The sources of Letters

1. Gospel of Matthew Matthew 11 authority · 1 neutral 12 citations · 18 passages

   letter 22 · letter 125 · letter 203 · letter 204 · letter 207 · letter 210 2 passages anchored here · letter 217 · letter 224 2 passages anchored here

   and 6 more chapters

   letter 226 · letter 236 2 passages anchored here · letter 258 · letter 260 2 passages anchored here · letter 277 · letter 288

   The Lord's baptismal command is quoted as the basis for the required order of Father, Son, and Spirit.

   For as he who said "Paul and Silvanus and Timothy" said three names, but bound them together by the conjunction "and," so he who said "the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," saying three, wove them together with the connective, teaching that to each name its own signification is attached, since names are significant of things.

2. Psalms David 11 authority 11 citations · 14 passages

   letter 8 3 passages anchored here · letter 22 · letter 42 · letter 150 · letter 189 · letter 199 · letter 207 · letter 223 2 passages anchored here

   and 3 more chapters

   letter 242 · letter 244 · letter 265

   David quoted repeatedly as authoritative source of the cited lines.

   and of nature in the universal sense, as when David says, "Man, his days are as grass.

3. Proverbs Solomon 9 authority · 1 extended 10 citations · 13 passages

   letter 8 2 passages anchored here · letter 22 · letter 42 · letter 45 · letter 51 · letter 91 · letter 188 2 passages anchored here · letter 260

   and 3 more chapters

   letter 263 · letter 265 · letter 301

   Explicitly attributed to 'the wise Solomon in the Proverbs'.

   And at the same time this too must be said, that God who created us has made the natural faculties of judgment require no teaching.

4. the Gospel Jesus Christ 7 authority · 2 endorsed 9 citations · 8 passages

   letter 2 · letter 6 · letter 150 · letter 173 · letter 188 · letter 217 · letter 223 · letter 227

   Basil quotes Christ's command to deny oneself and follow him as the basis for the ascetic life he describes.

   For your saying that the situation of the place is not enough to instil in your soul any impulse toward the life we lead, until you have learned something of our way and manner of living—this was indeed a thought truly your own and worthy of your soul, which reckons all things here as nothing in comparison with the blessedness laid up for us in the promises.

5. Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah 7 authority · 1 extended 8 citations

   letter 130 · letter 188 · letter 189 · letter 203 · letter 223 · letter 236 · letter 243 · letter 244

   The proverbial imagery of unchangeable nature is drawn on to characterize Eustathius's fixed heresy.

   But when, on coming into Cilicia and meeting a certain Gelasius, he set forth to him a creed which only Arius, or some genuine disciple of his, could have composed, then indeed we were the more confirmed in our separation, reckoning that neither will the Ethiopian ever change his skin, nor the leopard his spots, nor can one bred up in perverse doctrines wash off the evil of his heresy.

6. Epistle to the Romans Paul (the Apostle) 7 authority 7 citations · 8 passages

   letter 8 2 passages anchored here · letter 130 · letter 189 · letter 199 · letter 243 · letter 261 · letter 289

   Quoted directly in the same argument.

   For "the law," it says, "of the Spirit of life has freed me from the law of sin.

7. Gospel of John John the Evangelist 6 authority · 1 refuted 7 citations · 13 passages

   letter 93 · letter 189 · letter 203 2 passages anchored here · letter 204 2 passages anchored here · letter 210 3 passages anchored here · letter 226 · letter 234 · letter 236

   and 1 more chapter

   letter 258

   Multiple sayings drawn from the Gospel of John are quoted as binding authority.

   If, then, their visions in sleep run together with the commandments of the Lord, let them be content with the Gospels, which need no help from dreams toward their trustworthiness.

8. 1 Corinthians Paul (the Apostle) 6 authority 6 citations · 11 passages

   letter 8 4 passages anchored here · letter 188 · letter 199 · letter 204 3 passages anchored here · letter 207 · letter 243

   Explicitly attributed to 'the Apostle'.

   "As there are many gods and many lords, yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.

9. Book of Job Job 5 authority · 1 endorsed 6 citations

   letter 5 · letter 8 · letter 38 · letter 212 · letter 223 · letter 300

   Job's story is invoked directly as precedent.

   Therefore in all things we ought to revere His love for mankind and not be vexed, remembering that great and celebrated utterance which the great athlete Job sent forth, when he saw at a single table ten children crushed in a brief moment of time:

10. Nicene Creed Fathers of the Council of Nicaea 5 authority · 1 endorsed 6 citations · 10 passages

    letter 51 · letter 52 3 passages anchored here · letter 55 · letter 140 · letter 159 · letter 226 · letter 258 · letter 265

    Basil transcribes the creed's words to affirm shared faith with Antioch.

