BETHEL BIBLE COLLEGE

SUBJECT : PERSON AND WORD OF JESUS, THE CHRIST

INTRODUCTION
The Cappadocian Fathers were a group of influential theologians and bishops in the 4th
century, known for their significant contributions to early Christian theology, particularly in the
areas of Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. This trio, comprising Basil, his younger brother
Gregory of Nyssa, and their close friend Gregory of Nazianzus, hailed from the region of
Cappadocia in modern-day Turkey. They are renowned for their intellectual rigor and pastoral
dedication, the Cappadocian Fathers played a pivotal role in the development of the Nicene Creed,
defending the orthodox understanding of the Trinity against Arianism and other heresies. Their
writings, sermons, and letters harmonized Greek philosophical concepts with Christian theology,
shaping the theological framework of both the Eastern and Western Churches. Together, they stand
as pillars of early Christian thought, leaving a profound legacy on Christian doctrine and
spirituality.

THE CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS

Who is the Cappadocian father? The Cappadocian is in Turkey, and the three
Cappadocians were early Greek church fathers.1 The Cappadocian Fathers were Basil of
Caesarea, his friend Gregory of Nazianzus and his brother Gregory of Nyssa. They come from
the Roman province of Cappadocia, now called Turkey. They shared a common ambition to
integrate Christianity with all that was good in classical culture.

BASIL OF CAESAREA
He was born into a wealthy Christian family, in about A.D. 330. He had a good education
in both Christianity and the classics and philosophy. His education came to climax at Athens where
he met Gregory of Nazianzus.2 On his return home he taught rhetoric for a while, but then was
baptized and pursued the monastic life. He toured the leading monastic sites in the East and then
set up a small community of his own on the family estates. But his leisure was short-lived.

1
A.Ewell. Walter, Evangelical Dictionary of theology (Baker Academic: United State of America,2003), pp.207.
2
Maong. Lemtur, Christian in a Changing context, (Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013), pp.34
1
 In 364 he was appointed as Presbyter at Caesarea and in 370 he succeeded the bishop. He
struggled throughout his life against Arianism and died in 379.3

GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS

He also came from the Cappadocian nobility. His father was the Bishop of Nazianzus. He
studied at Athens where he met Basil and became a follower of Basil of Caesarea. His father
appointed him as a Presbyter at Nazianzus, but that did not go well. Then Basil pushed him into
becoming the bishop of a small town, in the interest of ecclesiastical, politics and the struggle
against Arianism. Gregory never took up his duties there also. Finally, he became the Bishop of
Nicene party at Constantinople. He played a leading role at the Council of Constantinople.4

And Gregory of Nazianzus teaches about Logos that He bore the flesh, and conjoins
Himself with an intelligent soul for humanity's sake, and became human except being sinful. He
argues that there are "two natures concurring in unity" in the God-human, and He is "twofold,"
"not two, but one from two"; and of course, there are not "two Sons." His two natures are
distinguishable in thought, and can be referred to as "the one" and the "the other", but there are
not two Persons; rather they form a unity by their commingling, God having become human and
human God.

Gregory states that the two natures "have been substantially conjoined and knit together."
For him, the Lord's rational soul provides the meeting-place for them; because of His natural
affinity to the soul, the Word can "mingle" with it. It should be noted here that Gregory was not
able to explain the finitude of Jesus' human nature especially his 'ignorance' of certain things.5

GREGORY OF NYSSA

Gregory of Nyssa who was born in about A.D. 355, was Basil's brother and disciple. He
was the most intellectual of the trio. In A.D. 371. Basil made him to be the Bishop of Nyssa.6
Gregory of Nyssa opines that the God-head had entered into the humanhood, so that Jesus could
be called "the God-receiving human." God tabernacled in Jesus. The Holy Spirit at the incarnation
first prepared a body and soul as a special receptacle for the divinity, and the heavenly Son then
"mingled Himself with them, the divine nature thereby becoming "present in them both." Thus
"God came to be in human nature." But how would explain this union.

