Select Quotes From
The Benefits and Importance of Scripture
Reading for Christians
Dr. Eugenia
Constantinou
"Let
them hear, as many of us as neglect the reading of the Scriptures, to what harm
we are subjecting ourselves, to what poverty." (Hom. XLVII On Matthew)
The
Bible helps us to obtain our salvation. "Now if we are willing to
examine the Scriptures in this way, carefully and systematically, we shall be
able to obtain our salvation. If we unceasingly
are preoccupied with them, we shall learn both correctness of doctrine
and an upright way of life. (Hom 53 On John)
Scripture
reading sanctifies us. "Moreover,
if the Devil does not dare to enter into the house where the Gospel lies, much
less will he ever seize upon the soul which
contains such thoughts as these, and no evil spirit will approach it,
nor will the nature of sin come near. Well, then, sanctify your soul, sanctify
your body by having these thoughts always in your heart and on your tongue. For
if foul language is defiling and evokes evil spirits, it is evident that
spiritual reading sanctifies the reader and attracts the grace of the
Spirit." (Hom. 32 On John)
The
Scriptures are a treasure and neglect of it causes harm. "It is not possible, I say not possible, ever to
exhaust the mind of the Scriptures. It is a well which has no bottom."
(Hom. XIX On Acts)
Knowledge
of the Bible protects us and ignorance of it results in a multitude of evils. "This is the cause of all evils, the not knowing
the Scriptures. We go into battle without arms, and how are we to come off
safe?" (Hom. IX On Colossians)
The
Bible is a medicine chest with remedies for grief and all troubles. "Listen,
I entreat you, all that are careful for this life, and procure books that will be medicines for the
soul…get at least the New Testament, the
Apostolic Epistles, the Acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If grief
befalls you, dive into them as into a chest of medicines; take from there
comfort for your trouble, be it loss, or death, or bereavement of relations; or
rather do not merely dive into them but take them wholly to yourself, keeping
them in your mind." (Hom. IX On Colossians)
The
Bible is a treasury with remedies for every ailment. "Great is
the profit to be derived from the sacred Scriptures and their assistance is
sufficient for every need. Paul was pointing this out when he said, 'Whatever
things have been written have been written for our instruction, upon whom the
final age of the world has come, that through the patience and the consolation
afforded by the Scriptures we may have hope.' (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11) The
divine words, indeed, are a treasury containing every sort of remedy, so that,
whether one needs to put down senseless pride, or to quench the fire of
concupiscence or to trample on the love of riches, or to despise pain, or to
cultivate cheerfulness and acquire patience - in them one may find in abundance
the means to do so." (Hom. 37 On John.)
Knowledge
of the Scriptures allows us to bear difficulties. "For as
the rich in money can bear fines and damages, so he that is rich in the
doctrines of [Christian] philosophy will bear not poverty only, but all
calamities also easily, more easily than
that [rich] one." (Hom. IX On Colossians.)
Children
must be instructed in the Scriptures, beginning with the learning of psalms and
hymns. "But now your children will utter songs and
dances of Satan, like cooks, and caterers, and musicians; no one knows any
psalm but it seems a thing to be ashamed of even, a mockery and a joke. There
is the treasury house of all these evils. For whatsoever soil the plant stands
in, such is the fruit it bears; if in a sandy and salty soil, of like nature is
its fruit; if in a sweet and rich one, it is again similar. So the matter of
instruction is a sort of fountain. Teach him to sing those psalms which are so
full of the love of wisdom. When in these you have led him on from childhood,
by little and little you will lead him forward even to the higher things" (Hom. IX
On Colossians)
On
the lack of attention paid when
listening to the reading of Scriptures in church, when in fact it is not the
clergy but God who addresses them. "They think that when they enter in here [the
church], that they enter into our presence [the clergy], they think that they
hear from us. They do not lay to heart, they do not consider that they are
entering the presence of God, that it is He
who addresses them. For when the Reader standing up says "Thus says the
Lord", and the Deacon stands and imposes silence on all, he does not say
this as doing honor to the Reader but to
honor Him who speaks to all through him [the Reader]. If they knew that it was God who through His
prophet speaks these things, they would cast away all their pride. For if rulers are addressing them, they do
not allow their minds to wander, much else would they when God is speaking. We
are ministers, beloved. We speak not our own things, but the things of God.
Letters coming from heaven are read every day.… These letters are sent from
God; therefore let us enter with becoming reverence into the churches and let
us hearken with fear to the things here said." (Hom. IX On Thessalonians.)
On
the importance of instructing children in the Holy Scriptures. "Do you wish your son to be obedient? From the
very first, "Bring him up in the chastening and admonition of the
Lord." Never deem it an unnecessary thing that he should be a diligent hearer of the divine Scriptures.
For there the first thing he hears will be this: 'Honor thy father and thy
mother'. So then, this is for you. Never
say, 'This is the business of monks'. Am I making a monk of him? No, there is
no need he should become a monk. Why be so afraid of a thing so replete with so
much advantage? Make him a Christian. For it is of all things necessary
for laymen to be acquainted with the lessons derived from this source, but
especially for children. For theirs is an age full of folly and to this folly
are added the bad examples derived from the heathen tales, where they are made
acquainted with those heroes so admired amongst them…[A child] requires
therefore the remedies against these things. How is it not absurd to send
children out to trades and to school, and to do all you can for these
objectives, and yet, not to "Bring them up in the chastening and
admonition of the Lord?" And for this reason truly we are the first to
reap the fruits, because we bring up our children to be insolent and
profligate, disobedient and mere vulgar fellows. Let us not then do this; no,
let us listen to this blessed Apostle's admonitions "Let us bring them up
in the chastening and admonition of the Lord". Let us give them a pattern.
