Letter 1628: The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.
To Poseidon the Presbyter. The presbyter who neglects the study of Scripture is like a soldier who goes into battle without a weapon: he may have courage and good intentions, but he will be cut down at the first encounter. Scripture is the sword of the Spirit, and the minister who does not know how to wield it cannot defend his flock against the wolves of heresy and the foxes of false teaching. Study therefore daily, Poseidon, not merely reading the text but meditating upon it, not merely memorizing the words but understanding their meaning, not merely acquiring knowledge but applying it to your own life and the lives of those you serve. The Scripture that has passed through your mind and heart before it reaches your lips will carry a power and an authority that no amount of natural eloquence can impart, for it will be not merely your word but God's word, spoken through a human vessel that has been purified and prepared to receive it. Let no one deceive himself into thinking that knowledge of the truth is sufficient without the practice of it. For the person who knows the good and does not do it commits a greater sin than the person who does evil in ignorance. Knowledge increases responsibility, and the person who has been given much will have much required of him. The devils themselves possess extensive theological knowledge — they know that God is one, as James tells us — yet their knowledge does not save them, because it is not accompanied by love and obedience. Let our knowledge therefore be always joined to practice, our understanding to obedience, and our theology to holiness of life.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed.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
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