Saint Augustine: Tractates on the Gospel of John, 112–124; Tractates on the First Epistle of John
Overview
In this volume, which concludes John W. Rettig’s translation of St. Augustine’s Tractates on the Gospel of John, Augustine applies his keen insight and powers of rhetoric to the sacred text, drawing the audience into an intimate contemplation of Jesus through the course of his Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
Augustine clarifies the meaning of words and phrases (often appealing to the Greek text), resolves obscurities, and reconciles apparent contradictions. He explains the Scriptures on several levels of meaning and draws from them practical implications for the Christian life. Always evident in his teaching and exhortation is his strong desire to lead souls to a knowledge and love of God.
Because the scriptural readings for holy Week and the Octave of Easter were fixed to some extent, during the Easter Octave in AD 407 Augustine had to interrupt his exposition of John’s Gospel after delivering the twelfth tractate. In order to maintain some continuity, he decided to preach upon the First Epistle of John. Its central theme, which Augustine saw to be caritas (Christian love), was especially appropriate at this time, for the Donatist schism had torn many away from the Church at Hippo. In the ten tractates on the First Epistle of John, Augustine develops an outline of his theology on love and explains its implications for the Mystical Body of Christ. He teaches that those who hate the members of Christ cannot truly love Christ—even if they profess otherwise, even if they were to lay down their lives for Him. In these tractates Augustine once again reveals himself as the humble and zealous pastor of souls. His words seem to radiate the very love about which he speaks, so that few of his listeners could accuse him of preaching what he himself did not practice.
For The Fathers of the Church series in its entirety, see Fathers of the Church Series (127 vols.).
Key Features
- Explains the meanings of obscure words
- Raises the bar for living out the Christian life
- One of 127 published volumes in a well-respected series on the Church Fathers
Top Highlights
“And what is ‘Let your left hand not know what your right hand does’13 except that the right hand is the pure conscience, the left hand the desire of the world? Many men do many marvelous things through the desire of the world; the left hand works, not the right. The right hand ought to work, and without the knowledge of the left hand, so that the desire of the world does not at all intermingle when we do some good work out of love. And wherein do we know this? You are before God; question your heart. See what you have done, what you are aiming for there, your salvation or the inflated praise of men. See within: for the man who cannot see cannot judge. If we persuade our heart, let us persuade it before him.” (Pages 200–201)
“Therefore, return within, brothers, and in all the things whichever you do, look upon God as your witness. See, if he sees, with what intention in mind you do them. If your heart does not accuse you, that you do them for the sake of showing off, that’s good, be without anxiety. But do not be afraid when you do well that another may see. Be afraid that you do it precisely to be praised.” (Page 239)
“If the Father delivered up the Son and the Son delivered up himself, what did Judas do? Delivering up was done by the Father, delivering up was done by the Son, delivering up was done by Judas: one thing was done. But what thing distinguishes the Father delivering up the Son, the Son delivering up himself, and the disciple Judas delivering up his Teacher? That the Father and the Son did it in love, but Judas did this in betrayal. You see that it is not what a man does that must be considered but with what intention and will he does it.” (Page 222)
- Title: Saint Augustine: Tractates on the Gospel of John, 112–24; Tractates on the First Epistle of John
- Author: Augustine of Hippo
- Series: The Fathers of the Church
- Volume: 92
- Publisher: Catholic University of America
- Print Publication Date: 1995
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 315
- Era: era:nicene
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. 1 John › Sermons--Early works to 1800; Bible. N.T. John › Sermons--Early works to 1800; Sermons, Latin › Translations into English--Early works to 1800
- ISBN: 081320092
- Resource ID: LLS:TRCTTSGSPLJHN112
- Resource Type: text.monograph.sermons
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T21:02:56Z