Let us make them from the earliest age apply themselves to the reading of the
Scriptures…..Study not to make him an orator, but train him up to be a
[Christian] philosopher. In the want of the one there will be no harm whatever;
in the absence of the other, all the rhetoric in the world will be of no
advantage. Tempers are wanted, not talking; character, not cleverness; deeds
not word. These gain a man the kingdom. These confer what are benefits indeed.
Whet not his tongue but cleanse his soul. I do not say this to prevent you
teaching him these things, but to prevent your attending to them exclusively.
Do not imagine that the monk alone stands in need of these lessons from
Scripture. Of all others, the children just about to enter into the world
especially need them." (Hom. XXI Ephesians)
The
Scriptures were written for a purpose and it is a great evil to be ignorant of
them. "From
this it is that countless evils have
arisen - from ignorance of the Scriptures; from this it is that the plague of
heresies has broken out; from this it is that there are negligent lives; from
this there are labors without advantage. For
as men deprived of this daylight
would not walk aright, so they that look not to the gleaming of the Holy
Scriptures must be frequently and
constantly sinning, in that they are walking in the worst darkness." (Intro. Hom. On Romans)
On
the importance of attentiveness when listening to the readings. "If a man should come here with earnestness -
even though he does not read the Scriptures at home - and if he pays attention
to what is said here, within the space of even one year he will be able to obtain
a considerable acquaintance
with them. For we do not read
these Scriptures today, and tomorrow others that are quite different, but
always the same section and consecutively. However, in spite of this, many have
such an apathetic attitude that after such reading they do not even know the
names of the books. And they are not ashamed, nor do they shudder with dread,
because they have come so carelessly to the hearing of the word of God. On the
other hand, if a musician, or a dancer, or anyone else connected with the
theater should summon them to the city, they all hurry eagerly, and thank the
one who invited them, and spend an entire half-day with their attention fixed
on the performer exclusively. Yet when God addresses us through the prophets
and apostles, we yawn, we are bored, we become drowsy. (Hom. 58 On John)
Ignorance
of the Scriptures by Christians is a disgrace. "Is it not strange that those who sit in the
marketplace tell the names, and races, and
cities and talents of charioteers and dancers, even accurately state the
good and bad qualities of horses, while those who assemble in this place [the
church] understand nothing of what is
taking place here and even are ignorant of the number of the [sacred]
Books?" (Hom. 32 On John)
Christians who are ignorant of their faith are
responsible for the pagans' unbelief and the blasphemies which they say about Christ. "It is
ridiculous if he who professes to be a Christian is unable to utter a word in
defense of his own faith…It is this that prevents the pagans from quickly
realizing the absurdity of their error. Inasmuch as, relying on falsehood, they
make every effort to obscure the baseness of their teachings, while we who are
the guardians of truth cannot even open our mouth, what will prevent them from
despising the great weakness of our doctrine? Will they not get the idea that
our teaching is deceitful and foolish? Will they not blaspheme Christ as a
dissembler and deceiver who makes us of the stupidity of the majority to advance
his deceit? And we are responsible for this blasphemy if we are not willing to
be on the alert to speak in defense of righteousness, but rate such matters as
superfluous, and concern ourselves about the things of earth. To be sure, and
admirer of a dancer or of a charioteer or of a contender against wild beasts
runs every risk and makes every effort so as not to come off worsted in
disputes concerning his favorite. Moreover, these men string together long
commendations, building up a defense against those who find fault with them,
casting countless jibes at their opponents. But, when arguments are proposed about Christianity they all bow
their heads, and rub them and yawn, and when laugh at, withdraw. Now are you not deserving of unmitigated
anger if Christ appears less honored among you than a dancer? For while, you
have thought up countless defenses of their deeds - even though all of these
are somewhat base - you do not even exert yourself to give any thought and care to the wondrous
deeds of Christ." (Hom 17 on John)
To
those who say that there is no harm in worldly pursuits while neglecting the
spiritual life. "Now I say this for there are some, much less
responsive than this audience here, who do not become ashamed at my words, but
even speak at length in defense of their behavior. And if you ask, 'Who is
Amos, or Abias, or what is the number of the Prophets or of the Apostles?' they
cannot even open their mouth. But with regard to horses and charioteers, they
can compose a discourse more cleverly than sophists or rhetors. Furthermore,
after all this they say: "What harm, now?" and "What loss?"
Indeed, it is for this reason that I am groaning, namely because you do not
know that the thing is harmful, and have no perception of the evil. God has given
you a limited period of life to serve Him, and if you squander it vainly and
fruitlessly, and to no purpose, do you still seek to learn what the loss is? If
you completely squander your days entirely on Satan's pomps, do you consider
that you are not doing anything wrong?
Though you ought to spend your entire life in prayers and supplications, while
actually you waste your life, fruitlessly and for your damnation, in shouting
and tumult and base words and quarreling and unlawful pleasure and deeds of sorcery
- even after all this do you ask 'What loss is there?' You are not aware that
time must be expended more sparingly than anything else, If you spend gold, you
will be able to replenish your supply, but if you lose time you will repair the
loss with great difficulty for a small amount has been dispensed to us in the
present life. Therefore, if we do not use it as we ought, what shall we say
when we depart to the next life?" (Hom. 58 On John)