Aside from the first book, the fourth book was St. Augustine's most enjoyable reading on Christian teaching. Augustine's discussion of the qualities and nature of good rhetoric and exposition was illuminating. In a culture that often emphasizes the importance of having only the Holy Scriptures, St. Augustine appears to present a more complete and informed view of what is necessary to accurately and effectively teach Christian doctrine. Beyond the simple quotation of the word of God, Saint Augustine emphasizes the need for instruction, eloquence and restraint in the teaching of Christian doctrines. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Most notably, St. Augustine uses his fourth book On Christian Teaching to emphasize the necessity of instruction, stating "...who could date to maintain that the truth, the defense of which depends on us, must 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 further instruction was needed. St. Augustine seems to contradict this idea, saying that if the enemy is trained to promote lies and untruths, we should also be prepared to defend God's words. “…let him who wants both to know and to teach…acquire the skill of speaking which becomes a Christian orator” (Augustine 121). He doesn’t just say “listen to the Holy Spirit,” as our feeling-driven Church often claims. Augustine instead emphasizes the need to wrestle with God and our own abilities to acquire effective communication skills. Beyond learning effective communication, St. Augustine also seems to emphasize the need for natural eloquence. As he notes, “…the person required for the task contemplated is one who can argue or speak wisely, even eloquently” (Augustine 104). However, it seems to me that the Bible does not agree with Augustine's argument. While Augustine maintains that the apostles used a “flow of eloquence” (Augustine 108), Paul maintains that “the wisdom which the men of the world esteem is foolishness in the sight of God” (1 Cor 3:19). Augustine states that eloquence serves to “make clear what was hidden…” (Augustine 117), but Paul does not seem at all interested in becoming eloquent. He states that he “may indeed not have been trained in the word” (1 Cor 11:6). He doesn't talk about learning to speak well or practicing eloquence, but simply embraces his blunt 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 argument seems to have no basis in Scripture. After discussing knowledge and eloquence, St. Augustine almost seems to backtrack and argue for a “more sober style of teaching.” and education (Augustine 125). This style, Augustine asserts, is better suited to teaching and instruction (Augustine 125). Although I see little basis in Scripture for the need for eloquence, the need for effective teaching seems more biblically grounded. Looking at the teaching and instruction of the apostles throughout the New Testament, all seem to effectively present Christian doctrine to other believers. It just seems to me that this same level of eloquence is not necessary for sharing the Gospel with non-believers. On several occasions we see.