Jul
11
2012
FactChecker: Misquoting Francis of Assisi
Note: FactChecker is a new monthly series in which Glenn T. Stanton examines claims, myths, and misunderstandings frequently heard in evangelical circles.
Christians use lots of quotes. Pastors use them in their sermons constantly. Writers illustrate their points with them. Nothing wrong with that. They are quite helpful and encouraging in making a point.
Save when the quote has no basis in fact.
We as evangelicals who claim we are committed to truth are certainly good at spreading falsehood, even if unintentionally. We can do better.
One very clever and popular quote we often knock around among ourselves is . . .
Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.
It is always attributed to St. Francis of Assisi---founder of the Franciscan Order---and is intended to say that proclaiming the Gospel by example is more virtuous than actually proclaiming with voice. It is a quote that has often rankled me because it seems to create a useless dichotomy between speech and action. Besides, the spirit behind it can be a little arrogant, intimating that those who "practice the Gospel" are more faithful to the faith than those who preach it.
But here's the fact: Our good Francis never said such a thing.
None of his disciples, early or later biographers have these words coming from his mouth. It doesn't show up in any of his writings. Not even close really. The closest comes from his Rule of 1221, Chapter XII on how the Franciscans should practice their preaching:
No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been permitted by his minister . . . All the Friars . . . should preach by their deeds.
Essentially, make sure your deeds match your words. While there's a nice and good sentiment in the statement---be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel---the notion as it is typically presented is neither practical, nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ. It does not align with St. Francis' own practice.
His first biographer, Thomas of Celeno, writing just three years after Francis' death, quotes him instructing his co-workers in the Gospel thusly,
The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later pour out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold.
Mark Galli, senior managing editor at Christianity Today, wrote a wonderful little book on Francis as well as a clarifying brief article on the myth of this quote. He explains that Francis was quite a preacher, actually more along the lines of Jonathan Edwards or Billy Sunday than most of those who misquote him would like to think. Galli quotes Thomas' biography,
His words were neither hollow nor ridiculous, but filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, penetrating the marrow of the heart, so that listeners were turned to great amazement.
Our man clearly spent a great deal of time using his words when he preached, "sometimes preaching in up to five villages a day, often outdoors. In the country, Francis often spoke from a bale of straw or a granary doorway. In town, he would climb on a box or up steps in a public building. He preached to . . . any who gathered to hear the strange but fiery little preacher from Assisi." He was sometimes so animated and passionate in his delivery that "his feet moved as if he were dancing."
Duane Liftin, president emeritus of Wheaton College, recently addressed the trouble with this preach/practice dichotomy in an important article. Of preaching the Gospel in deed, he explains,
It's simply impossible to preach the Gospel without words. The Gospel is inherently verbal, and preaching the Gospel is inherently verbal behavior.
And the "deed" proclamation of the Gospel is not biblical either. Paul asks the Church at Rome (Romans 10:14):
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?
So next time you hear one of your brothers or sisters in Christ use this quote to encourage or challenge you in your labors for our faith, gently guide them from the land of misinformation and make believe into truth.
79 Comments
Thanks Glenn!
I too had been rankled by this unbiblical distinction!
The two things Francis is known for: that one quote falsely attributed, and for serving as the most famous decorative statuary on roman catholic lawns.
Terrific! May I suggest another? This oft-cited quote, attributed to Robert Murray M'Cheyne? "“My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.”
I have read his Memoir & Remains, searched and searched, but cannot find a direct citation or context.
My heavens! What an awful thing to attribute to RM M'Cheyne, who would NEVER have said such a preposterously vain and self-centered thing!
While I agree that the word "preach" infers something verbal, I wonder if there's a better way to share this misinformation with our friends. I appreciate the heart behind this quote, even if it has been sourced incorrectly. We could all use a bit more "Christian action" regardless what our words are.
I think articles like these are ironic- they seem to miss the point.
