Nicene/Post-Nicene, Series II, Volume 29

Gregory of Nyssa, 335/336 - 395 (?)

§ 1 ... we, seeking the blessing in the prophet ("Blessed shall he be who shall take thy children, and shall dash them against the stones") are only eager, now that it has got into our hands, to take this puling manifesto and dash it on the rock, as if it was one of the children of Babylon; and the rock must be Christ; in other words, the enunciation of the truth....
§ 24 ... this kind of honour that the great David fully paid, when he confessed to the Lord ... calling Him his "rock" and "fortress," and ... ." If the Only-begotten Son is not all these to mankind ... .
Writings of Gregory of Nyssa, Book I, §§ 1, 24

... we are taught by the divine Scriptures many names of the Only-begotten--a stone, an axe, a rock, a foundation ... .
Writings of Gregory of Nyssa, Book III, § 7

... our new divine says that the Lord has been called "the door" because of the knowledge of the essence of the Father. Why then does he not force into the same significance the titles, "Rock," and "Stone," and "Fountain," and "Tree," and the rest ... . as I am so taught by the inspired Scripture, I boldly affirm that He Who is above every name has for us many names, receiving them in accordance with the variety of His gracious dealings with us "tower of strength " and a "city of encompassing ," and a fountain, and a rock, and a vine ... .
Writings of Gregory of Nyssa, Book X, § 1

... But if he admits that it is true that Christ is named by these names, let him say in what manner they may be applied without irreverence to the Only-begotten Son of God. Does he take "the stone" as indicative of His nature?...
¶ ... Now if, says he, one of the Apostles or Prophets could be shown to have used these names of Christ, the falsehood would have something for its encouragement. To what industrious study of the word of God on the part of our opponent do not these words bear testimony! None of the Prophets or Apostles has spoken of our Lord as Bread, or a Stone, or a Fountain, or an Axe, or Light, or a Shepherd! What, then, saith David, and of whom? "The Lord shepherds me." "Thou Who shepherdest Israel, give ear." What difference does it make whether He is spoken of as shepherding, or as a Shepherd? And again, "With Thee is the Well of life." Does he deny that our Lord is called a "Well"? And again, "The Stone which the builders rejected."...
¶ ... If, then, He is called both Father and Creator because of an operation, it is quite allowable to interchange the names, and to turn one into the other and say that God is Creator of the Son, and Father of a stone, seeing that the term Father is to be devoid of any meaning of essential relation. Well, the monstrous conclusion that is hereby proved cannot remain doubtful to those who reflect. For as it is absurd to deem a stone, or anything else that exists by creation, Divine ... .
Answer to Eunomius' Second Book

... For He was the Word, and was made flesh; and He was God, and was made man ... and besides, He was ... "a stone," and ... "a way," and "a door," and "a rock," and many such things ... .
On the Faith

... And a great stone lay upon the well, which a multitude of shepherds were wont to roll away when they came together, and then gave water to themselves and to their flocks. But Jacob alone rolls away the stone, and waters the flocks of his spouse. The thing is, I think, a dark saying, a shadow of what should come. For what is the stone that is laid but Christ Himself? for of Him Isaiah says, "And I will lay in the foundations of Sion a costly stone, precious, elect:" and Daniel likewise, "A stone was cut out without hands," that is, Christ was born without a man. For as it is a new and marvellous thing that a stone should be cut out of the rock without a hewer or stone-cutting tools, so it is a thing beyond all wonder that an offspring should appear from an unwedded Virgin. There was lying, then, upon the well the spiritual stone, Christ ... .
On the Baptism of Christ

... Which was more to the interest of the Church at Rome, that it should at its commencement be presided over by some high-born and pompous senator, or by the fisherman Peter, who had none of this world's advantages to attract men to him?...
Letters, Letter XIII. To the Church at Nicomedia

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