Scriptures:

Job 5:13 – He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

Matthew 11:25 – “Jesus answered, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.’”

Matthew 13:34 – “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, He said nothing to them without a parable.”

Acts 4:13 – “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished.”

1 Corinthians 1:18-21 – “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 2:1, 4 – “I, brothers, did not come to you with lofty speech or wisdom… My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

2 Corinthians 11:6 – “Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things.”

Colossians 2:8 – “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition… and not according to Christ.”

1 Timothy 6:20 – “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.”

Exodus 4:10 – “And Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’”

Church Fathers:

Clement of Rome:

Now, inasmuch as the people began to assent willingly to the things which were sincerely spoken, and to embrace his simple discourse, those who thought themselves learned or philosophic began to laugh at the man, and to flout him, and to throw out for him the grappling-hooks of syllogisms, like strong arms. But he, unterrified, regarding their subtleties as mere ravings, did not even judge them worthy of an answer, but boldly pursued the subject which he had set before him. – Recognitions of Clement, book 1, chapter 8

Most righteously does Almighty God hide His will from you, whom He foresaw to be unworthy of the knowledge of Himself, as is manifest to those who are really wise, from what you are now doing. For when you see that preachers of the will of God have come among you, because their speech makes no show of knowledge of the grammatical art, but in simple and unpolished language they set before you the divine commands, so that all who hear may be able to follow and to understand the things that are spoken, you deride the ministers and messengers of your salvation, not knowing that it is the condemnation of you who think yourselves skilful and eloquent, that rustic and barbarous men have the knowledge of the truth; whereas, when it has come to you, it is not even received as a visitor, while, if your intemperance and lust did not oppose, it ought to have been a citizen and a native. Thus you are convicted of not being friends of truth and philosophers, but followers of boasting and vain speakers. You think that truth dwells not in simple, but in ingenious and subtle words, and produce countless thousands of words which are not to be rated at the worth of one word. – Recognitions of Clement, book 1, chapter 9

To this I answered: I give thanks to God Almighty, because I have been instructed as I wished and desired. At all events, you may depend upon me so far, that I can never come to doubt of those things which I have learned of you; so that even if you yourself should at any time wish to transfer my faith from the true Prophet, you should not be able, because I have drunk in with all my heart what you have spoken. And that you may not think that I am promising you a great thing when I say that I cannot be moved away from this faith, it is with me a certainty, that whoever has received this account of the true Prophet, can never afterwards so much as doubt of its truth. And therefore I am confident with respect to this heaven-taught doctrine, in which all the art of malice is overborne. For in opposition to this prophecy neither any art can stand, nor the subtleties of sophisms and syllogism; but every one who hears of the true Prophet must of necessity long immediately for the truth itself, nor will he afterwards, under pretext of seeking the truth, endure diverse errors. Wherefore, O my lord Peter, be not further anxious about me, as if I were one who does not know what he has received, and how great a gift has been conferred on him. Be assured that you have conferred a favour on one who knows and understands its value: nor can I be easily deceived on that account, because I seem to have gotten quickly what I long desired; for it may be that one who desires gets quickly, while another does not even slowly attain the things which he desires. – Recognition of Clement Book 1 Chapter 18

Then said Peter: If you believed concerning the true fountain of light, I could instruct you what and of what sort is that which is immense, and should render, not a vain fancy, but a consistent and necessary account of the truth, and should make use, not of sophistical assertions, but testimonies of the law and nature, that you might know that the law especially contains what we ought to believe in regard to immensity. — Recognitions of Clement, Book 2, chapter 67

Meantime Peter, rising at the crowing of the cock, and wishing to rouse us, found us awake, the evening light still burning; and when, according to custom, he had saluted us, and we had all sat down, he thus began. “Nothing is more difficult, my brethren, than to reason concerning the truth in the presence of a mixed multitude of people. For that which is may not be spoken to all as it is, on account of those who hear wickedly and treacherously; yet it is not proper to deceive, on account of those who desire to hear the truth sincerely. What, then, shall he do who has to address a mixed multitude? Shall he conceal what is true? How, then, shall he instruct those who are worthy? But if he set forth pure truth to those who do not desire to obtain salvation, he does injury to Him by whom he has been sent, and from whom he has received commandment not to throw the pearls of His words before swine and dogs, who, striving against them with arguments and sophisms, roll them in the mud of carnal understanding, and by their barkings and base answers break and weary the preachers of God’s word. Wherefore I also, for the most part, by using a certain circumlocution, endeavour to avoid publishing the chief knowledge concerning the Supreme Divinity to unworthy ears. Then, beginning from the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he briefly and plainly expounded to us, so that all of us hearing him wondered that men have forsaken the truth, and have turned themselves to vanity.” — Peter, Recognitions of Clement, Book 3, chapter 1

