Book I, Homily 1 Remixed: Read Your Bible (Att. Thomas Cranmer)

(1)

The most useful and necessary thing for a Christian to know is the Bible, because it contains God’s true word. The Bible tells us why God is glorious and how we ought to treat God and neighbor. There is no truth or doctrine that necessary to reconcile us to God or give us eternal life that cannot be drawn out the fountain and well of truth that is the Bible.

         So if you want to go on that spiritual journey, travel that spiritual path, and end up at the right and perfect destination that is God, you need to put your mind to Holy Scripture. Otherwise, you are not going to know much about God and His will, or about what you should do with your life.

         A cool glass of water is delightful when you are thirsty. A steaming plate of something tasty is wonderful when you are hungry. And just as pleasant and satisfying is the reading, hearing, searching, and studying of Holy Scripture, if you want to know God and serve Him. The only tummies that get indigestion from the heaven-sent knowledge and fine cuisine of God’s word are of those who are so addicted to the aimless things of life that they don’t give much thought about God or drawing near to Him. Indeed, if given a choice, they would prefer aimless things to the true knowledge of God.

         You know that when you have a fever, you often have trouble keeping down what you eat or drink, even if it would normally taste really good? It’s not that the food is bad. It’s just that your body is infected with disease, so your mouth is too inflamed to taste the food and your stomach is too inflamed to digest it. So it just come right back up. Well, our minds can be infected with sin and a love of the things in this world that do not last longer or matter more than God. And when we are feverish with this disease, the sweet taste of God’s become bitter, not because it really is but because our minds are infected by extensive experience with sin and love of this world.

         Therefore, let us abandon the corrupt judgment of those who think only about what their body wants. Let us attentively listen to and read the Holy Scriptures: the food of the soul (Matt. 4:4). Let us diligently search for the Well of Life in the books of the New and Old Testament, and not splash in the stinking puddles of traditions of our own invention, to justify our lives and save them.            

         For the Holy Scriptures contain all the dos and don’ts; what to believe, what to love, and what God can provide to us. In the books of the Bible, we shall find the Father from whom, the Son by whom, and Holy Spirit in whom everything derives and remains in existence, and that these three Persons are one God and of the same substance. In these books, we may come to know ourselves. In particular, we learn how vile and miserable we are. We also come to know God, how good He is, and how he made every creature as well as us to share His goodness. We may also learn in these books to know God’s will and pleasure to the extent it is convenient for us to know at present.

In the great city now called Istanbul around 1600 years ago, there was a great scholar, bishop, and godly preacher nicknamed Golden-Tongued John, whom we generally call St. John Chrysostom. He said that the divine Scripture contains all things necessary to human salvation. In it, whoever is ignorant may learn from the Scripture and gain knowledge. Whoever is hard-hearted and stubborn in sin, shall find eternal torment there (prepared by God’s justice) to frighten and soften the heart. Whoever is suffering from the miseries of this world shall find relief in the promises of eternal life, to their great consolation and comfort. Whoever is mortally wounded by the Devil shall find medicine to restore him or her to health. If it is necessary to teach any truth, refute false doctrine, rebuke any vice, praise any virtue, to give good advice, to comfort or to encourage, or to do anything necessary for our salvation, Chrysostom tells us that we may learn those things from Holy Scripture.

Fulgentius, a North African bishop of 1500 years ago familiar with suffering torture and exile for his faith, tells us that the Bible contains abundance for adults to eat and children to suck: whatever is proper for all ages, and for all types and classes of human beings.

These books therefore should be often in our hands, in our ears, in our mouths, but most of all in our hearts. For the Scripture of God is the heavenly food of our souls (Matt. 4:4). To hear and obey it blesses us and makes us holy (Luke 11:28; John 17:17). It directs our souls (Ps. 19:7-10). It is a lantern to our feet (Ps. 119:105). It is a sure, steady, and eternal instrument of salvation. It gives wisdom to the humble and lowly (Ps. 119:130). It comforts, delights, cheers, and cherishes our conscience. It is better treasure than gold or diamonds. It is sweeter than honey or honey in the comb.

It is called the better part, which Mary Magdalene did choose, for it can comfort us eternally (Luke 10:39-42). The words of Holy Scripture are called the words of eternal life (John 6:68), for they are God’s appliances and medical equipment, designed for the same purpose. They have power to convert through God’s promise, and are effective through God’s help, and once received inside a faithful heart, they work heaven into the spirit (Col. 1:5-6). They are alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and pierce so deeply as to divide soul from spirit, joints and marrow (Heb. 4:12).

