NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

Proof from Scripture that the Spirit is called Lord.Chapter XXI.Proof from Scripture that the Spirit is called Lord.3352. But why get an unfair victory for our argument by fighting over these undignifiedquestions, when it is within our power to prove that the excellence of the glory is beyonddispute by adducing more lofty considerations? If, indeed, we repeat what we have beentaught by Scripture, every one of the Pneumatomachi will peradventure raise a loud andvehement outcry, stop their ears, pick up stones or anything else that comes to hand for aweapon, and charge against us. But our own security must not be regarded by us before thetruth. We have learnt from the Apostle, “the Lord direct your hearts into the love of Godand into the patient waiting for Christ” 1158 for our tribulations. Who is the Lord that directsinto the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ for tribulations? Let those menanswer us who are for making a slave of the Holy Spirit. For if the argument had been aboutGod the Father, it would certainly have said, ‘the Lord direct you into His own love,’ or ifabout the Son, it would have added ‘into His own patience.’ Let them then seek what otherPerson there is who is worthy to be honoured with the title of Lord. And parallel with thisis that other passage, “and the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towardanother, and toward all men, even as we do towards you; to the end He may establish yourhearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord JesusChrist with all His saints.” 1159 Now what Lord does he entreat to stablish the hearts of thefaithful at Thessalonica, unblamable in holiness before God even our Father, at the comingof our Lord? Let those answer who place the Holy Ghost among the ministering spirits thatare sent forth on service. They cannot. Wherefore let them hear yet another testimonywhich distinctly calls the Spirit Lord. “The Lord,” it is said, “is that Spirit;” and again “evenlanguage of the Fathers assumes a bolder tone” (cf. Dict. Christ. Ant. ii. 1905),and “in the correspondence ofGregory Nazianzen we find him referring to a case where a slave had been made bishop over a small communityin the desert. The Christian lady to whom he belonged endeavoured to assert her right of ownership, for whichshe was severely rebuked by St. Basil (cf. Letter CXV.) After St. Basil’s death she again claimed the slave,whereupon Gregory addressed her a letter of grave remonstrance at her unchristian desire to recall his brotherbishop from his sphere of duty. Ep. 79,” id.1158 2 Thess. iii. 5. A note of the Benedictine Editors on this passage says: “It must be admitted that thesewords are not found in the sacred text and are wanting in three manuscripts of this work. Moreover, in theRegius Quintus they are only inserted by a second hand, but since they are shortly afterwards repeated by Basil,as though taken from the sacred context, I am unwilling to delete them, and it is more probable that they werewithdrawn from the manuscripts from which they are wanting because they were not found in the apostle, thenadded, without any reason at all, to the manuscripts in which they occur.”1159 1 Thess. iii. 12, 13.211