Earliest attribution found in Who Said That?: More than 2,500 Usable Quotes and Illustrations (1995) by George Sweeting. Online sources always attribute the quote to Augustine, but never specify in which of his works it is to be found.
“
If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.
— Augustine of Hippo
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." in the context of "Earliest attribution found in Who Said That?: More than 2,500 Usable Quotes and Illustrations (1995) by George Sweeting. Online sources always attribute the quote to Augustine, but never specify in which of his works it is to be found." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Augustine of Hippo" (Disputed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Augustine of Hippo
St. Augustine of Hippo (13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a Christian theologian, rhetor, North African bishop, Doctor of the Catholic Church, saint, and a philosopher influenced in his early years by Manichaeism and the Neo-Platonism of Plotinus.
About Augustine of Hippo
St. Augustine of Hippo (13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a Christian theologian, rhetor, North African bishop, Doctor of the Catholic Church, saint, and a philosopher influenced in his early years by Manichaeism and the Neo-Platonism of Plotinus.
View all quotes →