Letter 1593: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
To Harpocras the Sophist. You have asked me why Christians seem so lacking in the rhetorical arts that made Greece famous. I answer: it is not that we lack the ability, but that we have different priorities. The Greek sophists cultivated eloquence as an end in itself — they sought to persuade, to dazzle, to win applause. The Christian teacher cultivates truth as an end in itself — he seeks to save, to illuminate, to transform. Eloquence in the service of truth is a worthy instrument; eloquence in the service of vanity is a dangerous toy. Paul could have spoken with the wisdom of words, but he chose to preach Christ crucified — not because he despised eloquence, but because he knew that the power of the Gospel lies not in the persuasiveness of human speech but in the demonstration of the Spirit. Let the sophist have his applause; the Christian preacher seeks something better — the conversion of souls and the transformation of lives. For the present difficulties, great as they are, are temporary, and the glory that awaits those who persevere in faithfulness is eternal. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, as the Apostle assures us. Therefore let us fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
Ουδηἀοᾳυϊ6πὶ ἀπόνοια, ἰὰ αγιεητϊὰ, ἃ τηοῦο οἱ ἀδ!ιο δτοθάρθηβ, οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ νοῦ, ἰά , γγοσμί ἃ “πέπις οπεϊειόπα, υὑηΐδ οἱ ἀπόνοια ἀτιροΐδ ἀϊεϊίυῦ ΒΌΡΟΓΙΔ ἢ, ΡΔΓ]!. Νουθεσία, ὦ , αὐπιορῖϊο δά δη ἃ 4φυ8 οἰἶδιὴ ἀϊοία αι Οἷ5 ΠΙΘἢῚ5 βίδ . Εογία αυὶ δυύδίιι! [, ᾿ΐηο ΟΟΥ λὰ θη Π Βδουγα ἀϊδρομῦμ. ΟΟΟΧΙ ΥΠ1. --- ΠΑΆΡΟΟΒΑΕ ΚΗΈΤΟΒΙ. δε ἀοεεπιὶς οἤεὶο. (ϑαρ. ερίει. , , , , .) Τοῖς δυσηνίοις μαθηταῖς (), ὦ σοφιστὰ, τὸν χαλι- ἃ γ᾽δείρυ Τοίγασιατθ., ὁ 8ορὶ δία, γϑὶαὶ ϑαυΐβ νὸν τοῦ φόδου ὥσπερ πώλοις ἔμθδαλλε " χαὶ ἔπιστό- μιζε αὐτοὺς, ἐπειδὰν ἀγέρωχόν τι χαὶ παρὰ τὴν ἡνίαν πράττοιεν, ἵνα χαὶ οἱ εὐήνιοι πλέον ἐπιδοῖεν πρὸς ἀρετὴν. Τὸ γὰρ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι τοὺς μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πράττοντας, ἀτοπώτατόν ἔστι, χαὶ τῇ ἀρετῇ ἐμπόδιον. Εἰς ἀθυμίαν γὰρ ἐμδάλλων τοὺς ἀρίστους ναρχᾷν παρασχευάζει. Τρόπων οὖν μᾶλλον, ἧ λόγων ἡγούμενος εἶναι σαυτὸν παιδευτὴν, δείχνυε αὐτοῖς ἀρχέτυπόν τινα χαραχτῆρα τὸν σαυτοῦ βίον " οὐ γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ὁ βίος εἰς ἀρετὴν ἐνάγει. ΤΜΘ΄. --- Τῇ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ. ἰηάοπι ἔγθηυπι ἰπηοΓὶ8β ᾿ , Δ4 δΔρίδιΓ2, ἘΝ αὐ ἰπϑοίδηϑ, δἱ ργϑιθῤ ὮΆΡΘΏ88 οκογίηιϊ, εἰ ἴγοπὶβ υἱθ ρᾶγεπίθϑ, ρὶ1ι18 δὶ υἱγίυϊοπη ρῥγοί οἶδηι. Ναπι δδάοπι ὈγΙ θΌΘΡΕ [ 4Π ποη δα οπὶ ἃρσυηί, ] »" δι αἱ δ8᾽ Πγ πὶ (, Υἱγίυ ᾿πηροα!πηθπίυπ). Απίαο5 δηΐπὶ οριϊπιογπι ἀ ] οἰ Θ ργοδιθγη ἰΟΓρΟγοιη ἱπάυςϊι. [ηδιυτογ Β) ᾿ξ ἢ ρΟΙΪ. ΤΟΥ ΠῚ ἡπϑΠὰ ΒΘΟΓΠΊΟΙ ΠῚ ΓΔ(Π5, ἰυλτη ἢ ν᾽ 8π οβἰοηάδ, νθ- ἰυἱ Δγο!οίγρυπι βἶνα οχδηρίαγ. Νοη δηΐηι ἰδηίζι ογδιῖο, αυδηίυπι νἱῖᾶ δὰ νἱγίαίθπ) ἀυοὶ!, ΟΟΟΧΕΙ͂Χ. --- ἸΘΕΝ. Ετωϑοδεὶί ἰαμααίμ8 ᾿ππηι . Ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπαίνους ἐρυθριᾷν πέφυχα, μάλα ἀκχριδῶς οἷδέ σου ἡἣ παίδευσις. Ἡνίχα γὰρ μετὰ τῶν σῶν φοιτητῶν ἐντυχεῖν ἡμῖν χατηξίωσας χαὶ ἐρωτῇσαί τι τῶν ἱερῶν Γραφῶν ἠθουλήθης, ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν" τὸ τηνικαῦτα παρ᾽ ὑμῶν μὲν κρότος () ἐξεφοίτησςε καὶ ἐπαίνου ῥόθιον. ᾿γὼ δὲ οὕτω χατεπλάγην χαὶ ἡρυθρίασα, ὡς ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀχανὴς μεῖναι. Τί δήποτε τοίνυν ἐπαίνους συν- θεὶς, πολλῷ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπερύθαίνοντα ἀξίαν ἐπέ- στειλας ; Αἀ Ἰλυάέδ ΘΟ ὈΘθΘΟΓΘ ἢδΔίυΓΆ Γ6, ργοῦο πον! ῃγυΐϊδη(ἰ8. αὐυπὶ Θηἷπιὶ Οοομγγογα ποὺΐβ οὔτι ἰυ16 διυιάϊιοτίθυβ ἀΐξηαίυδ εἰ φυϊεὶ ἱβιδγγοβάγο ὁ 580Γ18 ,Π Ὑο υἶδιΐ, νϑγὸ ἀΐχὶ ηυοιλά ο͵ βογὶ ροιυΐς, πο ρίδυδυς ἃ νΟὈΪΒ ργοςαβ5 ἰδ ἀἴβ4μ βοηΐϊυ5. Ῥογουϊξυδ ἰδπηοη ᾿( [υἱἩ Τυθογααι6 8ι1 Ἐ π . αι αἶα διυρίἀυ5 Ποδογίη). ΟἿΓ ἱχίιυν ἰαυ θα δάοτν- ὨδΔη8, . ΠΠ6Υ ποδίγα ἰο3ὸ οχοούδμϊι, πιἰοίδιὶ ) ΥΑΒΒΕ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝΕῈΒ ΕΤ ΝΟΤΕ, () Ρρο μαθηταῖς ᾿ἰάεπι οο ἃ. ΠΑ υ θη φοιτηταῖς. ῬΟΒ5ΙΝ. () ΡΙο χρότος σοι. αι. οἱ ΑΙϊ. ἰόσυμι κρό- του Ἂ ΥΘΓβ. ΔΠί6ρ. ΘΟρὶΞῖ. ἐπαίνους οἱ ἐπαίνου ἴηι!- ἰδιὶ σΟΟΙ. --- ΕΥΤΟΝΙΟ. . ἸΘΙΌΟΙΥΙ ΡΕΓΌΘΙΟΤῈ ΤΝ’, --- ΕΥ̓ΤΟΝΊΩ. (ονροτὶδ απἰπιΐημα ρμμίοινι αἀνεγεδ ΠΟΝ ἐχειϊησείίαγ. ὕιΆ. οογροτίβ ρυϊο εἰ αἀ0, π6 ἰπ ᾿οοιβίογηδίΐοη0 αυϊάσηι τιδίυτ, βογναῖιν υογοὸ ἰρβᾶ οἱ ἷῃ ἰδογγηιὶβ δυθοδὶ : ἰἰὰ οἱ δηΐϊπιδδ νοπυδίδδ νἱγίυ (πὶ ΘΟΏδΟΙΒιὶ ΘΟ δοΐρδϑιη, δἰδὶ 'η οϑ)]διη δι . , ΣΟ ΒΟΓΨΔΙ. Εχογοθδπ8 ἰἰδαυ ὁᾶπι, οἱ πυϊϊᾳ (επιδιῖο ἰηνίοια δὶ ἀἐχιγα ποῦ Ορόπὶ ἔδγθηϊθ πὸ5 δχριζηδῦϊ!. ΠΟΘΙ. -- ΠΑΆΡΟΟΘΝ“Σ ΒΟΡΗΪΘΤἍ;, Ὥσπερ τὸ σωματιχὸν χάλλος οὐδ' ὑπὸ τῶν ἐχπλήξεων ἀλλοιοῦται, σώζεις δὲ αὐτὸ, χἂν ἐν δα- χρύοις ὑπάρχῃ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ Ψυχιχὸν, τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς συμμετρίας τῶν ἀρετῶν συγχροτούμενον, σώζει ἑαυτὸ, χἂν ἐν συμφοραῖς τυγχάνῃ. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἀσχῶμεν, καὶ οὐδεὶς πειρασμὸς τῆς ἀηττήτου προ- ηγουμένως βοηθούσης δεξιᾶς ἡμᾶς χαταγωνιεῖται. ΤΝΑ’, -- ἉΡΠΟΚΡᾺ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. Ηνιαὶμιαις οαἰατὶς ργαειαπάμηι. (Οοπ[. ερίει. , , . δίς Β. Αὐρ. ερίει. αἀ δαπιατίμηι ἐπι αἰ δ ἐ“ ἀἱείο εἰπεῖ θέπιοεῖ. ἀξ αοἰΐοπα. ) θυοῦπβ ἢάϊε [γϑιγίϑυδ, οἱ ἰδ ν τὴλχὶη) ἃΠ)8Δῆ- εἰθυδ δ ἀ6 νἱγίυιϊ6. οΟΡΙΔη πιὸ ᾿υὐΐοοηι οδρίοη- εἰθυς, δς ᾿υγολυγδιιάο ᾳυοί ᾿υἀϊοαίυπι οΥῖὶ δαιρὶοχ8- ι18 :- ἰἰἰαπ ἰυάϊοαν! ρῥγβίλγο, αυϊ ἴῃ οειογὶθ δἷβ δια] . , αἰ ἰΔηγθη Δηί6 1Δι. ΘΌΓΗΙ. --- ΒΕΒΟΝΙ. Δυοῖν ποτε ἀδελφοῖν πιστοῖν χαὶ φίλειν ἀρίστοιν, Β χαὶ εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀμιλλωμένοιν, χριτήν μὲ ἐλο- μένοιν, καὶ ὄρχῳ στέρξειν τὰ χριθησόμενα ἰσχυριδα- μένοιν, ἐχεῖνον ἐψοφισάμην χρείττονα εἶναι, ὃς ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἰσάμιλλος ὧν, ἐν τῇ ταπεινοφρο- σύνῃ πλεονεχτεῖ, ΤΝΒ'΄. -- ἩΡΩΝΙ͂. Ῥατέπιι πιετὶο ρατεπάμπι Ραγϑηίοι ἰυσπὶ ΓΟΥΟΓΟΓΘ Πογίδηίθη) ἰησἰίδηι6ι
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