Letter 7: When I wrote to you, I was perfectly well aware that no theological term is adequate to the thought of the speaker, or the want of the questioner, because language is of natural necessity too weak to act in the service of objects of thought. If then our thought is weak, and our tongue weaker than our thought, what was to be expected of me in wha...

To my friend Gregory When I wrote to you, I was perfectly aware that no theological term is adequate to the thought of the speaker or the need of the questioner, because language is by its very nature too weak to serve the objects of thought. If our thinking is weak, and our words weaker than our thinking, what could you have expected from what I said except that I would be accused of falling short? Still, it was not possible to leave your question unanswered. It feels like a betrayal if we do not readily respond about God to those who love the Lord. Whether what I have said seems satisfactory or needs further and more careful refinement, that will require the right time for correction. For now, I urge you — as I have urged you before — to devote yourself entirely to championing the truth, using the intellectual gifts God has given you to establish what is good. Be content with this, and do not ask more of me. I am really far less capable than people suppose, and I am more likely to harm the cause by my weakness than to strengthen the truth by my advocacy.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Gregory my friend. When I wrote to you, I was perfectly well aware that no theological term is adequate to the thought of the speaker, or the want of the questioner, because language is of natural necessity too weak to act in the service of objects of thought. If then our thought is weak, and our tongue weaker than our thought, what was to be expected of me in what I said but that I should be charged with poverty of expression? Still, it was not possible to let your question pass unnoticed. It looks like a betrayal, if we do not readily give an answer about God to them that love the Lord. What has been said, however, whether it seems satisfactory, or requires some further and more careful addition, needs a fit season for correction. For the present I implore you, as I have implored you before, to devote yourself entirely to the advocacy of the truth, and to the intellectual energies God gives you for the establishment of what is good. With this be content, and ask nothing more from me. I am really much less capable than is supposed, and am more likely to do harm to the word by my weakness than to add strength to the truth by my advocacy. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202007.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.