Thursday, June 8, 2017

Procession of the Holy Spirit

Procession

The Problem: Some (albeit not all) Eastern Orthodox members assert that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father only.

The Truth: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and from (or through) the Son. Since the Father is perfect and the Son images the Father perfectly in everything, the Son must also spirate the Spirit, just as the Father does.

Jn 15:26 But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me;

The argument is sometimes made that only the Father spirates the Spirit. Jesus merely sends the Spirit on His temporal mission, that is, He only sends the Spirit into the world, He does not spirate the Spirit with the Father. However...

Jn 5:19 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise."

Jesus does all and only what the Father does. The Father spirates the Spirit, therefore Jesus and the Father spirate the Spirit.

Jn 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Jn 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

Jn 16:14-15 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Truth cannot contradict truth. While some passages in the Trinity section may seem to imply the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, such a reading ignores the passages given above.

Early Christians' comments on the Filioque

More Christian comments on the Filioque

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