What then, say they, is there lacking to the Spirit which prevents His being a Son, for if there were not something lacking He would be a Son? We assert that there is nothing lacking—for God has no deficiency. But the difference of manifestation, if I may so express myself, or rather of their mutual relations one to another, has caused the difference of their Names. For indeed it is not some deficiency in the Son which prevents His being Father (for Sonship is not a deficiency), and yet He is not Father. According to this line of argument there must be some deficiency in the Father, in respect of His not being Son. For the Father is not Son, and yet this is not due to either deficiency or subjection of Essence; but the very fact of being Unbegotten or Begotten, or Proceeding has given the name of Father to the First, of the Son to the Second, and of the Third, Him of Whom we are speaking, of the Holy Ghost that the distinction of the Three Persons may be preserved in the one nature and dignity of the Godhead. For neither is the Son Father, for the Father is One, but He is what the Father is; nor is the Spirit Son because He is of God, for the Only-begotten is One, but He is what the Son is. The Three are One in Godhead, and the One Three in properties; so that neither is the Unity a Sabellian one, nor does the Trinity countenance the present evil distinction.
Gregory Nazianzen's dates are circa 329-390 CE: he is one of the so-called Cappadocian Fathers.
Equivocation? Obfuscation? Prevarication? How tongue tied can he get?
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
ReplyDeleteLike trying to dance on a razor's edge. My experience has been that even most Trinitarians don't understand the doctrine. When I state the "official" wording to them, whether from the East or West, many exclaim, "I believe in the Trinity, but not in what you just said!" :)
Fred Sanders:
ReplyDelete"Gregory's 5 Orations pass his own test. He preached these very careful doctrinal sermons to Christians who needed detailed theological instruction about the Trinity in order to recognize false teaching from neo-Arians. Read them (at the right time, etc)."