Who cares who came up with the quote? The problem is that this blog poses as "middle ground" but it seems to conclude by arguing that preaching the gospel is only a verbal task. Which is funny. Because the Gospel itself was originally lived out- it is the life of Christ, right?
I liked where you were heading- this is not a words or deeds. This is a both issue. We need to be faithful incarnaters of Christ's Gospel to our world AND faithful proclaimers when the opportunities arise.
But as Travis said- if we actually "live" the Gospel, we aren't going to attack our friends because they misquote something....
Brandon, I would say one of the points of the article is that it's always wrong to attribute a quote to someone when that person never said it. In this case, people get St. Francis' authority/reputation backing the quote when he never gave his authority/reputation to this phrase. I would not like it if a newspaper quoted me as saying something I did not. So it does matter who came up with the quote if we're attributing it to the wrong person.
I would also say, the life of Christ was not the gospel lived out because the gospel is inherently a message about what the death of Christ accomplished. Jesus lived the most obedient, loving, truthful, and selfless life that's ever been lived, but if we're talking about the Gospel, the word refers to the good news of the offer of salvation in Christ's death for our sins.
Further to that, such a quote must hold more weight if it is said by someone known to have an effective, evangelistic ministry than someone who has not. So, for example, someone may believe that it is better to preach with actions than words and may say so, but if that person's actions have never lead to anyone actually putting their faith in Christ, then who really cares what he thinks?
So, putting those words in St. Francis' mouth make it seem more plausable than maybe it is. So, I am genuinely interested to know who did come up with it. Because if that person had an effective ministry, even if it was not St. Francis, there may be some value to it. But if it was just a clever urban myth circulated by a poser, then we should forget it altogether.
The gospel is news; therefore, its deliver system is proclamation. You simply can't "live" news.
If my neighbor sees me living my life in service of others all he will think is that I'm a nice guy. He won't come to know the content of the gospel by watching me live my life.
I've often heard that this was a misquote from Francis of Assisi.
However, I have heard this prayer attributed to him, on a fairly reliable basis:
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen."
I always find solace in that prayer (or some variation thereof).
I believe this prayer IS his, but the AA-ish "Serenity prayer", "Grant me the power to change the things I can, and the grace to endure the things I cannot..." (Not exact quote, but you get the idea) is usually attributed to him, but it is not Francis' prayer. Not sure where it came from.
I think Reinhold Niebuhr wrote that.
Actually, the AA prayer that is attributed to St. Francis is found in the 11th step in the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions book. It is a slight variation on the one that I quoted above.
I meant that Niebuhr wrote the 'Serenity Prayer'.
I know. I was responding to Glenn. Thanks.
The "Prayer of St. Francis" ("Lord, make me an instrument ...") is not by him either:
"All the evidence points to a composition sometime in the early 20th century. There are no pre-20th century prayer books in which it appears in any form. The first known printed copy of the prayer appears in a small 20th century Italian prayer book and therein the prayer is ascribed to William the Norman. A holy card from later on has it ascribed to William the Conqueror. It was not until sometime in the middle of the 20th century that it was first attributed to St. Francis."
http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Sancti/SFranciscusAssisiensis/PrayerofSF.html
I agree with Travis that we could all use a bit more "action." I think Paul does well to serve us with an example of what that looked like for him in 1 Thessalonians 2. Clearly, it was verbal, but they also gave of themselves and loved those they preached to "like a nursing mother taking care of her own children." The passionate desire to see them come to know Christ is amazing in the passage.
Excellent points. Even if it was a real quote it is typically misused. I like to point out that:
1. He didn’t really say it.
2. He didn’t really live it (he used words, a lot).
3. Even if he said it and lived it, it is only accurate if used as hyperbole. Jesus, Paul and a whole bunch of Christians throughout the centuries all used words.
People take it too literally (often the same folks who falsely accuse others of taking the Bible literally).
