Basil – On the Holy Spirit

Basil the Great lived and worked in a most contentious age – between the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381). At issue was the Christian revelation of God. Basil’s opponents were the semi-Arians, Sabellians, and the Pneumatomachi (Spirit-fighters), all of whom denied the equal divine nature of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, thereby denying the doctrine of Holy Trinity.

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Letters to Serapion: Athanasius on the Holy Spirit

The third article of the Nicene Creed simply states, “We believe in the Holy Spirit.” Such a brief statement would lead one to believe that fourth century pneumatology was under-developed. However, Athanasius presents a well-developed theology of the Holy Spirit. His reputation as the champion of Nicene Trinitarianism is secured with his On the Incarnation of the Word and Letters to Bishop Serapion. Athanasius’ Trinitarian theology does not appear in a vacuum, but was developed to answer challenges to the apostolic tradition as stated in the Rule of Faith. The wide acceptance of Athanasius’ work by his contemporaries suggests that he articulated and clarified a received Trinitarian theology.

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Celebrating Pentecost – A Sermon for Pentecost Sunday

Text: Acts 2:1-4, 12 LSB

And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance… 12And they all continued in astonishment and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

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Reflecting on the Christian Forum

Recently (Jan 19-20, 2023), I was honored to participate in the Christian Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. The gathering consisted of about forty pastors and other clergy from Roman Catholic, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches. We came together holding to a simple theological commitment – belief in the Triune God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The agenda was likewise simple: “to build bridges of unity through the sharing of faith stories or testimonies.”

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