By Lyn Bennett Wilson
I am extremely privileged to write about Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nazianzen. In a world of disposable friendships, these two great men leave an example of Godly friendship and its enduring legacy.
Proverbs 27:11 states, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel” (The Complete Word Study Bible). According to St. Gregory, his friendship with St. Basil began in childhood. Though they were separated because of their education, they never forgot that soul bonding that began when God placed a call upon their lives.
As Bishops during the 4th century Saint Basil and Saint Gregory entered the battle against Arianism in the church, a battle for the very life of the church in the East. Saints Basil and Gregory brought this battle to a conclusion and helped to heal the church. They faced battles both inside and outside of the church as the Emperor, who supported Arianism, harassed both men. More than clergy, these Saints were brothers in arms.
Both Bishops were known for their wisdom Saint Gregory wrote, “We acknowledged our friendship and recognized that our ambition was a life of true wisdom” (Word on Fire). Their only competition was in their humble yielding or submission to one another. How precious it must have been to have a friend to whom you could willingly and gratefully yield the right of way on the path of life you travel together.
What is submission or yielding of our own human will and from where does it come? According to Desiring God:
“Submission is willingly coming under the authority of another. This is why every true Christian is a submissive person. The new heart that God gave us when he saved us, and made us his own, pumps submissive life all through our new selves. We submit to God — who is the Author of our lives and, therefore, our true Authority in every way. It’s from this ultimate submission to God that every other earthly submission makes sense….”
What bound these two men together above all? According to Fr. Billy Swan, “Gregory reveals a shared ambition that united them—the pursuit of wisdom: ‘We acknowledged our friendship and recognized that our ambition was a life of true wisdom’… So too was their friendship living and growing” (Word on Fire). It is the same thing that we should strive for in our own friendships.
Saints Basil and Gregory’s profound and prolific writings give the reader insight to their mind and heart. The practical outworking of their friendship gives the observer insight to the true nature of the church. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. / Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4 The Berean Study Bible).
LogoSophia Magazine 