The IV century in the history of the ancient Christian Church was marked by the activities of many outstanding saints who made an enormous contribution to the preaching of Christianity. One of these outstanding preachers was St. Gregory of Nyssa.
Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, was the younger brother of one of the three ecumenical teachers and saints of the Church of Basil the Great. Gregory received his childhood education together with his older brother from the pious grandmother Macrina, also a revered saint in Orthodoxy. Gregory acquired further education from outstanding secular teachers, which determined the high secular education of the future saint. It is known from the life of Saint Gregory that the future luminary of the Church was a teacher of eloquence.
Saint Gregory the Theologian persuaded the sophist to leave worldly vanity and devote his life to serving God and his neighbors. After admonishing Gregory the Theologian, the future bishop of Nyssa withdrew to the desert for the exploit.
Soon after this, Basil the Great decided to place his younger brother as bishop of the city of Nyssa. Saint Basil wished to see a reliable helper in enlightening people with the Christian faith, as well as in helping to fight the spreading Arian heresy that tormented the Church in the 3rd-5th centuries.
After the episcopal ordination, Gregory became an ardent defender of Orthodoxy and a strict denouncer of Arianism. The heretics, dissatisfied with the behavior of the saint, began to openly slander Gregory, which led to the expulsion of the saint of Nyssa. However, even in exile itself, Gregory preached the foundations of the Gospel teaching, confirming people everywhere in the Orthodox faith.
After the death of the Arian emperor Valens, Saint Gregory was returned to his see.
A special place in the life of the saint is occupied by his presence among other orthodox bishops at the Second Ecumenical Council. It should also be noted that Gregory of Nyssa is known for many works of a dogmatic nature, affirming the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The saint died in about 395. The memory of the great saint is celebrated by the Church on January 23 in a new style.
