Friday, January 15, 2010

To Awaken Grace Present the Word Simply Without Philosophizing


Overarching all methods to support an awakening from the "slumber of sin' and realizing grace is the Word of God.
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17)

It is essential to proclaim the story of the universal, divine way of salvation, to tell of well-known persons and places to which one who has been aroused should turn for interpretation, so he will not waste that arousal or stray off course from it, wasting time and energy fruitlessly. Catechistic teaching must be heard unceasingly...
Saint Theophan the Recluse


Saint Theophan also instructs how this is to be done using the example of the Apostles.
The preaching of the holy Apostles, those who followed them and all preachers of the Gospel in general has consisted of a simple presentation of the truth, without any philosophizing.

One should engage int he simple telling of the truth telling the story of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified on the Cross.  We should not clutter our presentation with intellectual concepts or any speculation about probabilities.

He says,
Truth is akin to spirit.  When it is uttered simply and sincerely, truth finds the spirit.  When it is surrounded by images and is figurative and embellished, it remains in the imagination.  When it is encumbered with concepts and arguments, it is detained in the intellect or soul, not reaching the spirit, which is left empty.  One could say that all unfruitful preaching is on account of the intellectualizing that fills it.  Just explain the truth in a simple way; say what it is, and the spirit will be overcome.


Ref: Path to Salvation pp 119-123

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