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Morals
St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925
Chapter 72
Concerning hearers: That such hearers as have been instructed in the Scriptures should test what their teachers say, and receive what agrees with the Scriptures but reject what disagrees; and sternly decline dealings with those who persist in such teachings.
The word “hearers” apparently means laity here. The inculcation of private judgment is surprising in a 4th century Father, but is explained by the conditions prevailing at the time of writing (see Intr. p. 16), when so many of the custodians of Church doctrine had been led astray by innovations which to B.’s mind were unscriptural.
Mt. xviii. 7, 9 (shortened); Jn. x. 1; 5 ἀκολουθήσωσιν for ἀκολουθήσουσιν K; Gal. i. 8 ἐλάβετε for εὐηγγελισάμεθα**; 1 Thess. v. 20; 21 add δέ after πάντα K; 22.
That those who have little knowledge of Scripture should recognise the stamp of sanctity in the fruits of the Spirit, and should receive those that show them, but reject those that do not.
Mt. vii. 15 add δέ after προσέχετε K; 16; Phil. iii. 17.
That we should receive those who rightly handle the word of truth as if they were the Lord, to the glory of Him Who has sent them, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Mt. x. 40; Jn. xiii. 20; Lk. x. 16; Gal. iv. 14 omit ὑμῶν after πειρασμόν, add τόν before ἐν K.
That those who do not obey the envoys of the Lord dishonour not only them but also Him Who sent them, and incur worse condemnation than the dwellers in Sodom and Gomorrha.
Mt. x. 14 omit ἔξω K, τῆς πόλεως ἢ τῆς οἰκίας ἐκείνης**; 15; Lk. x. 16; 1 Thess. iv. 8 καὶ δόντα for διδόντα K.
That we should accept the teaching of the Lord’s commandments as winning eternal life and the Kingdom of heaven, and zealously labour at it, though it may seem toilsome.
Jn. v. 24; Acts xiv. 21 omit εἰς before Ἰκ. and Ἀντ. K, τῶν οὐρανῶν for τοῦ θεοῦ*; 22.
That we should accept blame and rebuke as a medicine removing disease and producing health. From which it is clear that those who pretend to be kind (really suffering from the disease of men-pleasing) and fail to rebuke sinners, are actually sentencing them and laying plots against their true life.
Mt. xviii. 15 ἁμάρτῃ for ἁμαρτήσῃ*, omit ὁ before ἀδελφός**; 1 Cor. v. 4 add Χριστοῦ; 5; 2 Cor. vii. 8–10; Tit. i. 13.