Patrick (23)

He sings hymns and the Apocalypse, and the psalms of God,

which he expounds to build up God’s people.

Belief in the Trinity of sacred name is a law to him,

and he teaches one Substance with three Persons.



Girt with the belt of the Lord, by day and night

he prays to the Lord God without ceasing.

He will receive the reward of his vast labour

when he will reign as a saint with the apostles over Israel.

 - Sechnall, Audite Omnes Amantes

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

 - 1 Timothy 4.16

Throughout his beautiful hymn, Sechnall repeatedly asserted both the orthodoxy and the devotion of Patrick. He reaffirmed those convictions in these final stanzas and set Patrick’s life and ministry in the line of great saints whom God had used to advance His Kingdom.

None of Patrick’s contemporaries had any doubt about his orthodoxy. His teaching lined up with that of the Church Fathers. Final agreement on the doctrine of the Trinity was the doctrinal high-water mark for early Christian theology. Asserted at the Council of Nicea in 325 and further clarified at the Council of Ephesus near the end of the fourth century, in Patrick’s lifetime the great achievement of the Council of Chalcedon (456) had set the doctrine of the Trinity as the central and most beautiful teaching in the whole of orthodox instruction. Sechnall’s reference here to Patrick’s belief in the Trinity is a synecdoche standing for all his belief and teaching. He was orthodox to the core.

Sechnall also bears witness to Patrick’s devotional life. In earlier stanzas he remarked Patrick’s love for the Word and his faithfulness in feeding the Lord’s flock with the manna of Scripture. Here, Sechnall gives us a glimpse into Patrick’s personal communion with the Triune God. Patrick is the first person I know of in church history who is reported to have sung the book of Revelation (the Apocalypse) along with hymns and psalms as part of his devotional life. It’s not hard to understand why he would do so, given the circumstances in Ireland and Patrick’s daily expectation of being martyred.

Further, Patrick girded himself with the belt of truth (Eph. 6.14) or, as Paul elsewhere stated, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20.27). The fact that his brief Confession cites over 100 quotations or references to Scripture is testimony to the breadth and depth of Patrick’s knowledge of God’s Word, as well as to his commitment to live by that Word.

Patrick’s grounding in Scripture fueled his practice of praying “without ceasing”, which, in turn, no doubt increased his love for God and His Word.

Had Patrick been merely a showman or huckster, and had his doctrine been in the least questionable, it is unlikely subsequent generations of Irish Christian leaders would have sought so eagerly to identify with him. As we shall see, it was very important to those who succeeded Patrick to demonstrate their connection to and, by implication, agreement with him wherever they could.

Sound doctrine and deep devotion go together. Sound doctrine without devotion is mere intellectualism. Devotion apart from sound doctrine is legalism. In Patrick these two pillars of unshakeable faith shaped the content of his soul, life, and work. Sound doctrine and deep devotion together generate the love for God and neighbors that motivated and sustained Patrick’s ministry for nearly 60 years.

Love for God’s Word and love for God should be inseparable. The Christian faith is not simply a raft of beliefs, carefully derived from intense study of God’s Word. And it’s not merely a regimen of ascetic practices unlinked to heartfelt devotion. Christianity is a way of life, a lifestyle grounded in Scripture and sustained by a life of prayer, meditation, worship, and ministry. Clearly, those who knew Patrick best realized that his greatness was God’s work.

Patrick regarded himself as an unworthy vessel and referred his many accomplishments to God. So did Sechnall.

Those who followed Patrick as God’s chosen vessels for continuing the Celtic Revival—some of whom we will meet as we bring our history to its close—were acutely aware of their debt to him and eager to be associated with his doctrine and life.

We should be as well. We have much to learn from Patrick, and my prayer is that we will allow this great saint to teach and encourage us, so that we may realize the fullness of God’s blessing on all our endeavors.

For Reflection
1. How would you describe the state of doctrine and devotion in your life?

2. What have you seen in Patrick that makes you want to grow in the Lord and His calling for you?

Psalm 78.4-7 (Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
The glorious deeds of our God in His might,
and all of the works He has done in our sight,
together with all of the words of His Law,
would we on ourselves and our children bestow.

LORD, let all our children arise and declare
the truth of the LORD every day, everywhere,
and set all their hopes in God’s wonderful Word,
and never forget all the works of the LORD.

Help me to grow in doctrine and devotion, Lord, so that I may…

T. M. Moore

Patrick’s Legacy
You can read more about the impact of Patrick’s ministry in our book, The Legacy of Patrick. Here you’ll learn how Patrick’s work has affected generations of Christians down to our own day. Order your copy by clicking here.

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