Peter rose up, and began to speak to the following effect: To me it is exceedingly wonderful, that things which can easily be found out men make difficult by recondite thoughts and words; and those especially who think themselves wise, and who, wishing to comprehend the will of God, treat God as if He were a man, yea, as if He were something less than a man: for no one can know the purpose or mind of a man unless he himself reveal his thoughts; and neither can any one learn a profession unless he be for a long time instructed by a master. — Peter, Recognitions of Clement, Book 8, chapter 58

For let us consider carefully the work of divine providence. For whereas the philosophers have introduced certain subtle and difficult words, so that not even the terms that they use in their discourses can be known and understood by all, God has shown that those who thought themselves word-framers are altogether unskilful as respects the knowledge of the truth. For the knowledge of things which is imparted by the true Prophet is simple, and plain, and brief; which those men walking through devious places, and through the stony difficulties of words, are wholly ignorant of. Therefore, to modest and simple minds, when they see things come to pass which have been foretold, it is enough, and more than enough, that they may receive most certain knowledge from most certain prescience; and for the rest may be at peace, having received evident knowledge of the truth. — Peter, Recognitions of Clement, Book 8, chapter 61

Justin Martyr:

But lest we should seem to be reasoning sophistically, we consider it right, before giving you the promised explanation, to cite a few precepts given by Christ Himself. And be it yours, as powerful rulers, to inquire whether we have been taught and do teach these things truly. Brief and concise utterances fell from Him, for He was no sophist, but His word was the power of God. – Justin First Apology, chapter 14

Irenaeus:

Alienated thus from the truth, they do deservedly wallow in all error, tossed to and fro by it, thinking differently in regard to the same things at different times, and never attaining to a well-grounded knowledge, being more anxious to be sophists of words than disciples of the truth. – Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.24.2

True knowledge, then, consists in the understanding of Christ, which Paul terms the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, which the natural man receives not, 1 Corinthians 2:14 the doctrine of the cross; of which if any man taste, he will not accede to the disputations and quibbles of proud and puffed-up men, 1 Timothy 6:4-5 who go into matters of which they have no perception. For the truth is unsophisticated; and the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, as the same apostle declares, being easy of comprehension to those who are obedient. For it renders us like to Christ, if we experience the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. – Irenaeus, Fragment 36

Theophilus of Antioch:

“A fluent tongue and an elegant style afford pleasure and such praise as vainglory delights in, to wretched men who have been corrupted in mind; the lover of truth does not give heed to ornamented speeches, but examines the real matter of the speech, what it is, and what kind it is. Since, then, my friend, you have assailed me with empty words, boasting of your gods of wood and stone, hammered and cast, carved and graven, which neither see nor hear, for they are idols, and the works of men’s hands; and since, besides, you call me a Christian, as if this were a damning name to bear, I, for my part, avow that I am a Christian, and bear this name beloved of God, hoping to be serviceable to God. For it is not the case, as you suppose, that the name of God is hard to bear; but possibly you entertain this opinion of God, because you are yourself yet unserviceable to Him.”- Theophilus, To Autolycus, Book 1 chapter 1

“And the utterances of the philosophers, and writers, and poets have an appearance of trustworthiness, on account of the beauty of their diction; but their discourse is proved to be foolish and idle, because the multitude of their nonsensical frivolities is very great; and not a stray morsel of truth is found in them. For even if any truth seems to have been uttered by them, it has a mixture of error. And as a deleterious drug, when mixed with honey or wine, or some other thing, makes the whole [mixture] hurtful and profitless; so also eloquence is in their case found to be labour in vain; yea, rather an injurious thing to those who credit it.”-Theophilus, To Autolycus, Book 2, chapter 12

Clement of Alexandria:

There is a great crowd of this description: some of them, enslaved to pleasures and willing to disbelieve, laugh at the truth which is worthy of all reverence, making sport of its barbarousness. Some others, exalting themselves, endeavour to discover calumnious objections to our words, furnishing captious questions, hunters out of paltry sayings, practicers of miserable artifices, wranglers, dealers in knotty points, as that Abderite says:—

“For mortals’ tongues are glib, and on them are many speeches;
And a wide range for words of all sorts in this place and that.”

