Key Takeaways
1. All interpretation of Scripture relies on discovering meaning and communicating it effectively.
There are two things on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the mode of ascertaining the proper meaning, and the mode of making known the meaning when it is ascertained.
The dual task. Augustine establishes that biblical hermeneutics is divided into two distinct phases: discovery and communication. First, the interpreter must labor to extract the true, divinely intended meaning of the sacred text, and second, they must master the art of conveying this discovered truth to others. This dual responsibility ensures that theology is neither a purely intellectual exercise nor a shallow display of rhetoric.
Divine and human cooperation. While the interpreter must employ rigorous study, the ultimate success of this endeavor relies on divine assistance. Augustine uses the miracle of the loaves to illustrate how spiritual insights multiply when shared:
- Human effort is necessary to study and prepare.
- Divine grace multiplies the teacher's insights during the act of sharing.
- Keeping insights to oneself diminishes their value, while sharing them increases spiritual wealth.
Overcoming intellectual pride. Augustine warns against those who claim they need no rules or human teachers because they rely solely on direct divine illumination. He reminds readers that even the Apostle Paul was sent to a human teacher (Ananias) to receive instruction, proving that God chooses to use human instruments to build up the community of faith.
2. God is the ultimate object of enjoyment; all other things are to be used to reach Him.
For to enjoy a thing is to rest with satisfaction in it for its own sake.
Use versus enjoyment. Augustine introduces a crucial philosophical distinction between things that are to be enjoyed (fruendum) and things that are to be used (utendum). To enjoy something is to love it for its own sake as our ultimate end, whereas to use something is to employ it as a means to obtain that ultimate end. Misplacing these affections leads to spiritual wandering and misery.
The traveler's analogy. He compares our earthly existence to a journey back to our homeland, illustrating the danger of becoming infatuated with the journey itself:
- The homeland represents the Triune God, our only true source of happiness.
- The vehicle and the road represent the material world, which must be used, not enjoyed.
- Becoming attached to earthly comforts diverts our attention from our true eternal home.
God as the sole object. Only the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be truly enjoyed because they are unchangeable and eternal. All other created things, including our neighbors and our own bodies, must be loved in relation to God, serving as stepping stones that lead us closer to Him rather than distractions that bind us to the temporal world.
3. The ultimate end and fulfillment of all Scripture is the double love of God and neighbor.
Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.
The hermeneutical key. The ultimate test of any scriptural interpretation is whether it builds up the double love of God and neighbor. Augustine asserts that the entire temporal dispensation of salvation was designed to teach and cultivate this love. If an interpretation fails to promote charity, it is fundamentally flawed, regardless of how linguistically or historically sophisticated it may appear.
The harmless detour. Interestingly, Augustine notes that if a reader derives an interpretation that builds up love but misses the author's original intent, they are like a traveler who accidentally leaves the main road but still arrives at the correct destination:
- The error is not morally ruinous because it still leads to charity.
- However, the reader must be corrected to prevent a habit of straying.
- Consistent deviation can eventually lead to dangerous theological errors.
The triad of graces. Faith, hope, and love are the three pillars that support the Christian life and the study of Scripture. When a believer is fully mature in these graces, they no longer need the Scriptures except to instruct others, as they have already reached the spiritual reality to which the written word points.
4. Ignorance of languages and natural things obscures the figurative signs of Scripture.
The great remedy for ignorance of proper signs is knowledge of languages.
The barrier of signs. Augustine explains that readers are often prevented from understanding Scripture due to unknown or ambiguous signs. Signs can be proper, pointing directly to their literal referents, or figurative, where the literal referent points to a deeper spiritual reality. To overcome the barrier of unknown signs, the interpreter must acquire a diverse toolkit of knowledge.
The necessity of languages. Ignorance of the original biblical languages is the primary obstacle to understanding proper signs. Augustine strongly advocates for the study of ancient tongues to resolve the confusion caused by the endless variety of Latin translations:
- Hebrew is essential for unlocking the Old Testament.
- Greek is necessary for both the Septuagint and the New Testament.
- Comparing multiple translations helps clarify obscure and poorly translated passages.
The value of natural science. Understanding figurative signs requires a broad knowledge of the natural world, including animals, plants, minerals, and numbers. For instance, knowing that a serpent protects its head at all costs helps us understand the command to be "wise as serpents," showing that we must protect our "head," which is Christ, even at the expense of our bodies.
5. Truth belongs to God wherever it is found, justifying the Christian use of pagan learning.
Nay, but let every good and true Christian understand that wherever truth may be found, it belongs to his Master...
Spoiling the Egyptians. Augustine addresses the anxiety some Christians feel regarding pagan philosophy and science. He argues that truth is unified and belongs entirely to God, regardless of its human source. Therefore, Christians should not fear pagan learning but should actively appropriate whatever is true and useful within it for the service of the gospel.
The Exodus metaphor. He uses the historical narrative of the Exodus to illustrate how Christians should handle pagan culture:
- The idols of Egypt represent pagan superstitions that must be utterly rejected.
- The gold and silver vessels represent liberal instruction and moral truths.
- Just as Israel took Egypt's gold to build the Tabernacle, Christians must use pagan truths to preach the gospel.
A balanced education. While secular history, dialectics, and mathematics are highly valuable for interpreting Scripture, they must be studied with a spirit of humility. Augustine warns that secular knowledge can easily puff up the mind with pride unless it is constantly tempered by Christian charity and directed toward the glory of God.
6. Literalism kills when figurative expressions are mistakenly interpreted as literal.
For when what is said figuratively is taken as if it were said literally, it is understood in a carnal manner.
