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Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures
Edwin Hamilton Gifford; NPNF2-07 (1894) · Translated text
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Lecture 16 (part 3) Edition note 1
overshadows. And they indeed are sent forth to ministerEdition note 2, but He searches even the deep things of God, according as the Apostle says, For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the thing of a man, save the spirit of the man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of GodEdition note 3.
24. He preached concerning Christ in the Prophets; He wrought in the Apostles; He to this day seals the souls in Baptism. And the Father indeed gives to the Son; and the Son shares with the Holy Ghost. For it is Jesus Himself, not I, who says, All things are delivered unto Me of My FatherEdition note 4; and of the Holy Ghost He says, When He, the Spirit of Truth, shall come, and the rest.…He shall glorify Me; for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto youEdition note 5. The Father through the Son, with the Holy Ghost, is the giver of all grace; the gifts of the Father are none other than those of the Son, and those of the Holy Ghost; for there is one Salvation, one Power, one Faith; One God, the Father; One Lord, His only-begotten Son; One Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
And it is enough for us to know these things; but inquire not curiously into His nature or substance[^n2050]: for had it been written, we would have spoken of it; what is not written, let us not venture on; it is sufficient for our salvation to know, that there is Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost.
25. This Spirit descended upon the seventy Elders in the days of Moses. (Now let not the length of the discourse, beloved, produce weariness in you: but may He the very subject of our discourse grant strength to every one, both to us who speak, and to you who listen!) This Spirit, as I was saying, came down upon the seventy Elders in the time of Moses; and this I say to thee, that I may now prove, that He knoweth all things, and worketh as He willEdition note 6. The seventy Elders were chosen; And the Lord came down in a cloud, and took of the Spirit that was upon Moses, and put it upon the seventy EldersEdition note 7; not that the Spirit was divided, but that His grace was distributed in proportion to the vessels, and the capacity of the recipients.
Now there were present sixty and eight, and they prophesied; but Eldad and Modad were not present: therefore that it might be shewn that it was not Moses who bestowed the gift, but the Spirit who wrought, Eldad and Modad, who though called, had not as yet presented themselves, did also prophesyEdition note 8.
26. Jesus the Son of Nun, the successor of Moses, was amazed; and came to him and said, “Hast thou heard that Eldad and Modad are prophesying? They were called, and they came not; my lord Moses, forbid themEdition note 9.” “I cannot forbid them,” he says,
“for this grace is from Heaven; nay, so far am I from forbidding them, that I myself am thankful for it. I think not, however, that thou hast said this in envy; art thou jealous for my sake, because that they prophesy, and thou prophesiest not yet? Wait for the proper season; and oh that all the Lord’s people may be prophets, whenever the Lord shall give His Spirit upon themEdition note 10!”
saying this also prophetically, whenever the Lord shall give; “For as yet then He has not given it; so thou hast it not yet.”—Had not then Abraham this, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph? And they of old, had they it not? Nay, but the words, “whenever the Lord shall give” evidently mean “give it upon all; as yet indeed the grace is partial, then it shall be given lavishly.” And he secretly alluded to what was to happen among us on the day of Pentecost; for He Himself came down among us. He had however also come down upon many before.
For it is written, And Jesus the son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon himEdition note 11. Thou seest the figure everywhere the same in the Old and New Testament;—in the days of Moses, the Spirit was given by laying on of hands; and by laying on of hands PeterEdition note 12 also gives the Spirit. And on thee also, who art about to be baptized, shall His grace come; yet in what manner I say not, for I will not anticipate the proper season.
27. He also came down upon all righteous men and Prophets; Enos, I mean, and Enoch, and Noah, and the rest; upon Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for as regards Joseph, even Pharaoh perceived that he had the Spirit of God within himEdition note 13. As to Moses, and the wonderful works wrought by the Spirit in his days, thou hast heard often: This Spirit Job also had, that most enduring man, and all the saints, though we repeat not all their names. He also was sent forth when the Tabernacle was in making, and filled with wisdom the wise-hearted men who were with BezaleelEdition note 14.
28. In the might of this Spirit, as we have it in the Book of Judges, Othniel judgedEdition note 15; GideonEdition note 16 waxed strong; Jephtha conqueredEdition note 17; Deborah, a woman, waged war; and Samson, so long as he did righteously, and grieved Him not, wrought deeds above man’s power. And as for Samuel and David, we have it plainly in the Books of the Kingdoms, how by the Holy Ghost they prophesied themselves, and were rulers of the prophets;—and Samuel was called the SeerEdition note 18; and David says distinctly, The Spirit of the Lord spake by meEdition note 19, and in the Psalms, And take not thy Holy Spirit from meEdition note 20, and again, Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of righteousnessEdition note 21.