And —

“Of whatever sort the word you have spoken, of the same sort you must hear.”

Inflated with this art of theirs, the wretched Sophists, babbling away in their own jargon; toiling their whole life about the division of names and the nature of the composition and conjunction of sentences, show themselves greater chatterers than turtle-doves; scratching and tickling, not in a manly way, in my opinion, the ears of those who wish to be tickled.

“A river of silly words — not a dropping;”

just as in old shoes, when all the rest is worn and is falling to pieces, and the tongue alone remains. The Athenian Solon most excellently enlarges, and writes:—

“Look to the tongue, and to the words of the glozing man, But you look on no work that has been done; But each one of you walks in the steps of a fox, And in all of you is an empty mind.”

This, I think, is signified by the utterance of the Saviour, “The foxes have holes, but the Son of man has not where to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58 For on the believer alone, who is separated entirely from the rest, who by the Scripture are called wild beasts, rests the head of the universe, the kind and gentle Word, “who takes the wise in their own craftiness. For the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain;” the Scripture calling those the wise (σοφούς) who are skilled in words and arts, sophists (σοφιστάς). Whence the Greeks also applied the denominative appellation of wise and sophists (σοφοί, σοφισταί) to those who were versed in anything Cratinus accordingly, having in the Archilochii enumerated the poets, said—

“Such a hive of sophists have you examined.”

And similarly Iophon, the comic poet, in Flute-playing Satyrs, says:—

“For there entered A band of sophists, all equipped.”

Of these and the like, who devote their attention to empty words, the divine Scripture most excellently says, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Isaiah 29:14; 1 Corinthians 1:19 — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 1, chapter 3

But as we say that a man can be a believer without learning, so also we assert that it is impossible for a man without learning to comprehend the things which are declared in the faith. But to adopt what is well said, and not to adopt the reverse, is caused not simply by faith, but by faith combined with knowledge. But if ignorance is want of training and of instruction, then teaching produces knowledge of divine and human things. But just as it is possible to live rightly in penury of this world’s good things, so also in abundance. And we avow, that at once with more ease and more speed will one attain to virtue through previous training. But it is not such as to be unattainable without it; but it is attainable only when they have learned, and have had their senses exercised. Hebrews 5:14 “For hatred,”says Solomon, “raises strife, but instruction guards the ways of life;” in such a way that we are not deceived nor deluded by those who are practiced in base arts for the injury of those who hear. “But instruction wanders reproachless,” Proverbs 10:19 it is said. We must be conversant with the art of reasoning, for the purpose of confuting the deceitful opinions of the sophists. — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 1, chapter 6

But the art of sophistry, which the Greeks cultivated, is a fantastic power, which makes false opinions like true by means of words. For it produces rhetoric in order to persuasion, and disputation for wrangling. These arts, therefore, if not conjoined with philosophy, will be injurious to every one. For Plato openly called sophistry “an evil art.” And Aristotle, following him, demonstrates it to be a dishonest art, which abstracts in a specious manner the whole business of wisdom, and professes a wisdom which it has not studied. To speak briefly, as the beginning of rhetoric is the probable, and an attempted proof the process, and the end persuasion, so the beginning of disputation is what is matter of opinion, and the process a contest, and the end victory. For in the same manner, also, the beginning of sophistry is the apparent, and the process twofold; one of rhetoric, continuous and exhaustive; and the other of logic, and is interrogatory. And its end is admiration. The dialectic in vogue in the schools, on the other hand, is the exercise of a philosopher in matters of opinion, for the sake of the faculty of disputation. But truth is not in these at all. With reason, therefore, the noble apostle, depreciating these superfluous arts occupied about words, says, “If any man do not give heed to wholesome words, but is puffed up by a kind of teaching, knowing nothing, but doting (νοσῶν) about questions and strifes of words, whereof comes contention, envy, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth.” You see how he is moved against them, calling their art of logic — on which, those to whom this garrulous mischievous art is dear, whether Greeks or barbarians, plume themselves — a disease. — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 1, chapter 8

