The Spirit of God: The Exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian Controversy of the Fourth Century

282 Pages·1994·22.711 MB·English

by  Michael A. G. Haykin

THE SPIRIT OF GOD
SUPPLEMENTS TO
VIGILIAE CHRISTIANAE
Formerly Philosophia Patrum
TEXTS AND STUDIES OF EARLY CHRISTIAN LIFE
AND LANGUAGE
EDITORS
J. DEN BOEFT - R. VAN DEN BROEK - A. FJ. KLijN
G. QUISPEL -J.C.M. VAN WIND EN
VOLUME XXVII
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
THE EXEGESIS OF 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS
IN THE PNEUMATOMACHIAN CONTROVERSY
OF THE FOURTH CENTURY
BY
MICHAEL A. G. HAYKIN
EJ. BRILL
LEIDEN . NEW YORK· KOLN
1994
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library.
Resources.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Haykin, Michael A. G.
The Spirit of God : the exegesis of I and 2 Corinthians in the
Pneumatomachian controversy of the fourth century / by Michael A.G.
Haykin.
p. cm. - (Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae, ISSN
0920-623X ; v. 27)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 9004099476 (aik. paper)
I. Pneumatomachi. 2. Bible. N.T. Corinthians---Criticism,
interpretation, etc.-History-Early church, ca. 30-600. 3. Holy
Spirit-History of doctrines-Early church, ca. 30-600. I. Title.
II. Series.
BT1464.H37 1994
227'.206-dc20 94-26024
CIP
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnalune
[Vigiliae Christianae I Supplelllents]
Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae : formerly Philosophia
Patrum ; texts and studies of early Christian life and language.
- Leiden ; New York; Kaln : Brill.
Friiher Schriftenreihe
ISSN 0920-623X
NE:HST
Vol. 27. Haykin, Michael A. G.: The spirit of God. - 1994
Haykin, Michael A. G.:
The spirit of God : the exegesis of I and 2 Corinthians in the
pneumatomachian controversy of the fourth century / by
Michael A. G. Haykin. - Leiden; New York; Kaln : Brill,
1994
(Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae ; Vol. 27)
ISBN 90--{)4-0994 7-6
ISSN 0920-623X
ISBN 90 04 09947 6
© Copyright 1994 by EJ. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
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To
Joyce E. Lowe,
"who has been a mother to me"
(Rom 16:13).

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Abbreviations .................................... xi
Introduction ..................................... 1
I. The Pneumatochian Controversy: Background and
Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.0rigen .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Athanasius and the Pneumatomachi of Thmuis .... 18
3. Basil and the Pneumatomachi of Sebaste . . . . . . . .. 24
Excursus I. The Pneumatology of Dionysius of Alexandria 50
Excursus II. The Date of Basil's De Fide ............. 53
Excursus III. The Date of Basil's Hom. 24. . . . . . . . . . . .. 56
II. Athanasius of Alexandria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 59
1. Epistulae iv ad Serapionem ...... . . . . . . . . . . .. 59
2. Athanasius as Exegete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 63
3. The Incomprehensibility and Ineffability of God . .. 67
4. The Illustration of Fountain-River-Draught . . . . . .. 71
5. The Uncreated Spirit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 77
a. The Nature of the Spirit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 78
b. The Uniqueness of the Spirit ............... 83
c. The Spirit of Sanctification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 86
d. The Spirit as Unction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 88
e. The Indwelling Spirit .................... 91
6. The Spirit in the Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 93
a. The Indivisible Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 94
b. The Spirit of Prophecy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 97
7. Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 100
III. Basil of Caesarea .............................. 104
1. Liber de Spiritu sancto ..................... 104
2. Basil as Exegete .......................... 114
3. The Spirit of Knowledge .......... . . . . . . . . .. 120
viii CONTENTS
4. The Spirit in Baptism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 129
5. The Spirit of God ......................... 137
6. The Charismatic Spirit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 147
7. The Spirit as Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 152
8. The Spirit in the Doxology .................. 159
9. Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 166
N. The Pneumatomachian Controversy: Conclusion . . . . . . .. 170
1. Gregory of Nazianzus and the Pneumatomachi of
Constantinople .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 170
2. Gregory of Nyssa and the Pneumatomachi of Asia
Minor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 185
Excursus IV. The Date of the Delivery of Gregory of N azianzus'
Or. 41 ...................................... 202
Excursus V. The Date of the Delivery of Gregory of Nazianzus'
Or. 34. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 205
Conclusion ...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 208
Select Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 231
I. Primary Sources: Texts and Translations ........... 231
II. Secondary Sources .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 235
Indices ., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 245
Index of Subjects .............................. 245
Index of Persons .............................. 247
Index of References to Ancient Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 250
Index of Biblical References ...................... 252
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My experience of writing this book, which is substantially my doctoral
thesis, is well expressed by Jesus' statement to his disciples: "Others
have laboured, and you have entered into their labours." At every stage
of the book, I have been aware of the great debt which lowe to the work
of other scholars. Foremost among these scholars is my thesis supervi
sor, Professor John P. Egan, S.J., who was willing to devote a substantial
amount of his time for four years to the direction of my thesis. Moreover,
through his love for the Fathers and sensitivity to the many nuances of
their thought, he has taught me how to read their writings and appreciate
their achievement. I will always be indebted to him.
I also wish to express my gratitude to my professors at Wycliffe
College, Toronto, and in particular to the former Principal, Dr. Reginald
F. Stackhouse, for his support during my many years of study at
Wycliffe. A special word of thanks is due to the late Dr. Jakob Jocz,
whose request for an essay on Novatian's trinitarian theology in 1975
initiated me into the fascinating study of patristics. Thanks are also due
to Professor Paul J. Fedwick, who kindly answered numerous questions
I had concerning Basil of Caesarea. I am extremely grateful for the help
and encouragement I received from the late LJ. Shein, Professors John
M. Rist, Mary Ann Donovan, Alasdair Heron, Wolf-Dieter Hauschild,
Reinhart Staats, and Elena Cavalcanti. I have profited greatly from
conversations with L. Gregory Bloomquist, to whom I am also indebted
for a number of translations of texts of Origen which have been pre
served only in Latin.
Particular thanks must also go to the unsung heroes of patristic
scholarship: to Lorna Hassell, Gayle Ford, and Katie Woelfle, the
present and past staff of Wycliffe College Library, for their labours on
my behalf, in particular with regard to obtaining books not available at
the University of Toronto; Moira Hughes, who, with great skill and
patience, typed the original thesis; and to Debbie Ebel and Brent R.A.
Wilson who helped to transform the thesis into a book.
My deepest thanks are reserved for the Lord, to whom be "glory in the
Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever".