By Water & Blood

On the Holy Spirit and the divine names (Ἰαβαί)

On the Holy Spirit and the divine names.

We have learned, then, that the Holy Spirit has his existence from God the Father. But the manner of existence neither resembles creation—for the all-holy Spirit is uncreated—nor the only-begotten Son; for none of those inspired by God has called the existence of the divine Spirit a begetting. That he is from God, however, and that he is divine, the sacred words teach.

For the Master Christ says these things about him: “It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come to you.” And again: “But when the Paraclete comes, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will guide you into all the truth.” And by saying “He proceeds from the Father,” he showed that the Father is the source of the Spirit. And he did not say “He will proceed,” but “He proceeds,” showing both the identity of nature and the indivisibility and indifference of the essence, and the unity of the hypostases. For that which proceeds is inseparable from that from which it proceeds.

And the divine Apostle said these things about the Spirit: “But the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” And lest anyone suppose the searching to be ignorance, he added: “No one among human beings knows the things of the human being except the spirit of the human being that is in him; so also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” Having thus testified to him the knowledge, he also shows whence he has his existence. For “We,” he said, “have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God.”

In this way, then, he continually ranks him with Father and Son, but has never ranked him with creation. For he does not know him as a part of creation, nor does he name him a first product, according to the blasphemy of Arius and Eunomius and Macedonius; but showing the gifts of divine grace he spoke thus: “There are distributions of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are distributions of activities, but the same God, who works all things in all.” Then, having shown the gift of the charisms, he added: “But all these things the one and the same Spirit works, distributing to each individually as he wills.” For the all-holy Spirit, he says, belongs not to a servile ministry but to sovereign dignity; he does not serve as underling, but cooperates, and works as Master.

Thus also at the end of the second Letter to these same people he wove the blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” And in the former Letter he ranked the Spirit first, but here last, teaching that the order of the names does not make a difference of dignities. In this way, then, he ranked the Son before the Father—not overturning the order which the Lord established, but displaying the equal honor of the Trinity.

This one also visited the apostles in a manner befitting God. For first he shook the house, making plain the divine appearing. For concerning the God of all the Prophet says: “He who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble.” Then he settled upon them in tongues in the form of fire, just as Moses once said that God appeared in the bush. And just as that bush was not consumed while burning, so the tongues of the apostles did not experience the burning activity.

Having learned these things not by words but by deeds, the most divine Peter called him God, when refuting the theft of Ananias. For having said: “Why has Satan deceived your heart so that you should lie to the all-holy Spirit? You have not lied to human beings but to God.”

And what has been said by the divine Paul about the Spirit also agrees. For he called those who have believed temples of God, as having the grace of the Spirit dwelling within: “Do you not know,” he says, “that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” And again: “Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?” And these things teach plainly that the all-holy Spirit is of the divine nature. For if those who have believed are called a temple of God because they received the grace of the Spirit, then the Holy Spirit is from God; for having received his grace as an inhabitant, they were named a temple of God.

And the Lord shows us still more clearly the dignity of the Spirit. For teaching the mystery of baptism, he spoke thus to the disciples: “Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” But if the Son or the all-holy Spirit had a created nature, they would not have been numbered with the creating God; for the divine words accuse those who have worshiped the creation rather than the Creator. Therefore also the Only-begotten became human, so as to free human beings from this error and to teach the difference between God and creation. And having abolished the worship of creation, he would not again have commanded worship of a created nature; for it would be among the most absurd things to draw human beings away from gods that do not exist, and then lead them again into slavery to things that have been made. It is clear, then, that both the Son and the all-holy Spirit have an uncreated nature. For this reason we are taught to believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and we are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

For since the Father did not fashion the first human being alone, but also the Son and the Holy Spirit—“Let us make a human being according to our image and according to likeness”—fittingly, then, when the remaking takes place and the new creation is accomplished, both the Son and the all-holy Spirit also share with the Father; and the invocation of the Trinity renews each of those baptized.

But concerning the Holy Spirit, against the heretics who are destitute of his grace, I have already composed three discourses; and I think it superfluous to prolong the matter here, when the remaining chapters draw the discourse to themselves. Having therefore added the interpretation concerning the divine names, I shall pass on to those.

For since those thunderstruck ones, not knowing the meaning of the Hebrew names, supposed that Adonai and Eloai and Sabaoth are different gods, I think it useful to show to those who are ignorant what each of these signifies in the Greek tongue.

The name Eloth, then, is interpreted “God”; and Eloai, “my God”; and El, when pronounced with a smooth breathing, itself also indicates God, but when aspirated, the Strong One; and Adonai, the Lord; and “Lord Sabaoth” is interpreted “Lord of powers,” or “Lord of armies.” For among the Greeks military companies are also called powers. And Saddai signifies the Sufficient and Powerful One; and Ἀϊά (Aia), the One who is. This was also unutterable among the Hebrews. But the Samaritans call it Ἰαβαί (Iabai), not knowing the force of the word.

Not having understood these things, those who are beside themselves called them different gods. But we shall proceed to the remaining parts of the treatise.