Through the Church Father: January 7

Today’s readings confront division at its root and answer it with love, humility, and depth of meaning in Scripture itself. Clement of Rome warns the Corinthians that removing faithful presbyters and fueling factionalism is not merely disorderly but destructive to the body of Christ, reminding them that schism always arises from pride and is healed only through repentance and love that seeks the common good (Psalm 32:1–2). Augustine of Hippo deepens this diagnosis by confessing how his own early education trained his emotions to weep over fictional tragedies while remaining blind to his own spiritual death, revealing how misdirected loves distort judgment and form habits that must later be unlearned by truth itself (Psalm 78:39). Thomas Aquinas then explains why Scripture itself speaks with layered meaning, using metaphors and multiple senses not to confuse the faithful but to lead finite minds toward infinite truth, grounding all interpretation in the literal sense while allowing God’s single authorship to unfold spiritual depth beyond human design. Read together, these texts show that unity, conversion, and understanding all depend on rightly ordered love—love that listens, submits, and allows God’s Word to speak more deeply than we first expect.

Clement of Rome, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapters 44–50

Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions, Book 1, Chapters 12–13 (Sections 19–22)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 1, Articles 9–10 (combined)

Explore the Project:

Through the Church Fathers – https://www.throughthechurchfathers.com

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/cmichaelpatton

Credo Courses – https://www.credocourses.com

Credo Ministries – https://www.credoministries.org