Treasuries Of Wisdom And Knowledge

Et eduxit me ad atrium exterius, et ecce gazophylacia, et pavimentum stratum lapide in atrium per circuitum. Quia sermone Graeco φυλάττειν servare dicitur, et gazae lingua Persica divitiae vocantur, gazophylacium locus appellari solet quo divitiae servantur. Quid itaque per gazophylacia designatur, nisi, ut praediximus, corda doctorum sapientiae atque scientiae divitiis plena? Quia, juxta Pauli vocem: Alii datur per spiritum sermo sapientiae, alii sermo scientiae in eodem spiritu. Sunt enim quidam qui per donum gratiae et ipsa intelligunt quae exponi a doctoribus non audierunt; hi videlicet sermonem sapientiae perceperunt. Et sunt quidam qui per semetipsos intelligere audita nequeunt, sed ea quae in expositoribus legerint retinent, atque scienter proferunt quae lecta didicerunt. Unde itaque isti nisi sermone scientiae pleni sunt? Quamvis hoc intelligi et aliter possit, quia sapientia ad vitam, scientia vero pertinet ad doctrinam. Qui igitur bene vivit, et prudenter praedicat, gazophylacium spiritalis aedificii recte nominatur, quia ab ejus ore coelestes divitiae dispensantur. His divitiis abundare discipulos idem magister gentium viderat, cum dicebat: Divites facti estis in illo, in omni verbo et omni scientia. Sunt itaque in sanctae Ecclesiae aedificio constructa gazophylacia, quia abundat divitiis scientiae lingua doctorum. Has veras esse divitias ipsa per se Veritas denuntiat, cum de transitoriis divitiis dicit: Fallacia divitiarum suffocat verbum. Sapientia etenim atque scientia doctrinae spiritalis verae sunt divitiae, in quarum comparatione quae transire possunt falsae nominantur. De his divitiis per Salomonem dicitur: Thesaurus desiderabilis requiescit in ore sapientis. Excepto autem eo, quod ad aeternam patriam divitiae spiritales ducunt, est eis a terrenis divitiis magna distantia, quia spiritales divitiae erogatae proficiunt, terrenae autem divitiae aut erogantur et deficiunt, aut retinentur et utiles non sunt. Qui ergo has in se veras divitias continent, recte gazophylacia dicuntur. Sanctus Gregorius Magnus, In Ezechielem Prophetam, Liber II, Homilia VI Source: Migne PL 76.998b-999a

And He led me to the outer courtyard and behold the treasury, and the pavenment was of stone around the courtyard. 1 Because the Greek word 'phyllatein' means to guard, and in the Persian tongue 'gazae' means wealth, this place where wealth is guarded is named the 'gazophylacium'. Why, then, is it designated a treasury , unless that, as we have said, it is the hearts of teachers full of the riches of wisdom and knowledge? Because, according to the voice of Paul, 'To one man by the spirit is given the wise word, to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit.' 2 For there are those who by the gift of grace understand what they have not heard expounded by teachers, and these certainly have received the word of wisdom. And there are some who by themselves are not able to understand what they have heard, but they hold fast to the things they have read in expository works and they bear the knowledge of what they have leant from writing. And what is this but to be full with the word of knowledge? But it is possible to understand this another way, that wisdom pertains to the living of life, knowledge, however, to teaching. He, therefore, who lives well and preaches prudently, is rightly named the treasury of a spiritual building, because from his mouth heavenly riches are dispensed. And with these riches the teacher of the nations sees his pupils abound when he says, 'You have been made rich in Him, in every word and every sort of knowledge.' 3 Thus there is raised up in the building of the Church a treasury, because the tongue of teachers abounds with Divine knowledge. This is true wealth, which the Truth Himself proclaims when concerning transitory wealth He says: 'And the deceit of wealth chokes the word.' 4 Indeed wisdom and knowledge of spiritual teaching is true wealth, in comparison to which that which passes can be named false. And concerning the former Solomon says, 'A desirable treasure rests in the mouth of the wise man.' 5 With that said, the spiritual riches which lead to the eternal fatherland are most distant from terrestrial wealth, because when spiritual riches are given they grow, but when worldly riches are given they decrease, or they are retained and useless. They, then, who have these true riches in themselves, rightly are they called treasuries. Saint Gregory the Great, On the Prophet Ezekiel, Book 2, from Homily 6 1 Ezek 40.3 2 Rom 6.9 3 Apoc 19.16 4 Isaiah 63.2-3