Righteousness, accordingly, is not constituted without discourse. And as the receiving of good is abolished if we abolish the doing of good; so obedience and faith are abolished when neither the command, nor one to expound the command, is taken along with us. But now we are benefited mutually and reciprocally by words and deeds; but we must repudiate entirely the art of wrangling and sophistry, since these sentences of the sophists not only bewitch and beguile the many, but sometimes by violence win a Cadmean victory. For true above all is that Psalm, “The just shall live to the end, for he shall not see corruption, when he beholds the wise dying.” And whom does he call wise? Hear from the Wisdom of Jesus: “Wisdom is not the knowledge of evil.” Sirach 19:22 Such he calls what the arts of speaking and of discussing have invented. “You shall therefore seek wisdom among the wicked, and shall not find it.” Proverbs 14:6 And if you inquire again of what sort this is, you are told, “The mouth of the righteous man will distil wisdom.” Proverbs 10:31 And similarly with truth, the art of sophistry is called wisdom. — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 1, chapter 10

How entirely worthy of approbation are they who are both willing to learn, and able, according to Solomon, “to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive the words of wisdom, to receive knotty words, and to perceive true righteousness,” there being another [righteousness as well], not according to the truth, taught by the Greek laws, and by the rest of the philosophers. “And to direct judgments,” it is said — not those of the bench, but he means that we must preserve sound and free of error the judicial faculty which is within us — “That I may give subtlety to the simple, to the young man sense and understanding.”“For the wise man,” who has been persuaded to obey the commandments, “having heard these things, will become wiser” by knowledge; and “the intelligent man will acquire rule, and will understand a parable and a dark word, the sayings and enigmas of the wise.” Proverbs 1:2-6 For it is not spurious words which those inspired by God and those who are gained over by them adduce, nor is it snares in which the most of the sophists entangle the young, spending their time on nought true. But those who possess the Holy Spirit“search the deep things of God,” 1 Corinthians 2:10 — that is, grasp the secret that is in the prophecies. “To impart of holy things to the dogs” is forbidden, so long as they remain beasts. For never ought those who are envious and perturbed, and still infidel in conduct, shameless in barking at investigation, to dip in the divine and clear stream of the living water. — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 2, chapter 2

Now David cried, “The righteous shall not be shaken for ever;” neither, consequently, by deceptive speech nor by erring pleasure. Whence he shall never be shaken from his own heritage. “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings;” consequently neither of unfounded calumny, nor of the false opinion around him. No more will he dread cunning words, who is capable of distinguishing them, or of answering rightly to questions asked. Such a bulwark are dialectics, that truth cannot be trampled under foot by the Sophists. “For it behooves those who praise in the holy name of the Lord,” according to the prophet, “to rejoice in heart, seeking the Lord. Seek then Him, and be strong. Seek His face continually in every way.”  “For, having spoken at sundry times and in various manners,” Hebrews 1:1 it is not in one way only that He is known. — Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 6, chapter 10

“Those who drag in a doctrine of moral indifference do violence to some few passages of Scripture, thinking that they support their own love of pleasure; in particular, the passage “Sin shall have no authority over you; for you are not subject to sin but to grace.” Romans 6:14 But there are other such passages, which there is no good reason to record for these purposes, as I am not equipping a pirate ship! Let me quickly cut through their attempt. The admirable Apostle in person will refute their charge in the words with which he continues the previous quotation: “Well then! Shall we sin because we are no longer under Law but under grace? God forbid!” Romans 6:15 With these inspired prophetic words, at a single stroke he undoes the sophistical skill at the service of pleasure.” – Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata 3.8.61

…Thus he, being magnanimous, possessing, through knowledge, what is the most precious of all, the best of all, being quick in applying himself to contemplation, retains in his soul the permanent energy of the objects of his contemplation, that is the perspicacious keenness of knowledge. And this power he strives to his utmost to acquire, by obtaining command of all the influences which war against the mind; and by applying himself without intermission to speculation, by exercising himself in the training of abstinence from pleasures, and of right conduct in what he does; and besides, furnished with great experience both in study and in life, he has freedom of speech, not the power of a babbling tongue, but a power which employs plain language, and which neither for favour nor fear conceals anything of the things which may be worthily said at the fitting time, in which it is highly necessary to say them. He, then, having received the things respecting God from the mystic choir of the truth itself, employs language which urges the magnitude of virtue in accordance with its worth; and shows its results with an inspired elevation of prayer, being associated gnostically, as far as possible, with intellectual and spiritual objects. – Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 7, chapter 7

Tertullian:

Unhappy Aristotle! Who invented for these men dialectics, the art of building up and pulling down; an art so evasive in its propositions, so far-fetched in its conjectures, so harsh, in its arguments, so productive of contentions — embarrassing even to itself, retracting everything, and really treating of nothing! Whence spring those fables and endless genealogies, and unprofitable questions,  and words which spread like a cancer? From all these, when the apostle would restrain us, he expressly names philosophy as that which he would have us be on our guard against. — On the Prescription of Heretics Chapter 7

