Scripture for Hilary of Poitiers
Some great words from Hilary of Poitiers (c.315-367/8), whom I have long desired to study more and even write a biography of him:
“The Apostle, who instructs us on many things, also teaches us that the Word of God must be treated with the greatest reverence, saying “whoever speaks, [let him speak] as uttering the oracles of God” [1 Peter 4:11]. For we ought not to treat Scripture with a vulgar familiarity, as we do in our ordinary speech; rather, when we speak of what we have learned and read we should give honor to the author by our care for the way we express ourselves… Preachers, then, must think that they are not speaking to a human audience, and hearers must know that it is not human words that are being offered to them, but that they are God’s words, God’s decrees, God’s laws. For both roles, the utmost reverence is fitting.” [Tractatus super Psalmum 13.1 (CCSL 61:76, ll.1-6, 21-24)].
This entry was posted on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Ancient Church: 4th & 5th Centuries. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.