Skip to content

Add your phone number?

Optional. Nothing is sent unless you choose it.
The Historic Faith
Sign in

Jumpstarter 7 of 10

Ideas to help restart your discussion
The Life of the Early Christians  /  Our Lord's Prayer  /  Discussion Questions
All Questions
Question 7
Tertullian and Cyprian criticize loud, showy praying and connect modesty with faith, using Hannah and the tax collector as models; how do their comments expose the way some churches equate volume, length, or emotional intensity with the Holy Spirit?
Another way to ask: Tertullian and Cyprian warn against loud, showy prayer and point to Hannah and the tax collector. How does this challenge churches that treat volume, length, or big emotions as signs of the Holy Spirit?

Direct Answer Their comments expose a confusion between outward intensity and inward humility: they argue God hears “the heart,” not loudness, and that noisy, undisciplined prayer can actually reflect shamelessness or pride. This challenges church habits that treat shouting, long prayers, and dramatic emotion as proof of spirituality.

Support from Transcript:

  • Tertullian: “The sounds of our voices likewise should be subdued…God is the hearer not of the voice, but of the heart…those who pray too loudly…annoy their neighbors.”
  • Cyprian: prayer should show “quietness and modesty,” since being “noisy with his cries” is “characteristic of a shameless man.”
  • Cyprian appeals to Jesus: “the Lord has told us to pray in secret, which is best suited to faith.”
  • He uses Hannah: she prayed “silently and modestly…She spoke with her heart, not her voice.”
  • David contrasts this with modern teaching: “If you’re really spiritual, you pray out loud and you shout…evidence…filled with the Spirit,” and notes this “does seem to go against what Jesus taught.”
Discussion Follow-ups How can a church encourage zeal without training people to perform? What practices could help a congregation value humility and sincerity more than volume or length?

Jumpstarter 7 of 10
Back Questions Next