How a Monk Comes to Know the Scriptures

When some of the brothers were wondering at the splendid light of his knowledge and asking him the meaning of some passages of Scripture, this man said that a monk who wanted to gain a knowledge of the Scriptures ought not to spend his labor on the works of commentators. Rather, he should keep all the efforts of his mind and all the aims of his heart set on purifying himself from the vices of the flesh. For when these are driven out, at once the eyes of the heart, as though the veil of the passions had been removed, will begin, as it were naturally, to gaze on the mysteries of Scripture. These were not made known to us by the grace of the Holy Spirit so that they would remain unknown and obscure. They are made obscure by our fault, as the veil of our sins covers the eyes of the heart. And when these eyes are restored to their natural health, the mere reading of Holy Scripture is by itself fully enough for seeing the true knowledge, and they do not need the help of commentators, just as these eyes of flesh need no one to teach them how to see, as long as they are free from dimness or the darkness of blindness. That is why such great differences and mistakes have arisen among commentators. Most of them pay no attention at all to purifying the mind but rush into the work of interpreting the Scriptures. In proportion to the dullness or impurity of their heart, they form opinions that disagree with and contradict one another and the faith, and so they cannot take in the light of truth.