Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Building Up the Church


2 Timothy 4:2

We pray that words may be given to us, as it is written in the book of Jeremiah, "The Lord said to the prophet: 'Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth as fire. See, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, and to build and to plant.'"

For we need words now that will root out of every wounded soul the disgraces spoken against the truth. We also need thoughts that will pull down all edifices based on false opinions. And we require a wisdom that will throw down all high things that rise against the knowledge of God.

Just as we must not stop rooting out and pulling down the hindrances that have just been men­tioned, we must, in place of what has been root­ed out, plant the plants of God's field. In place of what has been pulled down, we must raise the building of God and the temple of His glory. For that reason, we must also pray to the Lord who gave the gifts named in the book of Jeremiah. Pray that He may grant us words for building up the temple of Christ, for planting the spiritual law, and for teaching others to do the same.
—Origen

Readings taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers

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