The implication is that we can bear witness to the Gospel with actions alone. I see a few flaws with that reasoning. No one is so good that they don’t have to use words. St. Francis still used words to share the Gospel. The early church spread using words (check out the book of Acts). Most importantly, Jesus used words to share the Gospel. The Bible is God’s Word and we are told to use it. Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Even if you are Marcel Marceau, you probably aren’t good enough at miming to present the Gospel without words.
Our actions can speak volumes and should be in concert with our words, but we need to be prepared with words as well.
I heard of one guy who used the “I don’t need words to evangelize” philosophy for many years without converting anyone. Finally, one person recognized that there was something dramatically different and better about the man’s life and said, “You’re a vegetarian, too, aren’t you?” The man realized he needed to be a little more specific about the source of joy in his life.
As the saying goes, words without deeds are as ineffective as deeds without words.
I could not (respectfully) disagree more.
The mis-attributed quote does not say to not speak the gospel, but to only do so as necessary.
And while I have yet to meet a person living perfectly from/in their Christ nature, the most Christlike individuals I've ever encountered almost never spoke of their beliefs or Truths.
They lived it in how they treated and spoke to others (with kindness, compassion, respect, and much love).
I agree that we can not expect ourselves or each other to exist in such a perfect state of being anytime soon, but we can certainly set that as a goal to aim for and try to more closely emulate, and perhaps reach in some future existance.
I don't think Glenn is saying that it isn't important to live in a way that is consistent with the gospel. Rather, this quote is most often used, not to encourage Christians to live consistently with the gospel that they are preaching, but rather to tell Christians that their actions are more important than words, and thereby to convince them that it's not important to verbally proclaim the gospel.
The early church endured tremendous persecution for being boldly outspoken about the truth of the gospel. Yes, they were generous and they were loving, but all of that would have been for nothing if they hadn't boldly proclaimed the gospel. Many Christians in America have grown so accustomed to comfortable lives that we won't even approach our coworkers to challenge them on sin and tell them how they can be saved from the wrath to come, let alone do so knowing full well that we will face physical injury and possible death for our faithfulness as Christians in many countries do today.
Actions are important, but they are insufficient, and this false citation is all too often used to encourage Christians to remain silent.
Cool post, thanks!
Found a typo that i will correct in all caps:
The preacher must first draw from secret prayers what he will later POUR out in holy sermons; he must first grow hot within before he speaks words that are in themselves cold.
Thanks, that's now fixed.
Yes, we will never be a pure examples and yes, we need to preach Christ as much as we need to reflect Him, but "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct" tells us that there will be times when it will be actions (or refraining from acting)that speak louder than words. respectfully
(And that was undoubtedly a quote from Peter :)
I've just always added, "And, it's pretty much always necessary."
And, you can go ahead and quote me on that.
Of all the things one could be worried about; this isn't one of them. How about the oft quoted "50% of all marriages end in divorce." There's never a source given or a method for obtaining that statistic...it's used to promote and agenda.
Nevertheless, back to this one, the point is preaching the gospel with words should match the way one lives..."Forgive as Christ forgives" that's the Gospel in action! That is punctuation to the sentence of our lives.
Very great to see this article. I just reposted it on my Facebook as it is very important. Especially the ramifications of understanding the need to use words to proclaim the gospel, not only deeds. Unfortunately around 10-12 years ago, I was guilty of misquoting St. Francis like this article states, but then stopped after learning about it. And also the evangelical church over the past 10-15 years has changed so much for the better in preaching the gospel with words but also backing it up with our actions. Anyway, THANK YOU for the article. I hope it gets a wide reading.
I thought you might like this:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-arpinricci/preach-the-gospel-at-all-times-st-francis_b_1627781.html#es_share_ended
I love St. Francis, have read Celano's book on his life and I have read the Omnibus of St. Francis I am also a third order Fransiscan. As a Roman Catholic, I take offense to the garden statue reference in one of the comments. I believe you all miss the point, Francis did not mean this was the only way to preach the gospel, of course you must use words 99% of the time. However the life situations that present themselves to christians everyday are never just black and white. There will be times when the way you live or the actions you take will speak volumes about you. I do not quote scripture and verse as well as my Protestant / Evangelical brothers and sisters but didn't Christ say something like "by your examples shall they know you are my disciples"?