Christ calls a builder wise that builds upon the word, upon its sure and firm foundation (Matthew 7:24-27). By this word of God, we shall be judged, for Christ says, “the word I have spoken will be [our] judge on the last day” (John 12:48). One who keeps the word of Christ is promised the love and favor of God, and that he or she will be the dwelling place of the blessed Trinity (John 14:23). Whoever diligently reads this word and prints it upon on their heart shall find their great affection for the things of this world diminished and grow greatly in desire for heavenly things (promised by God in his word). There is nothing that strengthens our faith and trust in God and maintains the innocence and purity of the heart, and outward piety in word and deed, as the regular reading and memorizing of God’s word. For the regular reading and diligent searching of Holy Scripture prints and engraves things in our heart that in a while, become almost second nature.

And moreover, God’s word is good and effective at enlightening the illiterate who hear it as well as those that faithfully and diligently read it. It can comfort their hearts, and encourage them to do all that God has commanded. It teaches patience in all troubles, in success, humility: what honor is due to God, what mercy and love to our neighbor. It gives good counsel in all doubtful matters. It shows us to whom we should look for help in all perils, and that God is the sole giver of victory in battle (1 Sam. 14:6-23; 2 Chron. 20:1-30) and in the temptations by both temporal and spiritual adversaries (1 Cor. 15:57; 1 John 5:4).

The one who benefits most from God’s word is not always the one who reads it or recites it the most, but the one is who most converted to it, that is, most inspired by the Holy Spirit so that their heart and life is altered and changed into what they read: who is daily less proud, less angry, less greedy, and wants less of worldly and aimless pleasure, who daily abandons their old and vicious life and increases in virtue more and more.

And in summary, nothing keeps us in mind of God and away from ungodliness than regular reading and hearing of God’s word, if it is done with a pious mind and a strong desire to know and follow God’s will. For without a sound eye, pure intent, and good mind, no one is considered good before God (Matt. 5:22). And on the other side, nothing overshadows Christ and the glory of God, nor causes more blindness and all kinds of vice than the ignorance of God’s word (Matt. 22:29).

(2) 

The first part of this sermon strongly encouraged the knowledge of the Bible, declared why such knowledge is necessary and profitable for all, and demonstrated that the true knowledge and understanding of Scripture helps us to know the most necessary points of our duty towards God and our neighbors. Now you shall hear more on the same matter.

If we claim to follow or serve Christ, why are we not ashamed if we know little of his teaching? Indeed, everyone is ashamed to lack the book-knowledge in the profession or hobby he or she claims to practice. Those who call themselves philosophers would be ashamed if they did not read books of philosophy. And likewise ashamed would be lawyers, astronomers, and physicians, if they were not familiar with the literature of their respective subjects. Now can anyone then say that they believe in Christ and his religion, if they will not apply themselves (as far as is convenient) to read and hear and so to know the books of Christ’s Gospel and teaching? Although other sciences are good and worthy of study, yet no one can deny that the Bible is chief among them and exceeds every other incomparably. What excuse can we therefore make at the last day before Christ for delighting to read or hear ordinary literature more than His most holy Gospel? And for finding no time to do that which we should prioritize above everything else? And reading other things than the Bible, when we ought to pause from reading other things?   

Let all of us who have faith and trust in Him therefore apply ourselves, as much as we have time and leisure, to know God’s word by diligently reading and hearing it.

I have heard those who have no strong interest in God’s word wave away their fault with two pointless and feigned excuses. Some excuse themselves on account of their own frailty and fear, saying that they do not want to read the Bible just in case their ignorance leads them into error. Others pretend that the Bible is so difficult to understand that only clergy and scholars should read it.

 The first excuse is silly. Ignorance of God’s word is the cause of all error, as Christ told the Sadducees, saying that they were far from the truth, because they did not know the Scriptures (Matthew 22:29). How then will anyone avoid error, if they remain ignorant? And how will they stop being ignorant, if they won't read or listen to the very thing that will take away their ignorance? Those who have the most knowledge knew nothing when they began, yet they did not dare to avoid reading, for fear they should fall into error, but diligently read, so that they did not remain in ignorance, and through ignorance, fall into error.

