Recovering our memory: John Chrysostom

Name: John Chrysostom
When: c. 347–407
Where: Bishop of Constantinople (in modern-day Turkey)

So what?

Imagine your perfect evangelical preacher. What do you have? Rigorously Biblecentred, preaching the text carefully, verse by verse? Tick. Eloquent and moving oratory? Tick. Deep understanding of current culture, and able to show how God’s word speaks into it? Tick. Challenging application, continually exhorting you to live out your faith and to use any wealth you have unselfishly? Tick. An uncompromising refusal to be influenced by the powerful? Tick. A determination to teach the truth, whatever the consequences? Tick.

Who have you got? Basically, John Chrysostom. John’s preaching was famous throughout Christendom; first in Antioch (in modern Syria), where he was born, and then in Constantinople, where he was bishop.

Chrysostom stands as a challenge for any Bible teacher. First, he stood for careful exposition. He was the champion of what was called the Antiochene method of interpreting Scripture, which sought to understand the meaning of the words of the text; he opposed the Alexandrian method, which looked for hidden, deeper, “spiritual” meanings which may not be at all obvious, or indeed have a great deal to do with the actual words on the page.

Second, though he was massively popular with large parts of the population of Constantinople, he was never afraid to be hard-hitting in application. So much so that he was twice exiled, because of the powerful enemies he made by applying the Scriptures to life. Other bishops disliked him because of the standards of living he called them to; and the Empress hated him, because he insisted that even Empresses should obey God in their sex lives.

Third, he was eloquent, aimed to be moving, and didn’t apologise for it. His verse-by-verse style, and his hard-hitting application, did not mean he was boring, or formulaic, or just a “shouter”. It’s notable that his posthumous nickname of “Chrysostom” does not mean “Exposition tongue” or “Application tongue” but “Golden tongue”. But it’s also notable that in a time of great doctrinal controversy; when the state and church were often working together, and equally often in conflict; when politics seemed to matter as much as godliness in church hierarchies; here was a man who preached, preached the text, preached to the heart, and preached with heart, and continued to do so even as troops entered his church to carry him off to exile.

Random fact: Among more serious-sounding charges, one accusation John’s enemies levelled against him was that he sucked lozenges during services.

Good quote: Please listen to me - you are not paying attention. I am talking to you about the Holy Scriptures, and you are looking at the lamps and the people lighting them. It is very frivolous to be more interested in what the lamplighters are doing... After all, I am lighting a lamp too - the lamp of God's Word.

Prayer of thanks: Father, Thank you that in every generation of your church, you have provided it with men who faithfully, carefully, thrillingly and uncompromisingly preach your word to your people. Thank you for the gifts you have given the people who preach your word in my church.