Kenneth,
Thank you for your comment. I think some are treating these sayings a little too dogmatically. With spiritual sayings sometimes you have to understand the context and point before applying the quote. I think the obvious point is that we do need to live out the gospel. That just talking about the gospel is not enough. Sure our lives will not be perfect by any stretch of the imagination but that does not reverse Christ's command that we should be sanctified and live lives of holiness and love. After all someone wise once said that they will know we are christians by our love.
I think some are looking at the quote in a wrong way if they understand the quote to imply that one should not use speech to tell others about the gospel. The quote is using a possible over emphasis on one aspect to make a point. Pastors use it all the time in preaching. It drove me batty until I figured out it is a rhetorical device.
If St. Francis did not say this, where did the quote come from and why is it so often attributed to him?
[...] The Gospel Coalition blog had a great article on this. [...]
I don't know what is the main sense of this article.
I, for one, am very thankful that my life is not the gospel. If my neighbor was looking to my life, they would end in despair. Thankfully, the gospel is a message that needs to be told, good news, of what Christ has done on our behalf. Thank you for this article.
It's terribly important to understand this idea of practice as preaching against the backdrop of monasticism as an essentially prophetic vocation. Peter Brown did the spade work on this in his well-known 1971 essay, "The Rise and Function of the Holy Man in Late Antiquity." The aphorism itself is probably an attempt at paraphrasing things that Francis actually did say. To wit: "But as for me, I desire this privilege from the Lord, that never may I have any privilege from man, except to do reverence to all, and to convert the world by obedience to the Holy Rule rather by example than by word." (Fioretti di San Francesco, 50). I'm a Benedictine oblate myself, but having known more than a few genuine Franciscans (including a beloved former department chair in my department at SLU), I can testify that it is a quintessentially Franciscan sentiment. The article here is largely beating-down a straw man. Given the life of Francis and the Franciscan charism more generally (a preaching order, etc.), only a dolt could bend the aphorism around to mean "say nothing."
...then I guess it is chiefly (maybe even entirely) used by dolts today, b/c I've only heard it when someone wants to rationalize why they don't NEED to actually SPEAK the gospel. Just live great, they'll ask, you'll tell, all's well.
Mayhaps the Franciscans can set to remedying this disgrace on their...order? (not sure if that's the right word).
I have to disagree. I think you are right that many use it to undervalue preaching, but I also know many today who use it more as a remedy to the under-emphasis on Christ-like living in comparison to preaching, which exists in some traditions/congregations. There will always be those who overemphasize one or the other, and they will use such quotes other than how they were intended. I would go so far as to say that such a quote is never needed in a church that already believes in social justice but is lean on the authority of scripture
I can no more disagree with your experience or Fr. MJG Pahls', than you can with mine. I do find what you describe hard to imagine, but it's interesting to consider what I'd say to such a person when it's time for talking. What motivates one to preach a gospel that has no effect on their life, knowing the first thing that'll be tossed in their face is their hypocrisy? Strange indeed, I guess I'll meet such a person sometime in life -- thanks for the reply & other perspective!
To Fr. Pahls, the context I'm referring to isn't soap-box/open-air preaching, but people who don't want to initiate talking to a friend/roommate/labmate etc... They're already living life-on-life but have decided to share Christ if & when their friend asks them about it - when most students are convinced that religion is a very personal thing. So it's not about me forcing Christian professionals to throw their flags in the sand & beat their chests for Christ. I've never even been in such a context, so I couldn't speak to that lol. I agree with your last paragraph about wisdom & discernment being key.
