The Distinction of the Holy Spirit from Angels

Of the only-begotten deity: and from such a judgment it is shown that he himself exists by nature as holiness and goodness and power, being one out of the one. Since against their contention, neither the most good and merciful in nature shall the Son still be good; because 'one God' does not have a unified nature. Nor indeed shall the most philanthropic and entirely merciful Father and the Son possess the aforementioned names of deity; but rather through them they shall be demoted, as it is the custom to speak to heretics, to us who are homonymous. Be merciful, O Holy Trinity.

But the Son, he says, having been co-begotten, possesses goodness by nature, and all the other things that the Father has. But also the Holy Spirit, having proceeded together, is good by nature, and all the things the God Father has.

3.30 If, therefore, their discussion was about accidental or worldly matters, it would have been well for them to have need to weave certain myths, and with an Aristotelian-seeming skill and a technique in words, like Eunomius, to twist the matter and to overshadow the truth; 3.31 but now Paul teaches: 'unless you believe, you will not understand at all' (Luke 24:25), and: 'the wisdom of men is foolishness with God' (1 Cor 3:19). And the words concerning the glorious Spirit ought not to be made more wise than human reasoning. For reproach does not harm the Holy Spirit, nor furthermore from hearing do the insults and the mockeries of the heretics come, to whom the evil thought has fallen upon; but those using such things will suffer endlessly and will act similarly to those attempting to mock this light, which has its strength from the unapproachable light, and defile it with their words. 3.32 And it is necessary to believe that the teaching from the saints is able to impart more glory than that from men.

It is therefore fitting for us to take care not, through an excessive goodwill, to draw down the divine which is upon them into the results of creatures by sophistries regarding their own heresy, and through these to give birth to a love of destruction to the simpler and more ignorant, and to lead forward into a desire for greater sins.

4. Regarding those heretical ones saying: God is spirit; and how the Holy Spirit is spirit of the spirit? And again: the angels, therefore, they say, are not...

Are they from God and holy and spirits of God? But while they are being sent out, they are simple, direct, and perfect, yet they corrupt the choice of sacred words through ignorance, by which the Father God willed His Spirit to be arranged with Him, as the only-begotten Word, and His being removed from creation and exceeding all is secured, wherefore also He is thrice-sung, they say; how is the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, a Spirit?

For although this is written and shown; but the 'how' exceeds the knowledge of mind and word of us, and even of angels. For just as the God-Word was begotten from Him as a Father exists, so from Him and with Him the Holy Spirit was manifested; and in this especially His ungraspability is shown, in that what is appearing and being is impossible to be by Him through creation. For what is the difference between the uncaused and life-giving nature and the created and being-made-life-giving? Nor is it possible for the Spirit not to be consubstantial and equal to that from whom he is. Therefore he is also holy by nature.

The angels, he says, are they not from God and holy and spirits of God? They are from God, in that they have become under His command, as all things; but holy after being sanctified, like men; and spirits, insofar as they are incorporeal to us.

They are not called spirits of God or from God or proceeding from the Father or divine or spirits of truth or spirits of holiness; but ministering angels and heavenly bodies because they infinitely distance and subtilize themselves from the uncreated Spirit of God, according to the writer who is an experienced apostle: 'bodies on earth and bodies in heaven' (Col 1:2).

For just as the spirits of the winds are not according to them, neither are they according to the Holy Spirit of God. For they were created, but they did not proceed from the substance of God and Father; they do not regenerate us, they do not make us gods, they do not forgive sins, they do not give life, they do not create, they do not sanctify, they do not judge, but they also are judged. For 'you,' he says, 'shall also judge angels' (1 Cor 6:3).

Nor are the powers in them of the heavens. They are not in places, undefinable and immeasurable in intervals. For Gabriel speaking to Daniel, or announcing the Theotokos...