So, too, that other species of magic which operates by miracles, emulous even in opposition to Moses, tried God’s patience until the Gospel. For thenceforward Simon Magus, just turned believer, (since he was still thinking somewhat of his juggling sect; to wit, that among the miracles of his profession he might buy even the gift of the Holy Spirit through imposition of hands) was cursed by the apostles, and ejected from the faith. Both he and that other magician, who was with Sergius Paulus, (since he began opposing himself to the same apostles) was mulcted with loss of eyes. The same fate, I believe, would astrologers, too, have met, if any had fallen in the way of the apostles. But yet, when magic is punished, of which astrology is a species, of course the species is condemned in the genus. After the Gospel, you will nowhere find either sophists, Chaldeans, enchanters, diviners, or magicians, except as clearly punished. Where is the wise, where the grammarian, where the disputer of this age? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this age? 1 Corinthians 1:20 You know nothing, astrologer, if you know not that you should be a Christian. If you did know it, you ought to have known this also, that you should have nothing more to do with that profession of yours which, of itself, fore-chants the climacterics of others, and might instruct you of its own danger. There is no part nor lot for you in that system of yours. He cannot hope for the kingdom of the heavens, whose finger or wand abuses the heaven. — Tertullian, On idolatry chapter 9

Origen:

Now, if one were to lay it down that works are wrought by means of sorcery, but would not grant that there are also works which are the product of divine power, he (Celsus) would seem to me to resemble him who should admit the existence of sophisms and plausible arguments, which have the appearance of establishing the truth, although really undermining it, while denying that truth had anywhere a home among men, or a dialectic which differed from sophistry. – Origen, Against Celsus, Book 2, chapter 51

And the object of His coming had been explained at great length in His discourses on the beatitudes, and in the announcements which followed them, and in the parables, and in His conversations with the scribes and Pharisees. And the instruction afforded us by the Gospel of John, shows that the eloquence of Jesus consisted not in words, but in deeds; while it is manifest from the Gospel narratives that His speech was with power, on which account also they marvelled at Him. – Origen, Against Celsus, Book 2, chapter 74

And I am of opinion that it was on this account that Jesus wished to employ such persons as teachers of His doctrines, that is, that there might be no ground for any suspicion of plausible sophistry, but that it might clearly appear to all who were capable of understanding, that the guileless purpose of the writers being, so to speak, marked with great simplicity, was deemed worthy of being accompanied by a diviner power, which accomplished far more than it seemed possible could be accomplished by a periphrasis of words, and a weaving of sentences, accompanied by all the distinctions of Grecian art. – Origen, Against Celsus, Book 3, chapter 39

We say that, since wisdom is the knowledge of divine and human things and of their causes, or, as it is defined by the word of God, “the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty; and the brightness of the everlasting light, and the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of His goodness,” Wisdom 7:25-26 no one who was really wise would reject what is said by a Christian acquainted with the principles of Christianity, or would be led into error, or ensnared by it. For true wisdom does not mislead, but ignorance does, while of existing things knowledge alone is permanent, and the truth which is derived from wisdom. But if, contrary to the definition of wisdom, you call any one whatever who dogmatizes with sophistical opinions wise, we answer that in conformity with what you call wisdom, such an one rejects the words of God, being misled and ensnared by plausible sophisms. And since, according to our doctrine, wisdom is not the knowledge of evil, but the knowledge of evil, so to speak, is in those who hold false opinions and who are deceived by them, I would therefore in such persons term it ignorance rather than wisdom. – Origen, Against Celsus, Book 3, chapter 72

Now we maintain, that if it is the object of the ambassadors of the truth to confer benefits upon the greatest possible number, and, so far as they can, to win over to its side, through their love to men, every one without exception — intelligent as well as simple — not Greeks only, but also Barbarians (and great, indeed, is the humanity which should succeed in converting the rustic and the ignorant), it is manifest that they must adopt a style of address fitted to do good to all, and to gain over to them men of every sort. Those, on the other hand, who turn away from the ignorant as being mere slaves, and unable to understand the flowing periods of a polished and logical discourse, and so devote their attention solely to such as have been brought up among literary pursuits, confine their views of the public good within very strait and narrow limits. – Origen, Against Celsus Book 6, chapter 1