    For the conviction of faith is one and the same in both of us, since we are heirs of the same fathers who once at Nicaea proclaimed the great message of true religion.

11. 2 Corinthians Paul 3 authority · 1 extended · 1 endorsed 5 citations · 8 passages

    letter 8 4 passages anchored here · letter 24 · letter 210 · letter 223 · letter 260

    Cited multiple times regarding Paul's rapture and related teaching.

    of a particular man, as, for example, of Paul, that he alone was caught up to the third heaven and heard unspeakable words that are not lawful for a man to utter;

12. Isaiah Isaiah 5 authority 5 citations

    letter 8 · letter 46 · letter 210 · letter 220 · letter 223

    Quoted to explain Christ's lack of outward glory.

    and, "We saw him, and he had no form nor beauty, but his form was lacking beyond all men.

13. Acts of the Apostles Luke 5 authority 5 citations · 6 passages

    letter 8 2 passages anchored here · letter 53 · letter 128 · letter 150 · letter 210

    Basil cites the description of the early believers' unity as the model to be recovered.

    And yet, having in the Gospels numbered Himself among the ignorant because of the weakness of the many, as I said, in the Acts of the Apostles, conversing privately with them as with perfect ones, He says, with Himself excepted, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set in His own authority.

14. Genesis Moses 2 authority · 1 neutral · 1 extended 4 citations · 10 passages

    letter 46 2 passages anchored here · letter 150 · letter 260 6 passages anchored here · letter 269

    The sentence that mortals return to earth alludes to Genesis and is invoked for consolation.

    that from Cain to the flood seven generations passed, and the punishment was brought upon all the earth, because of the great outpouring of sin.

15. 1 Timothy Paul 3 authority 3 citations · 4 passages

    letter 8 · letter 22 · letter 199 2 passages anchored here

    Cited among the Pauline proof texts on God's exclusive attributes.

    A widow enrolled in the number of widows — that is, one supported by the Church — the Apostle judged should be overlooked if she marries.

16. Basil of Caesarea 1 authority · 1 neutral · 1 extended 3 citations

    letter 20 · letter 231 · letter 341

    Basil sends his own earlier treatise against Eunomius, continuing its argument as a weapon against false teachers.

    but against those who turn the readers astray, I expect it will be to you no ignoble weapon—not so much trusting in the power of the composition, but knowing exactly that from few starting-points you are inventive toward many.

17. Book of Exodus Moses 2 authority · 1 extended 3 citations

    letter 24 · letter 189 · letter 241

    Explicitly quoted oracle given to Moses.

    For we remember the spiritual injunction that bids us not receive an empty report.

18. Ephesians Paul 3 authority 3 citations

    letter 8 · letter 22 · letter 226

    Cited to argue the Spirit's identity with God through the sword image.

    And again, if the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, the Holy Spirit is God;

19. Epistle to the Galatians Paul the Apostle 2 authority · 1 extended 3 citations

    letter 197 · letter 292 · letter 295

    Directly quoted ('he says') as scriptural basis for the garment-of-incorruption exhortation.

    Come then, man of God, since it was not from men that you received or were taught the Gospel of Christ, but the Lord himself transferred you from the judges of the earth to the throne of the apostles:

20. Hebrews unnamed (traditionally Paul) 3 authority 3 citations

    letter 8 · letter 125 · letter 260

    Quoted alongside the Psalm to show Christ's voluntary lowering.

    For "You have made him a little lower than the angels," He says;

21. Book of Numbers unknown (Scripture) 2 authority 2 citations

    letter 210 · letter 260

    The Balaam narrative is invoked as an example surpassing the current false prophets.

    He, summoned by the king of the Moabites with the greatest of gifts, would not consent to utter a word against the will of God, nor to curse Israel, whom the Lord does not curse.

22. Ezekiel Ezekiel 2 authority 2 citations

    letter 42 · letter 223

    Well-known scriptural formula used as authority in the argument.

    Therefore vain is the toil of the righteous, and blameless the way of the sinner, when a change has supervened — the one being turned from the better to the worse, the other from the worse to the better.

23. First Epistle to the Thessalonians Paul the Apostle 2 authority 2 citations

    letter 62 · letter 302

    Attributed to 'the law the Apostle has laid down' in letter 302.

    that it is time for us to look to the precepts of the Apostle, and not to grieve "as do the rest, who have no hope";

24. Gospel of Luke Luke the Evangelist 1 authority · 1 neutral 2 citations · 3 passages

    letter 204 · letter 260 2 passages anchored here

    The parable illustrating self-righteous judgment is drawn from Luke's Gospel and used illustratively.

    Reckon, then, from Adam to the coming of Christ the generations, and you will find, according to the genealogy of Luke, that the Lord was born in the seventy-seventh succession.

134 sources are named once. Each stands in the run of its own letter, below — in the order of the text.