ACC ~ John 1 v32
NOT THE FIRST TIME CHRIST RECEIVED THE SPIRIT
AUGUSTINE: Christ was certainly not then anointed with the Holy Spirit when the Spirit as a dove descended upon him at his baptism. For here he condescends to prefigure his body, that is, his church, in which preeminently the baptized receive the Holy Spiritā¦. For it would be most absurd to believe that he received the Holy Spirit when he was near thirty years of age. For that was the age at which he was baptized by John. [1] But although he came to baptism without any sin at all, he did not come without the Holy Spirit. For it was written of his servant and forerunner John himself, āHe shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his motherās womb.ā [2] If [John], though generated by his father, still received the Holy Spirit when formed in the womb, what must be understood and believed of the man Christ whose flesh had not a carnal but spiritual conception? ON THE TRINITY 15.26.46. [3]
[1] Lk 3:21-23.
[2] Lk 1:15.
[3] NPNF 1 3:224**.
SPIRIT REMAINS IN CHRIST DIFFERENTLY THAN IN DISCIPLES
GREGORY THE GREAT: It is written in the Gospel that the one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. For the Spirit descends on all the faithful. But he only remains on the mediatorāand does so in a special way. For he has never left the Sonās human nature even as he proceeds from his divine natureā¦. But when the voice of truth tells the disciples that this same Spirit, āwill dwell with you and shall be in you,ā how is this abiding of the Spirit declared by the voice of God supposed to be a peculiar sign of the mediator?ā¦ This will appear if we distinguish between the different gifts of the Spirit. There are some gifts which are necessary for attaining life and there are others through which holiness of life becomes evident for the good of others. Gentleness, humility, faith, hope and charity are all gifts that come from the Spirit and are gifts a person needs in order to attain lifeā¦. In the case of these gifts ā¦ the Holy Spirit always remainsā¦. But with respect to those which have for their object, not our own salvation, but that of others, he does not always abideā¦. Instead, sometimes he withdraws and ceases to exhibit them so that people should be more humble in the possession of his giftsā¦. But the Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, always had all the gifts of the Spirit without interruption. MORALS ON THE BOOK OF JOB 2.56.90-92. [1]
[1] LF 18:127-28**.
JOHN HAS A PROPHETIC VISION
THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: Here it is evident that the Spirit descending like a dove on the baptized Lord was not seen by all those present, but by John only in a sort of spiritual vision. Similarly, the prophets amid many people were used to seeing those things that were invisible to all the others. It would have been useless to say that John testified and said, āI saw the Spirit,ā if all those present had been participants in that vision as well. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 1.1.32. [1]
[1] CSCO 4 3:45-46.
WHY DIDNāT THE APPEARANCE OF THE SPIRIT CURB THEIR UNBELIEF?
CHRYSOSTOM: The Father sent forth his voice proclaiming the Son, the Holy Spirit came upon him as well, focusing the voice upon the head of Christā¦ in order that no one present might think that what was said of Christ was said of Johnā¦. But someone might ask: How was it that the Jews did not believe, if they saw the Spirit? Such sights, however, require the mental vision rather than the bodily. If those who saw Christ working miracles were so drunk with malice that they denied what their own eyes had seen, how could the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove overcome their unbelief? Some say, however, that the sight was not visible to all, but only to John and those more disposed toward devotion. [1] But even if the descent of the Spirit, as a dove, was visible to the outward eye, it does not follow that because all saw it, all understood it. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 17.3. [2]
[1] See Theodore above.
[2] NPNF 1 14:60-61**.
CHRIST DID NOT LACK THE HOLY SPIRIT
CHRYSOSTOM: To prevent any, however, from thinking that Christ really lacked the Holy Spirit in the way that we do, [the Baptist] corrects this notion also by informing us that the descent of the Holy Spirit took place only for the purpose of making Christ known. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 17.2. [1]
[1] NPNF 1 14:59-60**.
THE HOLY SPIRIT ENFLESHED AS A DOVE
AUGUSTINE: We do not attribute only to Christ the possession of a real body and say that the Holy Spirit assumed a false appearance to peopleās eyes. For the Holy Spirit could no more, in consistency with his nature, deceive people than could the Son of God. The almighty God, who made every creature out of nothing, could as easily form a real body of a dove, without the instrumentality of other doves, as he made a real body in the womb of the Virgin without the seed of the male. CHRISTIAN COMBAT 22.24. [1]
[1] CSEL 41:125.
THE SPIRIT MOANS IN US LIKE A DOVE. AUGUSTINE: Because we love you in Christ, love us in return in Christ; and let our love for one another [voice its] moaning to God, for moaning is itself a characteristic of the dove. If, then, moaning is characteristic of a dove, as we all know, but doves moan in love, hear what the apostle says, and do not wonder that the Holy Spirit wished to be shown in the form of a dove. He says, āFor we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspeakable groanings.ā [1] Well now, my brothers, are we to say that the Spirit groans when he has perfect and eternal happiness with the Father and the Son? For the Holy Spirit is God, as the Son of God is God and the Father Godā¦. Therefore the Holy Spirit does not moan in himself with himself in that Trinity, in that beatitude, in that eternity of his substance; but he moans in us because he makes us moanā¦. One who knows that he lives in the midst of affliction in this mortal life and that he is exiled from the Lord, [2] ā¦ moans well. It is the Spirit that has taught him to moan. He learned it from the dove. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.1.2-2.3. [3]
[1] Cf. Rom 8:26.
[2] Cf. 2 Cor 5:6.
[3] FC 78:129-30**.
THE SPIRIT OF PEACE IN THE CHURCH
AUGUSTINE: The Holy Spirit was made to appear visibly in two ways: as a dove, on our Lord at his baptism, and as a flame upon his disciples when they were gathered togetherā¦. The former shape denoted simplicity, the latter fervencyā¦. The dove intimates that those who are sanctified by the Spirit should have no guile; the fire indicates that in that simplicity there should not be coldness. Nor let it disturb you that the tongues are divided, for tongues are diverse; therefore the appearance was that of cloven tonguesā¦. Do not fear division; recognize unity in the doveā¦.
It was appropriate then that the Holy Spirit should be manifested in this way descending on our Lord so that every one who had the Spirit might know that he ought to be simple as a dove and be in sincere peace with his brothers and sisters. The kisses of doves represent this peaceā¦. Ravens kiss, but they also tear; but the nature of doves is innocent of tearingā¦. Ravens feed on the dead, but the dove eats nothing but the fruits of the earth. Its food is innocentā¦.
That is why on this occasion the most holy Trinity appeared, the Father in the voice that said, āYou are my beloved Sonā and the Holy Spirit in the likeness of the dove. In that Trinity ā¦ the apostles were sent [to baptize], that is, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spiritā¦. What then could more appropriately represent the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of unity, than the dove? As he said himself to his reconciled church, āMy dove is one.ā [1] What could better express humility than the simplicity and moaning of a dove? TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.3-5, 10. [2]
[1] Song 6:9 LXX.
[2] NPNF 1 7:40-41**. See also Ambrose On the Holy Spirit 1.8.93 concerning the unifying Spirit.
Jn