Gregory of Nazianzus

St. Paul speaks of the various giftings in the church, and all these giftings continue to serve us today because we are united to everyone who has gone before us.

So that the teachers of the past, like St. Macrina the Elder, or St. Gregory the Theologian, or St. John Chrysostom, are still our teachers now.

The prophets of the past, like Moses, Elijah, and Isaiah, are still our prophets now, speaking into our situation.

The apostles of the past, like St. Peter and Paul, or even later apostles like St. Nina of Georgia, are still our apostles now.

And the third and last is that of the rulers and archangels and angels.

Some, indeed, like Gregory the Theologian, say that these were before the creation of other things.

He thinks that the angelic and heavenly powers were first, and that thought was their function.

Others, again, hold that they were created after the first heaven was made.

Have done with this blasphemous and nonsensical interpolation, for we hold the words Holy God to refer to the Father without limiting the title of divinity to him alone, but acknowledging also as God the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the words Holy and Mighty we ascribe to the Son without stripping the Father and the Holy Spirit of might, and the words Holy and Immortal we attribute to the Holy Spirit without depriving the Father and the Son of immortality.

For indeed we apply all the divine names simply and unconditionally to each of the subsistences, in imitation of the divine apostles' words, But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we in him.

And nevertheless we follow Gregory the Theologian when he says, But to us there is but one God, the Father of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit in whom are all things.

For the words of whom and through whom and in whom do not divide the natures, for neither the prepositions nor the order of the names could ever be changed.

He was born around the year 335.

Together with his older brother Basil and a mutual friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, the trio are known as the Cappadocian Fathers.

Raised in a deeply devout and influential Christian family in Pontus, Gregory initially pursued a career in rhetoric before fully committing to the ascetic and ecclesiastical life.

Ordained the Bishop of Nyssa around 371 by his older brother Basil, Gregory navigated a turbulent era defined by fierce Christological and Trinitarian controversies, most notably the aftermath of the Arian crisis.

Would he flinch at the labors, neglect the chance of profit, and reckon not getting involved in hard work more agreeable than the wealth? It is impossible, quite impossible.

know.

He would call all his friends to help with the task, and so far as he was able, would get together help with it from every quarter, until by the number of helpers he makes the hidden treasure his own.

Here is that treasure, brothers and sisters, of which the document tells us.

Basically taking Irenaeus' own method, fitting the Scriptures into their proper places, and discerning the truth from that.

Next, Gregory of Nazianzus in his Oration 29 against a whole bunch of Arians.

I think also the Unomians as well, but I could be misremembering.

But now, since we have ascertained how invincible you are in your arguments and sophistries, let us look at your strength in the oracles of God, if perchance you may choose to persuade us out of them.

This is just Chris Austin is taking the very problem that Cleaves' paradigm says is the problem for the Protestant paradigm and and Chrysostom is denying the problem and giving a Protestant answer to it.

Now, for a conclusion, this is a simple question for everyone viewing, whether you're an Easterner or a Protestant who's being pushed and persuaded, possibly troubled by what he's saying.

Given what has been presented here, do you believe Cleve to Antiquity, the YouTuber? Or do you believe Clement of Rome, Irenaeus of Lyon, Cyprian of Carthage, Athanasius of Alexandria, Hilary of Poitiers, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom? Choose this day whom ye will serve.

And that's it.

In the context of that commentary, Hippolytus asked the three youths to pray for him.

In addition, we could look to Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzus.

In their account of the martyrdom of Saint Justina, they portray her as invoking the Virgin Mary and the saints.

These are just some of the examples that can be found in the writings of the church fathers that testify to their belief that the saints continue to pray for us before the throne of God and that we can invoke those prayers, asking them to pray for us.