The Expositor's Bible: The Pastoral EpistlesPlummer, Alfred
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Pastoral Epistles
Plummer, Alfred
Bible. Pastoral Epistles -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
we have little skill (in quotation)." Besides these he appeals to the
examples, among Greek writers, of Quadratus, Justin Martyr, Dionysius,
Clement of Alexandria, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, etc.; and among Latins,
Tertullian, Minucius Felix, Arnobius, Hilary, and Juvencus. And he
points out that quotations from profane authors occur in nearly all the
works of these writers, and not merely in those which are addressed to
heathen. But while Jerome defends the study of classical authors as a
necessary part of education, he severely condemns those clergy who
amused themselves with such writers as Plautus (of whom he himself had
been very fond), Terence, and Catullus, when they ought to have been
studying the Scriptures. Later in life his views appear to have become
more rigid; and we find him rejoicing that the works of Plato and
Aristotle are becoming neglected.
It was the short reign of Julian, commonly called "the Apostate" (A.D.
361-363), which had brought the question very much to the front. His
policy and legislation probably influenced Augustine and Jerome in
taking a more liberal line in the matter, in spite of Latin dislike of
Greek philosophy and their own ascetic tendencies. Julian, jealous of
the growing influence of Christian teachers, tried to prevent them from
lecturing on classical authors. From this he hoped to gain two
advantages. (1) Secular education would to a large extent be taken out
of Christian hands. (2) The Christian teachers themselves would become
less well educated, and less able to contend with heathen
controversialists. He sarcastically pointed out the inconvenience of a
teacher expounding Homer and denouncing Homer's gods: Christians had
better confine themselves to "expounding Matthew and Luke in the
Churches of the Galileans," and leave the interpretation of the
masterpieces of antiquity to others. And he seems not to have contented
himself with cynical advice, but to have passed a law that no Christian
was to teach in the public schools. This law was at once cancelled by
his successor Valentinian; but it provoked a strong feeling of
resentment, and stirred up Christians to recognize and hold fast the
advantages of a classical education.
But while the influence of the first three of the four great Latin
Fathers was in favour of a wise use of the products of pagan genius, the
influence of the last of the four was disastrously in the opposite
direction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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