elisha say to him? "Did not my heart go with you? Here I was, shut up in the body, but the Spirit given me by God saw even the things afar off, and clearly showed me the things being done elsewhere."

Do you see how He not only takes away ignorance, but also implants knowledge? Do you see how the Holy Spirit enlightens souls? Isaiah was near a thousand years before, and he saw Zion as a tent.

The city was still standing and adorned with markets and clothed with dignity.

"Zion shall be plowed as a field"—foretelling what has now been fulfilled in our days.

And see the exactness of the prophecy:

"The daughter of Zion shall be left as a tent in a vineyard, and as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers."

And the place is now filled with gardens of cucumbers.

Do you see how the Holy Spirit enlightens the holy ones? Be not therefore driven off to other things because of the sameness of name, but keep the exact sense.

Has there never, while you were sitting, entered into your reasoning a thought concerning chastity or virginity? That is His teaching.

Has not a maiden often, when near the bridal chamber, fled away when He taught the things concerning virginity? Has not often a man eminent in palaces spurned wealth and rank when taught by the Holy Spirit? Has not often a young man, seeing beauty, closed his eyes and fled from the sight and escaped defilement? Whence has this come about, do you ask? The Holy Spirit taught the young man's soul.

There is so much covetousness in the world, and yet Christians possess nothing.

Why? Because of the promise of the Spirit.

Truly precious is the Holy Spirit, the good One.

Fittingly are we baptized into the Father, and into the Son, and into the Holy Spirit.

A man, still wearing a body, wrestles with many most savage demons.

And often the demon, who could not be held by many with iron chains, has been held by him with words of prayer, through the power of the Holy Spirit in him; and the simple breath of the exorcist becomes fire to the unseen one.

We have therefore from God a great ally and protector, a great teacher of the Church, a great defender on our behalf.

Let us not fear the demons, nor the devil.

For greater is our Champion.

Let us only open to Him the doors.

For He goes about seeking the worthy, and seeks to whom He may grant His gifts.

And He is called Comforter because of His comforting and consoling and helping our weakness.

"For we know not what we should pray for as we ought."

"But the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered"—and plainly it is to God.

Often, having been insulted for Christ's sake, one was unjustly dishonored; martyrdom is at hand; tortures from every side, and fire and swords and wild beasts and the deep.

But the Holy Spirit whispers, saying:

"Wait for the Lord, O man."

"Small are the present things, great the things bestowed."

"Toiling a little while, you are about to be eternally with the angels."

"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

He portrays to the man the kingdom of the heavens; He shows also the paradise of delight.