And if you will not know the truth of God, a thing most necessary for you, just in case you fall into error… Well, then by the same reasoning: you would never go anywhere, because you might get stuck in a bog. You would not eat any tasty food, so that you would not eat too much. You would not plant anything, nor do your job, nor use anything you have bought. And you would do this (or avoid doing this), because you are afraid that you will lose your seed, your labor, and your other property. By that reasoning, it would be best for you to live idly and never do anything good, just in case something bad happens.

And if you are afraid that reading Holy Scripture will bring you into error, I will show you how you may read it without any danger. Read it humbly, with a meek and lowly heart, always intending that your knowledge of the Bible may give glory to God and not to yourself. Do not read it without daily praying to God that He will guide your reading to good results: and interpret the Bible no further than you can plainly understand it.

For St. Augustine, a great bishop and philosopher in North Africa 1600 years ago, says that the knowledge of Holy Scripture is a great, large, and tall place, but the door is very low, so that the tall and arrogant man cannot run in but must duck, crouch, and so humble himself before entering. Self-importance and arrogance is the mother of all error; humility should fear none. For humility will only search to know the truth, it will search, and will bring together one place in Scripture with another. Where it cannot find the meaning, it will pray, it will ask of others that know, and will not presumptuously and rashly claim anything that it does not know.

Therefore, the humble man may search any truth boldly in the Scripture without any danger of error. And the ignorant ought to read and search Holy Scripture more often, to bring them out of ignorance. One may benefit only hearing the Scripture but will benefit much more by both hearing and reading. This is what I have to say about the fears of the ignorant about reading the Scripture.

What I have to say about the difficulty of Scripture is this: Whoever is not able to eat solid food can suck sweet and tender milk, deferring the rest until they are strong enough to grow in knowledge (1 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 5:12-14). For God embraces the educated and uneducated, rejecting none, but is indifferent to all. And the Scripture is just as full of low valleys and flat roads that are easy for every man to use and walk in, as it is of high hills and mountains, which few can climb.

St. Chrysostom says that whoever gives their mind to the Holy Scriptures with diligent study and burning desire will not be left without hope. For either Almighty God will send some godly expert to teach, as He did to instruct the Ethiopian eunuch, the treasurer of Queen Candace, who having interest in reading Scripture (although he did not understand it) had such desire for God’s word that God sent His Apostle Philip to teach him the true meaning of the Scripture that he read (Acts 8:26-39). Or else, if we lack an educated person to instruct us, God himself will enlighten our minds and teach us the necessary things that we do not know. And in another place, Chrysostom says that humane and worldly wisdom or science is not needed for the understanding of Scripture. What you need is the revelation of the Holy Spirit, who inspires the true meaning in those that search with humility and diligence.   

For everyone who asks will receive, those who seek will find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened (Matt. 7:8). If we read once, twice, or three times, and do not understand, let us not stop, but continue reading, praying, consulting one another, and so still by knocking, at last, the door shall be opened (as St. Augustine says).

Although many things in the Scripture are spoken of mysteriously, yet there is nothing spoken of mysteriously in one place that is not spoken of more familiarly and clearly in other places within the understanding of both the educated and uneducated. And it is the duty of everyone to learn, memorize, and make use of those things in the Scripture that are clearly understood and necessary for salvation. We should be content with ignorance of the dark mysteries until God reveals them. In the meantime, God will not count it against anyone if they lack aptitude or opportunity to read the difficult parts of the Scriptures, but it is not a good idea that those who are fit to read these parts should not read them because others are unfit. Nevertheless, the reading of the whole Scriptures should not be avoided on account of the difficult parts.
And in conclusion, St. Augustine says that the Scriptures amend all, strengthen the weak, and comfort the strong. So certainly, no one are enemies to the reading of God’s word, unless they are so ignorant, that they do not know how healthy it is for them, or else are so sick that they hate the most pleasant medicine that can heal them, or so ungodly that they would wish people to continue in blindness and ignorance of God.

Let us ruminate and (as it were) chew the cud that we may have their sweet juice, spiritual effect, marrow, honey, kernel, taste, and consolation. Let us park, quiet, and strengthen our consciences with their most infallible certainty, truth, and perpetual assurance. Let us pray to God (the only author of these heavenly studies) that we may speak, think, believe, and depart from this world according to their truth and wholesome teaching. And by that means, we shall have God’s protection, favor, and grace, peace that passes all understanding, and a quiet conscience in this world, and after this miserable life, we shall enjoy the endless bliss and glory of heaven: which Jesus Christ grants to us all for whom he died. To Him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.