Teaching Christianity
obediently, not to any mere human being, but to the Lord himself as he says, Do what they say; what they do, however, do not do, for they say and do not do (Mt 23:3), that is why even those who do not act in a profitable way can be listened to with profit. For they are indeed bent on seeking what is their own, but they dare not teach what is their own, from the higher place, that is to say, of the chair of ecclesiastical authority, which has been established by sound doctrine. That is why the Lord himself, before speaking about such people as I have mentioned, first said, They sit on the chair of Moses (Mt 23:2). So it was that chair, not their own but the one of Moses, that was constraining them to say good things, even while not doing good things. So they were doing their own thing in their lives, but were not permitted to teach their own thing by the chair that belonged to someone else.
60. And so they benefit many people by saying what they do not do, but they would benefit far, far more by doing what they say. There are plenty of people, after all, who seek an excuse for their bad lives in those of their very own leaders and teachers, replying in their hearts, or even bursting out with it and saying to their faces, "Why don't you yourself do what you are telling me to do?" Thus it happens that they do not listen obediently to someone who doesn't listen to himself, and that they despise the word of God being preached to them along with the preacher. Finally, we have the apostle writing to Timothy, and after saying, Let nobody despise your youth, adding a reason why it should not be despised, and saying, but be a model for the faithful in word, in behavior, in love, in faith, in chastity (1 Tm 4:12).
28, 61. That such a teacher should be heard with compliant obedience, he may also unashamedly speak in the grand manner, as well as in the plain and the moderate style, because he does not live in a despicable manner. For he chooses to live a good life in such a way that he does not neglect his good reputation either, but takes care, as far as he can, to act well in the sight of God and of men (2 Cor 8:21), fearing him and being concerned for them.
In his sermons too he should prefer to please with the substance of what he says more than with the words he says it in; nor should he imagine that a thing is said better unless it is said more truly; and as a teacher his words should be serving him, not he his words. This, after all, is what the apostle says: Not in the wisdom of the word, lest the cross of Christ should be canceled out (1 Cor 1:17). The same point is also made by what he says to Timothy: Do not argue about words; for it is of no use for anything but for the subversion of the hearers (2 Tm 2:14). Nor was the reason for saying this that we on our part should not speak up for the truth against opponents attacking the truth; in that case where would what he said fit in, where he was showing what sort of man a bishop should be: That he should be strong on sound doctrine, and capable of refuting those who contradict it (Ti 1:9)? For arguing about words does not mean caring how error may be overcome by truth, but how your way of saying things may be preferred to someone else's.
Accordingly, the one who does not argue about words, whether he is speaking calmly and plainly, or in the moderate style or the grand manner, is intending that by his words the truth should become clear to his hearers, that the truth should please them, that the truth should move them, seeing that not even charity, which is the end of the commandment and the fulfilling of the law,[66] can in any way be rightly directed, if the things that are loved by it are not true, but false. Indeed, though, just as someone who has a beautiful body and a misshapen mind is more to be grieved over than if he also had a misshapen body, so too those who eloquently utter things that are false are more to be pitied than if they said such things in a shapeless style. What therefore does it mean to speak not only eloquently but also wisely, if not to provide words that are sufficient in the plain