Think about it this way. A carpenter learns certain skills and becomes a carpenter. A ship pilot learns certain skills and becomes a pilot. So in philosophy, is it enough to just wish you were wise and good? No. You also need to learn certain things. What things? Philosophers say you should first learn that there is a God who takes care of everything. You can't hide your actions from him. You can't even hide your intentions and thoughts. Next, you need to learn what the gods are like. Once you understand their nature, you must try with all your strength to be like them if you want to please and obey them. If the divine is faithful, you must be faithful. If it is free, you must be free. If it does good for others, you must do good for others. If it is generous, you must be generous. Since you're copying God, everything you do and say must match this fact.
We see then that the carpenter ([Greek: techton]) when he has learned certain things becomes a carpenter; the pilot by learning certain things becomes a pilot. May it not then in philosophy also not be sufficient to wish to be wise and good, and that there is also a necessity to learn certain things? We inquire then what these things are. The philosophers say that we ought first to learn that there is a God and that he provides for all things; also that it is not possible to conceal from him our acts, or even our intentions and thoughts. The next thing is to learn what is the nature of the gods; for such as they are discovered to be, he, who would please and obey them, must try with all his power to be like them. If the divine is faithful, man also must be faithful; if it is free, man also must be free; if beneficent, man also must be beneficent; if magnanimous, man also must be magnanimous; as being then an imitator of God he must do and say everything consistently with this fact.