Justo Gonzalez, Ph.D.: "History of Christianity, Vol. 1:" Ch.20--The Gre...

20, pages 209-217. The Great Cappadocians—Macrina, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus are the four Great Cappadocians. Macrina was the sister to two famed brothers whose life and humility influenced her two brothers: (1) the educated, well-traveled, and puffed-up brother, humbled by his sister, Basil the Great AKA Basil of Caesarea, and the retiring, more monastic brother Gregory of Nyssa. Macrina, Basil and Gregory were from generations of devout Christians who had suffered from the imperialists. Basil did a stare-down-glare-down on the Arian Emperor Valens and company—Christ, being a carpenter, is also Pantokrator, far above a Roman Emperor, one reason that Arian Emperors liked Arianism and a reason Basil gave Valens’ boys the stare-down. Gregory the brother, Bishop of a hamlet called Nyssa, attendee of the 381 Council of Constantinople, was enlisted to the staff of Emperor Theodosius travelling widely to Arabia, Mesopotamia, contrary to his desires for peaceful seclusion. Gregory of Nazianzus, friend and fellow-student of Basil the Great, was also well-travelled and preferred the study to an active life. However, Theodosius rode into Constantinople, cleared out the Arians, and made Gregory the Patriarch of Constantinople and presided briefly over the 381 Council. He hated Synods where “the bishops behaved like a swarm of hornets.” John Chrysostom was his successor. The real issue, then, as now, is the Person of Christ, the humble carpenter of Nazareth, yet Pantokrator over…wait for it…over Russia, China, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Canada, the USA and all other square inches of the universe. Tyrants don’t like that sovereignty, including the Papes, the Arminians and other Semi-Pelagians as well as the Poobahs of DC. The wise, however, believe, seek, kneel and humble themselves before His Majesty (cf. Revelation throughout).