The danger of literalism. In Book III, Augustine shifts his focus to ambiguous signs, warning that taking figurative expressions literally is a form of intellectual and spiritual slavery. When a reader clings blindly to the literal letter of a text, they reduce spiritual realities to carnal, material concepts. This prevents the soul from rising to contemplate eternal truths.
The Jewish and Gentile contexts. Augustine contrasts how this literalism manifested in different historical groups:
- The Jews were in bondage to useful signs that pointed to the true God, serving as a schoolmaster.
- The Gentiles were in bondage to useless signs (idols) that pointed to false gods and demons.
- Christ liberated both groups by revealing the spiritual realities behind the signs.
Spiritual freedom. Under the New Covenant, Christians are freed from the heavy burden of numerous ceremonial signs. Christ has instituted a few simple, highly significant sacraments—such as baptism and the Lord's Supper—which are easy to perform and rich in spiritual meaning, allowing believers to worship in freedom and truth.
7. The rule of charity determines whether a biblical passage is literal or figurative.
Whatever there is in the word of God that cannot, when taken literally, be referred either to purity of life or soundness of doctrine, you may set down as figurative.
The rule of charity. To determine whether a biblical passage is literal or figurative, Augustine establishes a simple, universal rule: if the literal reading seems to command a vice or crime, or forbid a useful and benevolent act, it must be interpreted figuratively. Scripture ultimately commands nothing but charity and condemns nothing but lust, shaping our lives accordingly.
Applying the rule. Augustine provides concrete examples of how this rule resolves difficult and seemingly offensive passages:
- Christ's command to "eat His flesh" seems to enjoin a crime, so it must be understood figuratively as participating in His passion.
- The command to "heap coals of fire" on an enemy's head is interpreted as bringing them to the burning groans of penitence.
- Apparent sins of Old Testament saints must be read as prophetic figures or understood within the context of their historical era.
Cultural relativity. Augustine cautions against judging ancient customs by modern standards. Actions like polygamy among the patriarchs were not driven by lust but by the historical necessity of propagating the race, proving that the moral quality of an action depends on the user's intent and the demands of their time.
8. Christian teachers must prioritize divine wisdom over mere human eloquence.
For eloquent speakers are heard with pleasure; wise speakers with profit.
Wisdom over eloquence. In Book IV, Augustine transitions to the art of communicating scriptural truth. He asserts that while eloquence is a valuable tool, wisdom is far more important for the Christian teacher. A speaker who delivers wise, scripturally sound truths in a simple style is infinitely more useful to the Church than one who delivers eloquent nonsense.
The ideal combination. The most effective teacher is one who possesses both wisdom and eloquence, a combination perfectly exemplified by the canonical writers. Augustine argues that the biblical authors did not lack eloquence; rather, their style was uniquely suited to their divine authority:
- Their eloquence is natural, flowing spontaneously from their deep wisdom.
- Their occasional obscurity is intentional, designed to exercise the reader's mind.
- They use rhetorical figures not for ostentation, but to serve the truth.
Scriptural models. Augustine analyzes passages from the Apostle Paul and the prophet Amos to demonstrate that the sacred writers naturally employed sophisticated rhetorical devices, such as climaxes, balanced clauses, and vivid metaphors. This proves that Christian teachers do not need to rely on pagan textbooks to learn the art of powerful speech.
9. The three styles of rhetoric—subdued, temperate, and majestic—must be used to teach, delight, and persuade.
He, then, shall be eloquent, who can say little things in a subdued style, moderate things in a temperate style, and great things in a majestic style...
The three rhetorical styles. Drawing from classical rhetoric, Augustine outlines three distinct styles of speech that the Christian teacher must master: the subdued style, the temperate style, and the majestic style. Each style corresponds to one of the three primary aims of the orator: to teach, to delight, and to persuade.
Matching style to purpose. The teacher must dynamically alternate between these styles depending on the immediate goal of their discourse:
- The subdued style is used for instruction, employing clear, simple language to resolve difficult questions.
- The temperate style is used for praise or blame, employing moderate ornament to delight and hold the audience's attention.
- The majestic style is used for exhortation, employing emotional vehemence to move stubborn wills to action.
The unity of the styles. Augustine emphasizes that these styles should not be kept strictly separate but should be mingled within a single discourse to maintain the audience's interest. Even when speaking on great matters, the preacher must use the subdued style to teach before using the majestic style to move, ensuring that emotion is always grounded in clear understanding.
10. A preacher's holy life is the most powerful sermon they can deliver.
But whatever may be the majesty of the style, the life of the speaker will count for more in securing the hearer’s compliance.
The eloquent life. Augustine concludes his treatise by asserting that the preacher's personal conduct is the most powerful element of Christian rhetoric. A holy life is far more persuasive than any beauty of speech. When a teacher's actions contradict their words, their audience will despise the message, using the preacher's hypocrisy as an excuse for their own sins.
The authority of Moses' seat. While a holy life is ideal, Augustine acknowledges that God can still use imperfect or even wicked teachers to benefit the Church. He references Christ's command to obey the scribes and Pharisees because they sit in "Moses' seat":
- The authority of the office compels them to teach sound doctrine.
- Believers can safely obey their words while avoiding their evil deeds.
- However, the hypocritical preacher remains unprofitable to themselves and limits their overall effectiveness.
The power of prayer. Ultimately, the Christian teacher must rely on prayer rather than human skill. Before delivering a sermon or writing a tract, the teacher must lift up their soul to God, asking Him to put fit words into their mouth. It is the Holy Spirit who truly teaches, and the preacher is merely an instrument in His hands.
