Exploring Ambrose's Pastoral Advice on Morality

Ambrose Ambrose writes a letter to the Priest in the setting of Christianity. He writes this letter to the priest offering pastoral advice on moral issues, which including the discussion on moral problems of wealth and greed” (Wogaman 48). Ambrose starts off the letter by expressing to the Priest how they are to “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute and calumniate you” (Wogaman 48). He explains that the unrighteous are relentlessly imprisoned by one’s own principles than by one that may past judgment. Furthermore, Ambrose goes on to express that no one is without troubles and one shouldn’t allow his own his to cause him to fall. He stresses that one own decision should be carefully weighted out so that no regret is found in

Ambrose tells that the “Church “should be viewed as one’s home. If peace is in one’s home therefore, we want Peace in the Church also (Wogaman 48). He emphasizes this by, “where there is rich and poor, slave and freeman, Greek and Syrian, patrician and plebeian, we are all in Christ” (Wogaman 48). Ambrose goes into detail to explain, riches will be left here on earth, one should only take “Faith with you and allow righteous to be your companion with your faith”. ( Wogaman 49). He further explains that the poor is not really the poor, because the Lord hears their cries. He tells that faith is far precious than “Silver and Gold”, having these riches could lead to pollution of one’s faith (Wogaman 49). Ambrose gives the scripture Philippian 2:9, “I am rich enough in the name of Jesus. He probes on how if one desires to be “rich, you must become poor, and then you will be rich in all things, if you are poor in spirit. Not property, but in spirit, makes one rich” ( Wogaman 49). The “Lord is one’s portion” explains Ambrose (Wogaman 50). Ambrose uses his writing to empower the Priest to really seek and Trust God and not in material things. Things are only temporal; one has to know Jesus for who

His message takes on the position by asking the question, “Perhaps the reason of salvation appearing more difficult to the rich than to the poor men, is not single but manifold”. (Wogaman 34) This question of manifold concerning the rich was illustrated “that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”. (Wogaman 34) He explains that one’s life experiences shape both the rich and the poor, shaping how one may process of one’s salvation. Clement of Alexandria makes no exception of one’s economic status but he does share what the varied differences were of the rich and poor. He expresses to the poor, “cringe to them for their own avaricious ends, must first by the word relieve them of their groundless despair, and show with the requisite explanation of the oracles of the Lord that the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven it not quite cut off from them if they obey the commandants…” (Wogaman 34). He goes on to explain to the rich, “the man that has been invested with worldly wealth proclaim himself excluded at the outset from Savior’s list, provided he is a believer and one who contemplates the greatness of God’s philanthropy; nor let him, on the other hand, expect to grasp the crowns of immortality without struggle” … (Wogaman 34) Clement of Alexandria writing clearing gives clear and concise