Scripture Meditation: Augustine on Delighting in Scripture

Augustine described his own transformation through Scripture: "I seized on the venerable writing of Your Spirit, and above all on the Apostle Paul. I read, and all those doubts with which he once seemed to be in contradiction with himself were resolved." In his "On Christian Teaching," Augustine laid out principles for reading Scripture that combined careful study with prayerful openness.

Augustine taught that Scripture has both a surface meaning and a deeper spiritual meaning, and that the key to unlocking the deeper meaning is love: "Whoever thinks that he has understood the divine Scriptures or any part of them in such a way that his interpretation does not build up the twofold love of God and neighbor has not yet understood them at all." Scripture meditation, for Augustine, always leads to love.

Practical application: Read a passage of Scripture and ask two questions: "How does this teach me to love God?" and "How does this teach me to love my neighbor?" If your interpretation produces judgment, pride, or indifference rather than love, Augustine would say you have misread the text. Let love be the lens through which you meditate on every verse.