The present and the future life compared
My children, we Christians do not consider this present life to possess any value in itself. Nor do we judge that something is genuinely good, if it merely contributes to the present life alone. We do not reckon that greatness consists in having renowned ancestors, bulging muscles, beauty, stature, honour (though it were bestowed by the whole world), political power even, nor any other human attribute one might mention. We do not think such things are worth praying for, and we do not admire those who have them. No, our hopes press forward to the future; everything we do is by way of preparing ourselves for the next life. Therefore, we say that whatever contributes to that life, we should love and pursue with all our strength.
What exactly the future life is, and how we shall live it, would take us too far from our present purpose. Those of a more mature age, rather than youngsters like you, would be a more suitable audience. Yet I may perhaps be able to convince you of the following. If we could sum up all the happiness there has ever been since human beings first existed, and collected it all together in one place, it would not be equal in value to the slightest taste of the future life. In fact, the sum total of the good things found in this present life is like shadows and dreams, compared to the good things of the next life. Or here is a better way of putting it: to the degree that the soul is more precious than the body, so great is the difference between the present and the future life!
The good in Pagan literature can improve our minds
and help us to understand the Bible
Now the Holy Scriptures lead the way to that future life, teaching us through mysteries.2 Yet your youth and inexperience make it impossible for you to fathom the depth of meaning that lies in these biblical mysteries. So in the meantime, we give a preliminary training to the eye of your mind, through certain parallel forms of teaching, which have some similarity with biblical truth - in shadows and reflections, as it were. In doing this, we imitate those who perform military drills as they train to be soldiers. They first gain experience through gymnastic exercises for the arms, and dance-steps for the feet. Then they are able to make good use of what was done in sport, when they come to actual combat.
Likewise we must consider that we, too, are entering a contest - the greatest of all contests. In preparing to take part in it, we must exert ourselves to the full; we must associate with poets, and writers of prose, and orators, and with all those who hold out any prospect of benefit for the improvement of our minds. Dyers first prepare, by various treatments, the material that is to be dyed. Then they apply the colour, whether purple or some other hue. Likewise, if the glory of the Good is to be impressed on us indelibly for all time, we must first be instructed by these “outside” means. Then we shall be in a position to grasp the sacred teachings of Scripture, so full of mystery. Like those who have first accustomed themselves to looking at the sun’s reflection in water, we shall then direct our eyes toward the light itself.
The example of Moses and Daniel who combined
Pagan learning with Spiritual Wisdom
Knowledge of Pagan literature will be useful to us, if there is some point-of-contact between it and Christianity. But even if there is no resemblance, it will still be of great value in strengthening our appreciation of how much better Christianity is, when we set the two alongside each other and discover the difference between them. Yet how shall we compare the two systems of education, and find the right way of describing their relationship? Perhaps this illustration will help. The real “job” of a tree is to bear delightful fruit; and yet the tree is also adorned with leaves, waving like a beautiful garment around its branches. Likewise if we compare our minds with a tree: the truth is its primary fruit; yet it may be adorned with the garment of wisdom drawn from Pagan literature, which certainly is not lacking in loveliness.
We could liken Pagan wisdom to the leaves that both protect the fruit and also give it an appearance not devoid of beauty. Scripture says that even Moses, that illustrious man, whose reputation for wisdom stands first among the human race, first of all trained his mind in the knowledge of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22), and then proceeded to the contemplation of “the One Who Is” (Exodus 3:14). In similar fashion, the wise Daniel at a later date learned the wisdom of the Babylonians first, and then applied himself to the divine teachings (Daniel 1:3-4).
Learning from the Pagan poets and prose writers
Pagan learning, then, is not without usefulness to the mind. We have said enough on this point. However, we need to move forward now to discuss how you should involve yourselves in this learning. First, then, let us consider what knowledge we can derive from the poets. They deal with every kind of subject. You should not pay attention to absolutely everything they say; but whenever they describe the deeds or words of good men, you should cherish these, imitate them, and try to be like them, as far as you can. When, however, they portray wicked men, you should not imitate them, but stop up your ears as Odysseus did when he avoided the songs of the Sirens (as those same poets tell us).3
For this reason we must watch over our minds with all vigilance, in case the attractive poetry leads us to accept the evil depicted, like someone who takes poison mixed with honey. We shall not praise the poets when they insult or mock, or when they depict men drunk or engaged in forbidden love, or when they define happiness in terms of gluttony or immoral songs. We shall especially not take them seriously when they tell us about their gods, particularly when they teach that there are many gods, who do not even enjoy harmony with each other. As Pagan poetry portrays the family of gods, brother feuds with brother, father with children, and children are at endless war with parents. But as for the adulteries of their gods, their love affairs, their sexual acts in public, especially those of Zeus, their chief and highest god, as they describe him - actions we would blush to mention even in brute beasts - well, we shall leave all these things to the Pagan theatre!
I must apply the same observations to Pagan prose writers, especially when they fabricate stories merely to entertain an audience. Above all, we shall not imitate the orators when they make a professional art out of lying! Lying is never appropriate behaviour for Christians, neither in a court of law, nor in ordinary affairs. We have chosen the right and true way of life, in which God has even forbidden us to take others to court at all (1 Cor. 6:7).