Perhaps it is being used that way, but I've been traveling in Pentecostal, Evangelical, Presbyterian, and Anglican circles for a few decades and have yet to hear anyone speak in this way.
Now, I have heard many athletes, painters, musicians, and film-makers being forced into a defense of their fidelity to Christ when attacked by others for not preaching, praying, kneeling after touchdowns, issuing altar calls, endlessly thanking their "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving them the ability to...", or restricting themselves to explicitly religious themes in their work.
Opportunities for speaking do come (probably more frequently than we realize) and we are disobedient when we forgo such opportunities to bear witness. On some occasions, however, truth, beauty, and goodness are best left to speak for themselves without a clumsy presentation of the four spiritual laws being required to legitimate them. Wisdom and discernment, I think, are key here. Experience tells me that blustering advocates for the necessity of evangelism are rarely practitioners themselves.
FR. Pahls,
I do not think I have heard that quote used to justify not evangelizing also. I have heard other reasons or excuses for not telling others about the gospel but not that quote. At least not often enough to remember it. I have been a Baptist most of my life but now I am presbyterian and I have hung around with Methodists, Catholics and, Eastern Orthodox and have not heard it used that way.
But then again maybe some have heard it used that way. I do agree that would be a very poor understanding of the quote and I would think the person would be trying to grasp at anything so he did not have to tell people about Christ.
I have often heard this quote in sermons, but always in the context of it being wrongly attributed to St Francis, and not particularly helpful
[...] article to read and digest, and struggle with, and pray over, and check yourself against,) Fact Checker on Francis of Assisi Quote (I have written about this myself, but this is a good historical fact check on [...]
These posts are fabulous. This is another quote that I've always hated and has always seemed so unhelpful to me.
Thanks for this. I was just in Assisi and heard this quote more than once there. I was already aware of how suspect it was but did not have this background. I am forwarding it on to some of my discussion partners on it.
It does seems to me that Ray Comfort has also exposed this myth at least a year ago if not more: http://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/evangelical-evangelism-today-feed-the-starving-children-where-necessary-use-food/
Nevertheless, it's great to see more people exposing this myth!
[...] different angles lately, I’ve been hearing some long-awaited outspoken critique of the meme (falsely) attributed to Francis of Assisi. Preach the Gospel at all times. It will be necessary to use [...]
[...] different angles lately, I’ve been hearing some long-awaited outspoken critique of the meme (falsely) attributed to Francis of Assisi. Preach the Gospel at all times. It will be necessary to use [...]
[...] FactChecker: Misquoting Francis of Assisi (thegospelcoalition.org) [...]
Something more than factchecking is going on here. The factchecking is dispensed in one sentence: "But here's the fact: Our good Francis never said such a thing." The rest is a polemic, and I'm sorry for the experiences Mr. Stanton must have had to inspire it.
For myself, I've never taken this quote or offered it with the intimation "that those who 'practice the Gospel' are more faithful to the faith than those who preach it." I've never known anyone to use this quote as justification for not speaking the gospel. The common meaning of the quote, in my experience, has been one of encouragement. It is used to illustrate the idea that our faith requires deeds (I think James wrote something about that?). And Mr. Stanton's complaint that "the spirit behind it can be a little arrogant" is kind of, well, empty. That accusation can be leveled against just about any communication - even an article on misquoting Francis of Assisi.
As a solution maybe we can retire this banal quote falsely attributed to St. Francis and use instead this quote attributed to Ignatius of Antioch:
"Just beg for me the courage and endurance not only to speak but also to will what is right, so that I may not only be called a Christian, but prove to be one."
May the Lord grant each of us that courage and endurance to speak and to will what is right.
[...] FACT CHECKER: Did St. Francis really say, “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” [...]
[...] Misquoting Francis of Assisi [...]
Preach the Gospel at all times and use an amplifier when necessary!