I have made these remarks in reply to the charges which Celsus and others bring against the simplicity of the language of Scripture, which appears to be thrown into the shade by the splendour of polished discourse. For our prophets, and Jesus Himself, and His apostles, were careful to adopt a style of address which should not merely convey the truth, but which should be fitted to gain over the multitude, until each one, attracted and led onwards, should ascend as far as he could towards the comprehension of those mysteries which are contained in these apparently simple words. – Origen, Against Celsus Book 6, chapter 2

“I thank [God] that I baptized none of you… for Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, not in wisdom of speech, so that the cross of Christ may not be emptied.” 1 Corinthians 1:14, 17 Proclaiming the gospel is greater than baptizing; and since Paul knew that some had been set apart for baptizing, he gives thanks for having received a greater calling than that of baptizing. In the Acts of the Apostles, the works of certain apostles are shown—for instance, Philip was baptizing, but the Spirit was not ministered by Philip to the one being baptized; rather, Peter laid hands on those baptized by him, and the Spirit came upon them. Thus, Philip was baptizing with water those being reborn of water and the Holy Spirit, but Peter [baptized] with the Spirit. Not so much speech is needed as power; therefore it is written, “the Lord will give a word to those proclaiming the good news with great power, the King of powers of the Beloved.” Christ, then, sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom of speech, not with impressiveness of diction; for if I do this and wish to deliver the word in this way, the power of Christ does not reach the soul of the hearers, and it empties out and strips away the grace of power. – Origen, Commentary on 1 Corinthians, chapter 5 (The Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 9, page 234-235),

Cyprian of Carthage (200-258 AD):

“And yet, of what kind or of what amount is anything that my mind is likely to communicate to yours? The poor mediocrity of my shallow understanding produces a very limited harvest, and enriches the soil with no fruitful deposits. Nevertheless, with such powers as I have, I will set about the matter; for the subject itself on which I am about to speak will assist me. In courts of justice, in the public assembly, in political debate, a copious eloquence may be the glory of a voluble ambition; but in speaking of the Lord God, a chaste simplicity of expression strives for the conviction of faith rather with the substance, than with the powers, of eloquence. Therefore accept from me things, not clever but weighty, words, not decked up to charm a popular audience with cultivated rhetoric, but simple and fitted by their unvarnished truthfulness for the proclamation of the divine mercy. Accept what is felt before it is spoken, what has not been accumulated with tardy painstaking during the lapse of years, but has been inhaled in one breath of ripening grace.” – Cyprian of Carthage, Epistle 1 (To Donatus)

Didymus the Blind:

… Now consider with understanding: if you ever saw someone with a heretical opinion stealing the will of truth and you ran with him in agreement, and if you also agreed with those who tried to commit adultery with the bride of Christ by drawing ecclesiastical souls to themselves, not turning them away, you were placing your portion with the adulterers. You will say that this word applies to those who claim to be ecclesiastical but join in fellowship with men who are not ecclesiastical. “Your mouth overflowed with wickedness.” He who is ignorant of good but does evil sins less; but he who sins after knowing the good possesses intensified wickedness. Therefore the servant who knew his master’s will and did not do it will be beaten with many stripes. It may also be understood this way: since he took up the covenant of God with his mouth, yet his heart was full of sin, from the abundance of his evil heart his mouth overflowed with wickedness, and he twisted heretical words into sophisms with his tongue, contriving deceit. Sitting, you slandered your brother, and you placed a stumbling block before the son of your mother. Regarding the literal sense, “brother” may mean one of the same father and same will, while “son of your mother” may mean one born of the same womb, even if from a different father. Whoever behaves this way toward his own brothers, whom else can he love? – Didymus the Blind, Fragments on Psalms PG 39.98-99

Those who sacrifice according to the law, from whom they make it their business to slaughter calves, are called “calves” and surround the Lord with hostility. Pontius Pilate and any others in authority, being powerful bulls with horns, strive to encircle him. The Savior might also be saying these things concerning his body, the Church, seeing men groveling on the ground and working in worldly things, surrounding his body in a hostile manner, as in “Many bulls have encircled me.” And having seen the rulers—those who profess the wisdom of this age—circling around his body, he will say, “Fat bulls have hemmed me in.” Depicting their enraged wickedness and readiness to cause affliction, he says, “They have opened their mouth against me like a lion seizing and roaring.” For their mouth was opened to seize the deceived, and the sophist-like speech was their weapon. – Didymus the Blind, Fragments on Psalms, Psalm 21 PG 39.48

