Saint Augustine on Frustration with Pagans
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got this idea in my head that people in the past had it easy…
That they wrote, thought and taught in a vacuum–free from distractions, objections and frustrations.
Of course we know that’s not true.
What is true is we often read in a vacuum, without the historical context in which a sermon like “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” or a book like Bondage of the Will is written.
The same is true for Augustine’s City of God, a book that’s part of my morning routine.
In this fat book Augustine is doing two things: One, confronting the accusation that the Christian religion is responsible for the destruction of Rome. And two, defining the city of God.
In Book II-1 [a chapter called The limit to be imposed on discussion of objections] you sense Augustine’s frustration with those who “are too blind to see what is put before their face, or they are too perversely obstinate to admit what they see.”
Here’s the whole chapter [it's short and worth reading carefully]:
If the feeble mind of man did not presume to resist the clear evidence of truth, but yielded its infirmity to wholesome doctrines, as to a health-giving medicine, until it obtained from God, by its faith and piety, the grace needed to heal it, they who have just ideas, and express them in suitable language, would need to use no long discourse to refute the errors of empty conjecture. But this mental infirmity is now more prevalent and hurtful than ever, to such an extent that even after the truth has been as fully demonstrated as man can prove it to man, they hold for the very truth their own unreasonable fancies, either on account of their great blindness, which prevents them from seeing what is plainly set before them, or on account of their opinionated obstinacy, which prevents them from acknowledging the force of what they do see.
There therefore frequently arises a necessity of speaking more fully on those points which are already clear, that we may, as it were, present them not to the eye, but even to the touch, so that they may be felt even by those who close their eyes against them.
And yet to what end shall we ever bring our discussions, or what bounds can be set to our discourse, if we proceed on the principle that we must always reply to those who reply to us? For those who are either unable to understand our arguments, or are so hardened by the habit of contradiction, that though they understand they cannot yield to them, reply to us, and, as it is written, speak hard things, and are incorrigibly vain. Now, if we were to propose to confute their objections as often as they with brazen face chose to disregard our arguments, and so often as they could by any means contradict our statements, you see how endless, and fruitless, and painful a task we should be undertaking.
And therefore I do not wish my writings to be judged even by you, my son Marcellinus, nor by any of those others at whose service this work of mine is freely and in all Christian charity put, if at least you intend always to require a reply to every exception which you hear taken to what you read in it; for so you would become like those silly women of whom the apostle says that they are always learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Frankly, this reminds me of my own frustration I defined in An Open Letter to Skeptics and Dead: Our Spiritual Condition Apart from the New Birth.
More importantly it highlights the binding obligation we have of giving a simple, but repeated articulation of the Gospel–to Christian and pagan alike–regardless of our frustration.
Bottom line: The truth of God will be resisted in our world. Jesus said as much–and condemned as much those who resisted it–when he said:
For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. Matthew 13:15
And there is no apology needed on our part for articulating this “foolish and weak” Gospel of Jesus Christ because in the same breath we warn pagan and Christian alike of the coming judgment and offer eternal life to whoever hears our words and believes on Christ.
It’s the greatest act of love.
And so despite our frustration, we continue in our Christian work. Just like our friend Augustine did.
Related posts:
10 Comments to Saint Augustine on Frustration with Pagans
Demian: How I understand the frustration you speak about. There are times when it seems no amount of proof will ever be enough. I have been praying for specific people in my life who do not know Christ. I love them deeply but as of now they still show no signs of change.
It hurts. A lot. How I yearn to see their faces in heaven.
But when those moments of discouragement and sadness come I turn to God’s promises. I am weak but he is strong.
Ephesiana 3:20, James 1:2-4
Ultimately I realize that the salvation of souls is completely out of my hands. And even though life doesn’t always make sense… God promises that one day we will understand. I Corinthians 13:12.
God bless you and may He grant you continued strength in your faithfulness to Him.
Demian FarnworthFebruary 8, 2010
Sincerity: You remember when Jesus’ followers were dumbfounded by Jesus statement that the road to heaven for the rich is nearly impassable? Do you remember his response? With God nothing is impossible. Salvation belongs to the Lord.
You quote great scriptures. Just wanted to add my own. 
Demian,
When Augustine wrote, “And yet to what end shall we ever bring our discussions, or what bounds can be set to our discourse, if we proceed on the principle that we must always reply to those who reply to us?”
Sounds like Augustine had email!
How much more true this is today in our age of email and blogs, where the “reply” button is at the fingertips of those who contend with us, and at our own fingertips as well.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had to stop myself more than once from hitting the reply button. Sounds like Augustine did, too!
Thanks for sharing this profound chapter. I may need to get the book, now.
AlyssaFebruary 8, 2010
This is mildly unrelated, but I read another great quote by Augustine yesterday:
‘If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.’
It amazes me how nothing changes!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a study in contrasts, defining the extremes in all phases of life. Within this brief passage, one can find the reasons behind Paul’s admonition to Timothy (2Tim.4:1-5)and Titus (1:13, 2:15),and Jude’s words(vv.17-23).
There are times both for gentle entreaty and for harsh rebuke, for extending gracious invitation and for warning of wrath, for extending the hand of fellowship and for shaking off the dust from one’s feet.
Although we would follow Paul’s example in being all things to all men, not all will approve or receive us and some will despise us. As Christ Jesus’ disciples we neither seek this status nor manufacture it, but we must accept it as our apportioned lot– a fact of life. It is, as Alyssa points out, a part of the Gospel of Christ which, though we may not like it, we must accept as part of the whole.
Your admonition, Friend Demian, is well taken. Thank you.
Richard: Thus the reason for this post…I thought post/reply/counter-reply ad nauseum was a modern phenom.
How naive.
Great quote Alyssa!
And Al, I’m thinking to learn when one is appropriate over the other comes from experience and guidance from the Holy Spirit, yes?
Love you guys.
AnneFebruary 10, 2010
I think it’s kind of hilarious that you imagine that Christianity is true and people only resist it because they are obstinate or like to sin or some such nonsense, while at the same time you yourself would be indignant if a Muslim leveled the charge that you only rejected Islam as the one true religion because you’re willfully blind to its truth.
Sounds reasonable, D, but I doubt there’s a pat answer that will serve us all equally…
@Anne, you won’t see it, of course, but your attitude is a prime example of the point of the post. You said,
“…you (Augustine? Demian? All believers in Christ?) imagine that Christianity is true and people only resist it because they are obstinate or like to sin or some such nonsense, while at the same time you (? yourself would be indignant if… “
…as if you, Anne, could have any idea what another person or persons “imagines” or actually knows, and what such knowledge is based upon, or what would make that person/persons indignant.
Believers in Christ Jesus hold in evidence what God has said. What evidence supports your stated amusement?
Demian FarnworthFebruary 11, 2010
Anne, yes, I’m also curious to see what evidence supports your stated amusement…
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February 8, 2010