Besides the first book, Book Four was the most enjoyable read of St. Augustine's Christian Teaching work. 'Augustine. Augustine's discussion of the qualities and nature of good rhetoric and exposition was enlightening. In a culture that often emphasizes the importance of having only the Holy Scriptures, St. Augustine seems to present a more complete and educated vision of what is needed to accurately and effectively teach Christian doctrine. Beyond simply quoting the word of God, St. Augustine emphasizes the need for instruction, eloquence, and moderation in teaching Christian doctrines. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Notably, St. Augustine uses his fourth book On Christian Teaching to emphasize the need for education, stating “…who could date to maintain that the truth, the defense of which depends on us, should remain disarmed in the fight against lies?” (Augustine 101) Growing up, I was always told that the Holy Spirit would equip me to teach His word and that no other instructions were needed, Augustine seems to contradict this idea, claiming that if the enemy trains himself to promote lies ​​and falsehood, we should be equally prepared to defend the words of God. "...he who wants to know and teach...let him acquire the ability to speak appropriately to the Christian orator" (Augustine 121). “listen to the Holy Spirit,” as our feeling-driven church often advocates. Rather, Augustine emphasizes the need to wrestle with God and our abilities to learn effective communication skills emphasize the need for natural eloquence. He notes, “…the person required for the task in question is someone who can argue or speak wisely, if not eloquently” (Augustine 104). However, it seems to me that the Bible does not agree with Augustine's argument. While Augustine claims that the apostles used a “stream of eloquence” (Augustine 108), Paul claims that “the wisdom esteemed by worldly men is foolishness in the sight of God” (1 Cor 3:19). Augustine declares that eloquence serves to "make clear what was hidden..." (Augustine 117), but Paul does not seem the least bit interested in becoming eloquent. He states that "he may be inexperienced as an orator" (1 Cor 11:6). He does not discuss learning to speak well or training in eloquence, but simply embraces his rough speaking style. I would like to believe that St. Augustine's argument is correct. It's attractive and inspires me to speak boldly, but the topic doesn't seem to have any basis in Scripture. After discussing knowledge and eloquence, St. Augustine almost seems to backtrack and advocate a "more sober teaching style." and education (Augustine 125). This style, Augustine argues, is best suited to teaching and instruction (Augustine 125). While I see little basis in Scripture for the need for eloquence, the need for effective teaching seems more scripturally sound. Looking at the teaching and instruction of the apostles throughout the New Testament, it appears that they all effectively demonstrate Christian doctrine to other believers. It just seems to me that this same level of eloquence is not necessary when sharing the Gospel to unbelievers. Time and time again, we see Jesus' inexperienced disciples share the gospel with fervor and passion, and with little learned knowledge or eloquence. Please note: this is just an example. Get.