Therefore, all the souls of His holy ones, as brides joined in union with the Word of God, who is the Bridegroom of every rational nature, rejoice upon their beds. The exaltations of God, shown forth through hymns and theology, are found in the spiritual throats of the holy ones who together exalt His name. Praising Him with great truth, they glorify and exalt Him on high, having in their hands two-edged swords—not to slay men, but having them ready to avenge all disobedience, for the weapons of their warfare are not carnal but mighty through God, through which they tear down every contentious stronghold and every proud argument raised against the knowledge of God. And it is good to say that the swords in their hands are two-edged, for every word they possess is two-edged, according to the living Word of God, who is active and sharper than any two-edged sword. Therefore, those who use the words of truth not only cut away falsehoods and dissolve excessive sophistries, but also wound their hearers with a desire for the truth. – Didymus the Blind, Fragments on Psalms, PG 39.275

9.1 Although there are so many and such clear proofs and Scripture advises, “do not be carried away by various and strange doctrines,” and to flee from “vain babblings,” the heterodox, unable to establish their religion from the Scriptures, and as if drunk, tossing about their reasoning here and there, present various sophistries, composed for them with evil skill and much practice, among which are these things: 9.2 “Are all things, then,” they say, “not from God?” — Didymus the Blind, On the Trinity Book 1 chapter 9

Basil the Great:

Numbers of students have been occupied with paltry rhetoric, and the solution of sophisms, the subject matter of all of which is the false and unreal. Even poetry is dependent for its existence on its myths. Rhetoric would not be but for craft in speech. Sophistics must have their fallacies. Many men for the sake of these pursuits have disregarded the knowledge of God, and have grown old in the search for the unreal. — Basil the Great, Homiletical, Homily 12

Gregory of Nyssa:

For who does not know how, during the time when the Emperor Valens was roused against the churches of the Lord, that mighty champion of ours rose by his lofty spirit superior to those overwhelming circumstances and the terrors of the foe, and showed a mind which soared above every means devised to daunt him? Who of the dwellers in the East, and of the furthest regions of our civilized world did not hear of his combat with the throne itself for the truth? Who, looking to his antagonist, was not in dismay? For his was no common antagonist, possessed only of the power of winning in sophistic juggles, where victory is no glory and defeat is harmless; but he had the power of bending the whole Roman government to his will; and, added to this pride of empire, he had prejudices against our faith, cunningly instilled into his mind by Eudoxius of Germanicia, who had won him to his side; and he found in all those who were then at the head of affairs allies in carrying out his designs, some being already inclined to them from mental sympathies, while others, and they were the majority, were ready from fear to indulge the imperial pleasure, and seeing the severity employed against those who held to the Faith were ostentatious in their zeal for him. It was a time of exile, confiscation, banishment, threats of fines, danger of life, arrests, imprisonment, scourging; nothing was too dreadful to put in force against those who would not yield to this sudden caprice of the Emperor; it was worse for the faithful to be caught in God’s house than if they had been detected in the most heinous of crimes. – Against Eunomius, chapter 12

Gregory Nazianzen

I am to speak against persons who pride themselves on their eloquence; so, to begin with a text of Scripture, Behold, I am against you, O thou proud one, Jeremiah 50:31 not only in your system of teaching, but also in your hearing, and in your tone of mind. For there are certain persons who have not only their ears 2 Timothy 4:3 and their tongues, but even, as I now perceive, their hands too, itching for our words; who delight in profane babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called, and strifes about words, which tend to no profit; for so Paul, the Preacher and Establisher of the Word cut short, Romans 9:28 the disciple and teacher of the Fishermen, calls all that is excessive or superfluous in discourse. But as to those to whom we refer, would that they, whose tongue is so voluble and clever in applying itself to noble and approved language, would likewise pay some attention to actions. For then perhaps in a little while they would become less sophistical, and less absurd and strange acrobats of words, if I may use a ridiculous expression about a ridiculous subject. — Gregory Nazianzen, First Theological Oration (Oration 27)

Jerome:

When teaching in church seek to call forth not plaudits but groans. Let the tears of your hearers be your glory. A presbyter’s words ought to be seasoned by his reading of scripture. Be not a declaimer or a ranter, one who gabbles without rhyme or reason; but show yourself skilled in the deep things and versed in the mysteries of God. To mouth your words and by your quickness of utterance astonish the unlettered crowd is a mark of ignorance…. There is nothing so easy as by sheer volubility to deceive a common crowd or an uneducated congregation: such most admire what they fail to understand. – Jerome, Letter 52.8

