John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom remains one of the early Church’s most beloved pastors and most luminous preachers—so renowned for the clarity and power of his sermons that he came to be remembered as Chrysostomos (“Golden-Mouthed”). Trained in Antioch’s exegetical tradition, he became famous for verse-by-verse preaching that grounded Christian doctrine and ethics directly in the biblical text. After meeting Bishop Meletius of Antioch, he began to withdraw from secular pursuits and give himself to Scripture and spiritual discipline; contemporaries even describe his baptism as a true turning point, an earnest renunciation of the world in order to serve Christ. He learned to read Scripture with close attention and to preach it with a rare ability to press the text into the conscience and the comfort of ordinary people. After years of ascetic discipline and then public ministry, he was unexpectedly called to serve as Archbishop of Constantinople—where his insistence on integrity among the clergy, simplicity of life, and care for the poor won many hearts. Again and again, his preaching drives confidence away from human achievement and back to God’s mercy—insisting that the believer’s standing before God is grounded in grace and received through faith. His preaching also provoked powerful enemies, resulting in his exile more than once. He died far from home, leaving behind a legacy of verse-by-verse homilies that still nourish the Church to this day.

Icon of a saint holding an ornate book with a golden halo.

John Chrysostom (ca. 347-407)

“The favors of God so far exceed human hope and expectation, that often they are not believed. For God has bestowed upon us such things as the mind of man never looked for, never thought of. It is for this reason that the Apostles spend much discourse in securing a belief of the gifts that are granted us of God. For as men, upon receiving some great good, ask themselves if it is not a dream, as not believing it; so it is with respect to the gifts of God. What then was it that was thought incredible? That those who were enemies, and sinners, neither justified by the law, nor by works, should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor. Upon this head accordingly Paul has discoursed at length in his Epistle to the Romans, and here again at length. ‘This is a faithful saying,’ he says, ‘and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’

As the Jews were chiefly attracted by this, he persuades them not to give heed to the law, since they could not attain salvation by it without faith. Against this he contends; for it seemed to them incredible, that a man who had mis-spent all his former life in vain and wicked actions, should afterwards be saved by his faith alone. On this account he says, ‘It is a saying to be believed.’”

John Chrysostom, Hom. in 1 Tim. 4 (on 1 Tim. 1:15–16), in NPNF1 13. [bold added]

“What then shall we say to the heathen? There comes a heathen and says, I wish to become a Christian, but I know not whom to join: there is much fighting and faction among you, much confusion: which doctrine am I to choose? How shall we answer him? Each of you (says he) asserts, ‘I speak the truth.’ No doubt: this is in our favor. For if we told you to be persuaded by arguments, you might well be perplexed: but if we bid you believe the Scriptures, and these are simple and true, the decision is easy for you. If any agree with the Scriptures, he is the Christian; if any fight against them, he is far from this rule. But which am I to believe, knowing as I do nothing at all of the Scriptures? The others also allege the same thing for themselves. What then if the other come, and say that the Scripture has this, and you that it has something different, and ye interpret the Scriptures diversely, dragging their sense (each his own way)? And you then, I ask, have you no understanding, no judgment?”

John Chrysostom, Hom. on Acts 33 (on Acts 15:13–15), in NPNF1 11, 210–11. [bold added]

This website uses cookies.