And as we have it in Chronicles, AzariahEdition note 22, in the time of King Asa, and JahazielEdition note 23 in the time of King Jehoshaphat, partook of the Holy Ghost; and again, another Azariah, he who was stonedEdition note 24. And Ezra says, Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct themEdition note 25. But as touching Elias who was taken up, and Elisseus, those inspiredEdition note 26 and wonder-working men, it is manifest, without our saying so, that they were full of the Holy Ghost.
29. And if further a man peruse all the books of the Prophets, both of the Twelve, and of the others, he will find many testimonies concerning. the Holy Ghost; as when Micah says in the person of God, surely I will perfect power by the Spirit the LordEdition note 27; and Joel cries, And it shall come to pass afterwards, saith God, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all fleshEdition note 28, and the rest; and Haggai, Because I am with you, saith the Lord of HostsEdition note 29; and My Spirit remaineth in the midst of youEdition note 30; and in like manner Zechariah, But receive My words and My statutes which I command by My Spirit, to My servants the ProphetsEdition note 31; and other passages.
30. Esaias too, with his majestic voice, says, And the Spirit of God shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and godliness; and the Spirit of the fear of God shall fill HimEdition note 32; signifying that the Spirit is one and undivided, but His operations various. So again, Jacob My servant,…..I have put My Spirit upon HimEdition note 33. And again, I will pour My Spirit upon thy seedEdition note 34; and again, And now the Lord Almighty and His Spirit hath sent MeEdition note 35; and again, This is My covenant with them, saith the Lord, My Spirit which is upon theeEdition note 36; and again, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed MeEdition note 37, and the rest; and again in his charge against the Jews, But they rebelled and vexed His Holy SpiritEdition note 38, and Where is He that put His Holy Spirit within themEdition note 39?
Also thou hast in Ezekiel (if thou be not now weary of listening), what has already been quoted, And the Spirit fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LordEdition note 40. But the words, fell upon me we must understand in a good sense, that is “lovingly;” and as Jacob, when he had found Joseph, fell upon his neck; as also in the Gospels, the loving father, on seeing his son who had returned from his wandering, had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed himEdition note 41. And again in Ezekiel, And he brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldæa, to them of the captivityEdition note 42.
And other texts thou heardest before, in what was said about Baptism; Then will I sprinkle clean water upon youEdition note 43, and the rest; a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within youEdition note 44; and then immediately, And I will put My Spirit within youEdition note 45. And again, The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LordEdition note 46.
31. He endued with wisdom the soul of Daniel, that young as he was he should become a judge of Elders. The chaste Susanna was condemned as a wanton; there was none to plead her cause; for who was to deliver her from the rulers? She was led away to death, she was now in the hands of the executioners. But her Helper was at hand, the Comforter, the Spirit who sanctifies every rational nature. Come hither to me, He says to Daniel; young though thou be, convict old men infected with the sins of youth; for it is written, God raised up the Holy Spirit upon a young striplingEdition note 47; and nevertheless, (to pass on quickly,) by the sentence of Daniel that chaste lady was saved.
We bring this forward as a testimony; for this is not the season for expounding. Nebuchadnezzar also knew that the Holy Spirit was in Daniel; for he says to him, O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, of whom I know, that the Holy Spirit of God is in theeEdition note 48. One thing he said truly, and one falsely; for that he had the Holy Spirit was true, but he was not the master of the magicians, for he was no magician, but was wise through the Holy Ghost. And before this also, he interpreted to him the vision of the Image, which he who had seen it himself knew not; for he says, Tell me the vision, which I who saw it know notEdition note 49. Thou seest the power of the Holy Ghost; that which they who saw it, know not, they who saw it not, know and interpret.
32. And indeed it were easy to collect very many texts out of the Old Testament, and to discourse more largely concerning the Holy Ghost. But the time is short; and we must be careful of the proper length of the lecture. Wherefore, being for the present content awhile with passages from the Old Testament, we will, if it be God’s pleasure, proceed in the next Lecture to the remaining texts out of the New Testament. And may the God of peace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, count all of you worthy of His spiritual and heavenly gifts:—To whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.