[...] Factfinder: Misquoting Francis of Assisi – Glenn Stanton (via Gospel Coalition) One very clever and popular quote we often knock around among ourselves is: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” But here’s the fact: Our good Francis never said such a thing. Duane Liftin, president emeritus of Wheaton College, recently addressed the trouble with this preach/practice dichotomy…. ”It’s simply impossible to preach the Gospel without words. The Gospel is inherently verbal, and preaching the Gospel is inherently verbal behavior.” [...]
I think it is wrong to emphasise that this is misattributed, because its message is deeply Christian and in accordance with the teachings of Christ. To try and reassure yourselves that Francis did not actually say this so you can go on preaching to the converted on Sunday mornings and ignore those that are suffering and alienated is going against the core principles preached by Christ, yes use your words if need be, but the most important thing is to do good, and to express God through your actions without necessarily trying to convert people like a missionary. The message is clear, fine talk away if you want, but act, this is the true expression of your faith and the example of Jesus (who talked a bit too obviously!). Ultimately the quote which does accurately summarise Francis' message is express your faith in deeds and when necessary express it verbally. It's a question of prioritising action, and not simply being satisfied with words. It's a bit provocatively put, but I think it serves really well to provoke many Christians who parrot what Christ said without following his example in their actions.
Alice,
"Expressing your faith" is important, but it's not the gospel. The gospel is news, specifically about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Nothing can communicate that message except for words.
I'm with Alice on this one: in fact the reason this quote has become so popularly [mis]attributed is that, when Francis' name is mentioned most people are immediately reminded of the example of his life (popularised in films such as Brother Son Sister Moon),as he reached out for the poor and diseased, and powerfully challenged the hierarchy of church and state, even though he was also a frequent and passionate preacher!
The context in which I quite often use this [mis]quote is that of a people who have 'heard' the Gospel ad nauseam, but who show precious little evidence of its outworkings in terms of challenging the present day power structures of church and state with regard to prejudice against race, gender, youth, the poor etc.
'The Gospel' makes it quite clear that in addition to its own proclamation, we live it out in a practical way: Mat 7:20 "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them"; Heb 7:16 "one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life."; John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another"; John 15:8 "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples"; James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves"; just to name a few.
In my own version of the quote I usually say "attributed to St Francis, but probably not his, though the manner of his life would illustrate it very well". I also say 'when necessary' rather than 'if necessary', to indicate that the obvious fact that the Gospel is usually preached, but always in the context of a Gospel that is already being lived out, ie in the context of a restored relationship with God the Father, won by His resurrection from death on the Cross by the Son, and lived out in the power of the Spirit!
[...] you have heard the quote often attributed to Francis of Assisi: Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when [...]
[...] Misquoting Francis of Assisi [...]
[...] Gospel Coalition has begun a series called FactChecker that has some helpful information on this [...]
Thank you.
Good point to think about.
K, bye
[...] Misquoting Francis of Assisi [...]
[...] Side note: Though this quote is often attributed to Francis of Assisi, check out the very insightful Gospel Coalition “FactChecker” article on the subject HERE. [...]
Thank you for the clarification, I enjoyed learning that he was bold in speaking for God. But I'd like to clarify something about it myself: that "Saint Francis" of Assisi was not the founder of the Franciscan Order!, nor did he want any ORGANIZED religion. He adamantly went to the Vatican after the religious leaders compelled him to go when they heard the testimonies of people saved and helped by his speaking, by his ministering to them: a living one amidst dark religiosity! When he finally went he was SHOCKED, horrified by the opulence, the luxury, the power politics of the place. And he knew that he wanted to have nothing to do with them! Rome was who started the religious organization after he had passed on from this corrupted world system......
[...] this quote did not come from Saint Francis of Assisi. An article by Glenn Stanton writing for the Gospel Coalition, he says [...]
The problem is that you have misattributed the "original" quote.
The "original" quote belongs to the Rule of the "Orthodox Order of Friars Minor" who based their Rule on St. Francis' Rule of 1221.
The original rule is: "...let them show their love by the works they do for each other, according as the Apostle says: 'let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.'"