“Come after me, and I shall make you become fishers of men.” Matthew 4.19 These were the first ones to be called to follow the Lord. They are illiterate fishermen and are sent to preach, lest it be thought that the faith of believers comes from eloquence and learning rather than from the power of God. – Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 4.19

It is a great thing that you ask, my friend: that I render Origen into Latin, and thus present to Roman ears a man who, in the view of Didymus the seeing, was the second teacher of the churches—second only to the Apostle. But because of the torment of a pain in my eyes (as you know), which I contracted by unrestrained excessive reading, and because of my lack of stenographers (for poverty has taken away this assistance too), I do not have the power to carry out what you rightly desire as eagerly as you desire it. Therefore, after the fourteen homilies on Jeremiah which I translated long ago in a mixed-up order, I have also been rendering these fourteen homilies on Ezekiel at intervals, taking great care to ensure that this man’s style and the simplicity of language, which alone is beneficial for the Churches, should be preserved in the translation; I disdained all the brilliant effects of rhetorical art—for I want the content to be praised, not the words.– Jerome, Preface to Origen’s Homilies on Ezekiel. 

Macarius Magnes:

Never mind that he led the thief, once he believed in him not as a man, but as God, into sumptuous paradise at the very moment he believed—the paradise that he planted and rooted ineffably from the beginning. For it is not as some myth-makers contrive their sophistries, spitting out the utterances of rotten old women, belching the smoke of foul smelling cookery, imitating the rage of rabid dogs, forging an attitude like enemies of Christ, being sharers and advocates of Jewish insanity, battling against the meaning by abbreviating the passage, construing wickedly what was written well. They say, “Truly today I say to you,” and then, having abbreviated it they say “You will be with me in paradise” at some time, as though the promise to the thief is projected into a future time. Who will accept this wondrous account when it is rendered in this way? And who having a sound mind and healthy reason will offer a doctrine full of statements so base that they open upon life a tavern keeper’s doctrine? Such statements belong to dogs that eat one another! Such common talk belongs to poisonous snakes! Such myths belong to hissing serpents! These daring statements steal truth with sophistries. These are cunningly sharpened words for the subversion of the beautiful. These audacities circumscribe Christ in the Passion! — Macarius Magnes, Apocriticus, Book 4, chapter 14

So too a discourse, when delivered solemnly, enchants the ear and imperceptibly harms the soul with wordiness, offering no firm account of virtue. Thus one must flee sophistical cleverness in every way and must consider unalloyed knowledge with beauty. — Macarius Magnes, Apocriticus, Book 4, chapter 30

Augustine:

“All day long he has mercy and lends.” Psalm 36:26 The Latin word feneratur refers both to the one who gives a loan and the one who receives it; but this is clearer if we simply say he lends. What does it matter to us what the grammarians wish? In our so-called barbarism, you understand better than you would in our eloquence, if we abandoned you to it. – Augustine, Exposition on the Psalms, Explanation on Psalm 36, Homily 3, chapter 6 PL 36.368

Asterius of Amasea:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Who could admire these words as they deserve—he who became the trustworthy interpreter for the greatest of the apostles? Notice first how unadorned and brief the speech is, setting out with a short utterance the force of countless great truths. For the best statement is the one that fits its subject and whose wording does not spill around a thin and meager idea; rather, like the mustard seed, it signals a multitude of realities in a few words—small to the eye when held and seen, but if you bring it to the mouth’s sense, it draws heat through the whole body from foot to head. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Oh the darkness and mist poured thick over human eyes, because of which heretics do not see the fathers’ footprints and cannot walk the path the apostles’ feet wore smooth! Look—Peter, the genuine disciple of Christ by choice, the one who everywhere received the first vote in honors and achievements, that very great man whose fame filled the whole world— when told to say how he glorifies our God and Savior, did not begin from some long chain of reflections, nor wrap his answer in circles of arguments and complexities like the clever sophists and technicalizers of the faith do now. Instead, in the simplicity of his heart he set forth the truth briefly—without splitting hairs about “unbegotten” and “begotten,” without pedantic talk about “like” and “unlike,” without prying into what is beyond all being, and without trying to measure the immeasurable Godhead by arguments—the games of Arius and Eunomius’s contrivances.

Let us, then, Christians—whose mark is faith, not wordiness—imitate the fisherman, the unpretentious elder from Bethsaida, Christ’s first catch. Let us practice saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and leave the surplus talk to the wranglers in words—whose work is strife and whose end is ruin. – Asterius of Amasea, Sermon 8., chapters 12.1-14.3