3
Tony. Lane, Exploring Christian Thought, (Thamas Nelson Publishers: United State of Ameraca,1984) pp.33.
4
Lemtur, Maong. Christian in a Changing context, (Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013), pp.35
5
George, Samuel. Christology, (ESPACE: Kalkata,2013), pp.27-28.
6
Lemtur, Maong. Christian in a Changing context, (Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013), pp.35
2
 Gregory of Nyssa would say that it is mysterious as one thinks of the union of body and
soul in a human being. In this "mingling" the flesh was passive, the Logos is active, element, and
a transformation of the human nature into the divine was initiated. But in the historical Jesus, the
characteristics of the two natures remained distinguishable.

His Christology becomes problematic when he argues that when Christ endured suffering
or other human experiences, it was not His divinity which endured them, but "the human attached
by the union to the divinity;" they belonged "to the human part of Christ." For him, the Godhead
is impassible, therefore, it cannot be affected by these human frailties. However, in Jesus, the
divinity through its concrete oneness with the humanity indirectly participated in its limitations
and weaknesses. Gregory recognized Jesus' real humanity but it was prevailed by the divinity
ultimately.7

For few years he was deposed and replaced by an Arian, but otherwise he remained as the
Bishop of Nyssa for rest of his life. All three Cappadocians were Origenists, but Gregory of Nyssa
was the most ardent disciple of Origen. He was more interested than the others in philosophy and
theological speculation, though he also distinguished himself as a defender of orthodoxy. He died
in A.D. 394.8

THE CONTRIBUTION OF CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS

They are remembered especially for their opposition to Arianism and their Trinitarian
teaching. They fused together the Nicene belief that Father and Son are Homo-ousios (of one
substance) and the Organist belief that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three hypostases or beings.
The one substance of the Godhead exists simultaneously in three different hypostases or models
of being. What does it actually mean to say that God is one substance in three hypostases? The
answer to this question was replied by the Cappadocian Fathers.

A. Basil saw the difference between substance and hypostases as that between the universal and
particular. For example, the difference between "humanity" and an "individual person". Each
individual person is comprised of the common substance of the humanity. In the same way, each
of the three divine hypostases is the common substance of the deity.

7
George, Samuel. Christology, (ESPACE: Kalkata,2013), pp.28.
8
Lemtur, Maong. Christian in a Changing context, (Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013), pp.35

3
B. With God, substance refers to that which is common, like goodness, deity or other attributes;
while hypostases are seen in the special characteristics of Fatherhood, Sonship or three hypostases
as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

C. In addition to Arianism, they also had to face the Macedonians, who affirmed the deity of the
Son, but failed to hold the Holy Spirit as a deity. Basil answered them in his famous book entitled
The Holy Spirit. He affirmed the deity of the Holy Spirit, though without explicitly calling him
God. Gregory of Nazianzus, who outlived Basil, was more explicit and openly called the Holy
Spirit God.

D. Another heresy faced by Gregories was Apollinarianism. Apollinaris denied that Jesus had a
human soul or mind. The Gregories argued that Jesus Christ had to be fully human in order to
save us fully. Thus, the Cappadocian fathers greatly contributed to the interpretation of
Trinitarian concept in their time.9

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the Cappadocian Fathers were instrumental in shaping Christian thought,

Bibliography: -
Walter, A. Ewell. Evangelical Dictionary of theology, Baker Academic: United State of
America,2003.
Lemtur, Maong. Christian in a Changing context, Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013.
Lane, Tony. Exploring Christian Thought, Thamas Nelson Publishers: United State of
Ameraca,1984.
George, Samuel. Christology, ESPACE: Kalkata,2013.

9
Lemtur, Maong. Christian in a Changing context, (Heritage Publishing House: Nagaland, 2013), pp.35