by St. Basil the Great –
Those who are idle in the pursuit of righteousness count theological terminology as secondary, together with attempts to search out the hidden meaning in this phrase or that syllable, but those conscious of our calling realize that we are to become like God, so far as this is possible for human nature.
But we cannot become like God unless we have knowledge of Him, and without lessons there will be no knowledge. Instruction begins with the proper use of speech, and syllables and words are the elements of speech. Therefore to scrutinize syllables is not a superfluous task.
Just because certain questions seem insignificant is no reason to ignore them. Hunting truth is no easy task; we must look everywhere for its tracks. Learning truth is like learning a trade; apprentices grow in experience little by little, provided they do not despise any opportunity to increase their knowledge.
If a man spurns fundamental elements as insignificant trifles, he will never embrace the fullness of wisdom. “Yes” and “No” are only two syllables, yet truth, the best of all good things, as well as falsehood, the worst possible evil, are most often expressed by these two small words.
Why do I mention this? Because in former times someone on trial could join the ranks of Christ’s martyrs by a single nod of his head, for this one act signified total commitment to true religion. If this is so, what theological term is so insignificant that it will not greatly upset the balance of the scales, unless it is used correctly?
We are told that “not one jot nor one title shall pass away from the law;” how then could we safely pass by even the smallest point? The questions that you want us to examine are both small and great: small, because it only takes a moment to utter the words in question—and for this reason they are thought to be negligible—but the force of their meaning is great. They can be compared to the mustard seed, for it is the smaller of all seeds, but when properly grown its potential is revealed; it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree.
Anyone who laughs at the subtlety of our use of syllables, while at the same time craftily devising false subtleties of his own, as the Psalmist says, will end up reaping laughter’s barren fruit. But as for us, let us not succumb to the reproaches of men, or be conquered by their contempt, so that we abandon our investigation.
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Excerpts from Saint Basil’s teaching On the Holy Spirit, I.1-2, V.7. (Minor organizational edits to optimize readability and emphasize key points made by Chris Banescu.)