Rule 11 of the Rules of the Friars Minor.
[...] Misquoting Francis of Assisi [...]
[...] no effort to palliate it; from him a life of sin was met with outspoken rebuke, not support.” The Gospel Coalition says of the often used misquote, “While there’s a nice and good sentiment in the [...]
Did Jesus said this or not? “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Mat 5:14-16)
Or is this also a misquote and unbiblical? Of course, not :)
[...] Aiyoh. St Francis did not say, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” It’s a myth. [...]
I still think this quotation distills the way a Christian should live, whether or not Francis said it. Of course, words ARE often "necessary" - but even when I'm not speaking to someone my life should reflect what I believe. I don't see it in any way excusing us from verbally witnessing for Christ or explaining the Gospel to people. It's just a reminder that we are always His representatives.
I live in the southern US and Baptist (and other) preachers always remind us that you "can't talk the talk if you don't walk the walk". I wonder how that is different from St Francis' comments?
[...] Fact Checker: Misquoting Francis of Assisi [...]
..love one another, as the Lord says: "This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you." And let them show their love by the works they do for each other, according as the Apostle says: "let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
Francis of Assisi, Rule of 1221, Rule 11
I have not read all of the replies and I agree we should not attribute quotes to those who did not speak them. I want to respond to the last few lines of the article. Duane Liftin said it is impossible to preach the Gospel without words. I agree with this Biblical caveat. Peter tells the wives of unbelievers in 1Pet. 3 that they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives. We just need to be careful saying something is unbiblical when in fact there is direct instruction within the cannon.
[...] most likely heard some version of this quote, often attributed (incorrectly) to St. Francis of Assisi. The problem with this quote — other than the fact that St. [...]
I believe I have read all the blogs posted here. I like this quote - no matter where it originated, and I will tell you why. I am a deacon in the Catholic Church. On a number of occasions I have been walking on the beach early in the morning with my wife, in the markets shopping, walking in a mall, on an aircraft - and persons have come up to me and asked "are you a priest/pastor?" Now, there is nothing physical on my person to indicate that I am an ordained minister in my church. I am in regular clothes and have no cross or crucifix on. When I inquire of the person asking me the question why they asked, their reply is invariably " you look like a man of God." That comment blows me away. I pondered to myself, why do people say that to me when i am doing nothing anything special - certainly not proclaiming the Gospel with my voice, but perhaps proclaiming it in a way for others to see it in me. I suspect that without saying a word, I have sown a seed for Jesus.
In my heart, I believe that the quote is saying that we should live our lives in such a way that people will be able to come up to us and recognize Jesus in us. It is not the only way, but a very important way. Matthew 25:31-46.
I love this quote. I do not take it to mean that "proclaiming the Gospel by example is more virtuous than actually proclaiming with voice." I consider it more in line with James 2 and faith and works.
"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (verses 15-17)
I am more than willing to preach the gospel, but I try to live it without words first. There are so many folks saying the words and not living it, too. I think non-Christians listen best to those who aren't merely preaching.
[...] just one problem: It seems that St. Francis never said it, or so claims Glen Stanton, who says the closest he can find to this quote in the works of St. Francis is this from his Rule [...]
[...] 1) Francis of Assissi does not appear to have ever said anything of the sort [...]
I disagree completely that the quotation, whoever the source, downplays or undermines the importance of preaching. The phrasing ("If necessary") comes across to me as wordplay emphasizing that we are to live as Christian people and our lives will be scrutinized by both man and God to see if we have been people of the Gospel. Quite the opposite from discouraging preaching, I interpret the adage as a command to live a Christlike life. Jesus's Own sermons, after all, are given to us in the context of His life. We know what He preached, but that only matters to us because we also know what He practiced: healing, teaching, performing miracles, and ultimately sacrificing Himself. So too are we called to preach and to forge our lives as a context that will make that preaching meaningful. Just my two cents. God bless.