On the Symbol of Faith (The Nicene Creed)
The Divinity of the Holy Spirit
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
In the Symbol of Faith, drawn up by the First Ecumenical Synod, a small reference was made to the Holy Spirit. It said: "And in the Holy Spirit." However, after this Synod, a new heresy appeared, which claimed that the Holy Spirit is not God. They are the so-called Pneumatomachi. For this reason, among others, the Second Ecumenical Synod decided to supplement this article:
"And to the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father. Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the Prophets."
This article summarizes all the teaching of the Church about the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. Three points will be noted.
The first point is the adjectives that are used for the Holy Spirit and show that with the Father and the Son He is of one essence. The Holy Spirit is "Holy, Lord, Giver of Life." All three of these adjectives are also used for the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity. This means that the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are of one essence, of one glory and equal to each other. They have the same essence, the same glory, the same Kingdom. In the Triune God, all things are common, except for their hypostatic attributes, which are that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds.
In the Divine Liturgy we also glorify the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity saying: "For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages." Also, we chant: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Trinity, one in essence and undivided." Also, the High Priest or the Priest, when officiating, give the apostolic blessing: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Grace, love and communion also belong to the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.
Saint Gregory Palamas, referring to divine Grace, writes that divinity is a name of the divine energy, which comes from the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, and is revealed to us through its results. Therefore, the energy of the Persons of the Holy Trinity is common.
The second point emphasized in this article is the hypostatic characteristic of the Holy Spirit, that He proceeds from the Father. "Who proceeds from the Father." Christ told His Disciples before His passion that He would plead with His Father and send another Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father. That is, He uses two phrases: "whom I shall send (πέμψω) to you from the Father", and "who proceeds (ἐκπορεύεται) from the Father" (John 15:26). The verb "proceeds" (ἐκπορεύεται) is one thing and the verb "send" (πέμπεται) is another. For example, water comes from a well, but someone else takes the water and brings it somewhere else. Of course, this is an example from creation in order to somehow understand this mystery.
Thus, each Person has the way He exists, that is, the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten and the Holy Spirit is proceeding. These are called hypostatic attributes (ὑποστατικά ἰδιώματα), which belong to each Person and which are incommunicable.
Of course, Christ revealed these to us, but we do not know what these hypostatic attributes are. Saint Gregory the Theologian writes that we know that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten and the Holy Spirit is proceeding, but we do not know what is unbegottenness, what is begottenness and what is proceedingness. If anyone wants to interpret them rationally, they will go crazy. This issue should be honored with silence.
However, there are some theologians who enter with their reason into the innermost matters of the Holy Trinity and reflect on their mode of existence, as if they were three people and one was the subject and the others the object. These are heresies.
Among the heresies is also the heresy that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, the well-known filioque, which introduces diarchy into the Triune God and devalues the Holy Spirit, abolishing the one power, one essence and one glory of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. However, Christ Himself revealed to us the truth that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent through the Son. Thus, the Holy Spirit is "co-worshipped and co-glorified" with the Father and the Son. The Three Persons have the same essence, glory and Kingdom.
The third point written in this article is that the Holy Spirit spoke through the Prophets in the Old Testament. Christ sends the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father, and the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to people.
Thus, the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament in the Prophets and in the Saints of the New Testament. In the Old Testament He reveals the Son and Word of God without flesh, and in the New Testament He reveals Him in the flesh. But even during the incarnation of the Son and Word of God, the Holy Spirit, as Saint Gregory the Theologian writes, acts in three ways and at three times. Before the Crucifixion of Christ he acted "faintly", after His Resurrection he acted "more clearly" and after the Ascension into heaven he acted "more perfectly".
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church is important, since He cleanses us and connects us to Christ.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
"And to the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father. Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the Prophets."
This article summarizes all the teaching of the Church about the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. Three points will be noted.
The first point is the adjectives that are used for the Holy Spirit and show that with the Father and the Son He is of one essence. The Holy Spirit is "Holy, Lord, Giver of Life." All three of these adjectives are also used for the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity. This means that the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity are of one essence, of one glory and equal to each other. They have the same essence, the same glory, the same Kingdom. In the Triune God, all things are common, except for their hypostatic attributes, which are that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds.
In the Divine Liturgy we also glorify the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity saying: "For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages." Also, we chant: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Trinity, one in essence and undivided." Also, the High Priest or the Priest, when officiating, give the apostolic blessing: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all." Grace, love and communion also belong to the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity.
Saint Gregory Palamas, referring to divine Grace, writes that divinity is a name of the divine energy, which comes from the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, and is revealed to us through its results. Therefore, the energy of the Persons of the Holy Trinity is common.
The second point emphasized in this article is the hypostatic characteristic of the Holy Spirit, that He proceeds from the Father. "Who proceeds from the Father." Christ told His Disciples before His passion that He would plead with His Father and send another Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father. That is, He uses two phrases: "whom I shall send (πέμψω) to you from the Father", and "who proceeds (ἐκπορεύεται) from the Father" (John 15:26). The verb "proceeds" (ἐκπορεύεται) is one thing and the verb "send" (πέμπεται) is another. For example, water comes from a well, but someone else takes the water and brings it somewhere else. Of course, this is an example from creation in order to somehow understand this mystery.
Thus, each Person has the way He exists, that is, the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten and the Holy Spirit is proceeding. These are called hypostatic attributes (ὑποστατικά ἰδιώματα), which belong to each Person and which are incommunicable.
Of course, Christ revealed these to us, but we do not know what these hypostatic attributes are. Saint Gregory the Theologian writes that we know that the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten and the Holy Spirit is proceeding, but we do not know what is unbegottenness, what is begottenness and what is proceedingness. If anyone wants to interpret them rationally, they will go crazy. This issue should be honored with silence.
However, there are some theologians who enter with their reason into the innermost matters of the Holy Trinity and reflect on their mode of existence, as if they were three people and one was the subject and the others the object. These are heresies.
Among the heresies is also the heresy that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, the well-known filioque, which introduces diarchy into the Triune God and devalues the Holy Spirit, abolishing the one power, one essence and one glory of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. However, Christ Himself revealed to us the truth that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent through the Son. Thus, the Holy Spirit is "co-worshipped and co-glorified" with the Father and the Son. The Three Persons have the same essence, glory and Kingdom.
The third point written in this article is that the Holy Spirit spoke through the Prophets in the Old Testament. Christ sends the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father, and the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to people.
Thus, the Holy Spirit worked in the Old Testament in the Prophets and in the Saints of the New Testament. In the Old Testament He reveals the Son and Word of God without flesh, and in the New Testament He reveals Him in the flesh. But even during the incarnation of the Son and Word of God, the Holy Spirit, as Saint Gregory the Theologian writes, acts in three ways and at three times. Before the Crucifixion of Christ he acted "faintly", after His Resurrection he acted "more clearly" and after the Ascension into heaven he acted "more perfectly".
The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church is important, since He cleanses us and connects us to Christ.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.