An Examination Of "Homotimia" In St. Basil The Great’s "On The Holy Spirit", And Contemporary Implications -- By: John L. W. James

Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 74:2 (Fall 2012)
Article: An Examination Of "Homotimia" In St. Basil The Great’s "On The Holy Spirit", And Contemporary Implications
Author: John L. W. James


An Examination Of Homotimia
In St. Basil The Great’s On The Holy Spirit,
And Contemporary Implications

John L. W. James

John L. W. James is pastor of Helier Chapel, Northfield, Birmingham, U.K., and is a graduate of Oak Hill Theological College, London.

If “the nature and being of God is the foundation of all true religion and holy religious worship in the world,”1 then the study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit is always paramount. However, given that contemporary evangelicalism divides itself along Charismatic and non-Charismatic lines (whatever those titles mean), that it tends towards disagreement and confusion in this area, and that dialogue is often characterized by overreaction countered with overreaction, such study is perhaps particularly timely.

Feelings run high precisely because, as John Owen states above, what we believe about the Spirit affects the shape of our corporate worship, about which we all care a great deal. In reaction to a perceived imbalance within sections of the Charismatic movement, we can be quick to reassert Christ-centered worship. The Spirit is “shy” and “self-effacing,” we say. He is a “sign-post” to the Son, glorified only as we bring glory to the Son to whom he points. Such was the zeal of my local University Christian Union that it banned the song “Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” with the line “bring glory to the Spirit,” in order to avoid the mistake of giving the Spirit undue attention.

Perhaps it is better to be overcautious than risk losing sight of our Savior. I want to suggest, however, that far from being a position of safety, this attitude carries many dangers of its own. The equal honor of the Holy Spirit is a necessary outworking of our doctrine of the Trinity. If we neglect the Spirit we will divide the Godhead, and find ourselves teetering on the precipice of polytheism. Such a move erodes the very gospel we seek to protect, with significant theological and pastoral implications, as the spiritual bond that unites us to Christ begins to come unstuck.

The contemporary challenge highlights how historically anemic we have become, and how desperately we need to unearth our confessional heritage. Far from being new, the issue was addressed comprehensively by St. Basil the Great in the fourth century.

Basil’s argument for the equal honor of the Spirit contributed to the Constantinopolitan revision of the Nicene Creed, and this historical context provides a

suitable lens for a contemporary critique. This article will begin with the theological developm...

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