John Chrysostom

As a young man, it says he was trained in rhetoric and he excelled in oratory. So he was just a gifted speaker and he studied this and practiced and he became known as a John Chrysostom, which means golden mouth.

You've heard of people who have a silver tongue, right? They're just very eloquent and some people have it, some don't, I guess most people are somewhere in between.

Okay.

So lesson number six, grace and truth. This is part three on the man, John Chrysostom or Chrysostom. So I, I might go back and forth depending on how you pronounce it. Different people pronounce it a different way.

I think I had asked last week, how many of you have heard of John Chrysostom? And I think one or two people raised their hand. Augustine was, is a lot more famous, well-known Augustine was sort of the, the theologian he really preached on and wrote about grace Chrysostom though he's, he's a preacher and the emphasis with him is on truth.

Hence the name of the chapter, the title of it, grace and truth. So it says that John Chrysostom, he lived from 347 to 407 AD. So this is after the council of Nicaea. So these are the post-Nicene fathers as they're called.

John was born in the city of Antioch around the year 347. Now what do we know about the city of Antioch? That should sound familiar. You know, the book of Acts. There is a duo that was sent out of the church at Antioch.

Who is that? Paul and Barnabas, right? So same Antioch. This is where John was born. As a young man, it says he was trained in rhetoric and he excelled in oratory. So he was just a gifted speaker and he studied this and, and practiced and he became known as John Chrysostom, which means golden mouth.

You've heard of people who have a silver tongue, right? They're just very eloquent and some people have it. Some don't. I guess most people are somewhere in between, but that's actually not his name. John Chrysostom is not his name.

Chrysostom means golden mouth. So that's, that's sort of a nickname. In my book, it says his zeal to serve the Lord, um, in his zeal to serve the Lord, John left Antioch to live as a monk in the wilderness.

During these two years, he spent the majority of his time committing scripture to memory. He lived in harsh conditions, getting minimal food and rest, and as a result, he damaged his health and had to return to the city.

Back in Antioch, John began to preach in the main church there and in his homilies or sermons, he taught through the new Testament, going verse by verse through the text. He interpreted the Bible literally rather than allegorically and was careful to draw out the practical implications of the text for his listeners.

And if you've been following along, or if you're just a member of this church, you know how, how we view this as essential, very important preaching verse by verse through the scriptures, taking it literally otherwise, you know, if it's a topical message all the time and topical messages are good, I think they're necessary, but if you're only doing topical messages and when you do handle the Bible, it's all an allegory representing something else other than what it's saying.

I mean, you're just not going to get God's message as intended. So John Chrysostom was very faithful to the text. The style and substance of his preaching made him very popular with the people in Antioch.

The name Chrysostom means you wrote this in your book. Hopefully, did everyone get this golden mouth?

Golden mouth.

Indeed. John Chrysostom is one of the most famous preachers in church history. Name another preacher or two that's famous for their speaking. Like I said, Augustine is known more as a theologian for his writings, but what men in church history, maybe one or two that are really known for just being excellent preachers.

Chrysostom is an early guy who David, David, you know, he's still alive. So I guess, you know, the history books, they may write about him that way. I'm thinking someone who's gone and history remembers them as just one of the greatest preachers who's ever lived.

Yes.

Jesus.

Well, Jesus, absolutely. No question about that. Well, I was thinking of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He's called the Prince of Preachers. So he's just one of those people that's known for excellence of speech.

But D .L. Moody was another one, right?

Yeah.

They were known as preachers. And that's what Chrysostom or Chrysostom was known as in the year 397. He was appointed the Bishop of Constantinople today. That's known as Istanbul, right?

Yeah.

And having been nominated by a friend without his knowledge, yeah, he was made Bishop. So he didn't even necessarily, you know, go out for the job or maybe I don't even know if he wanted it, but they said, we need that.

This is the man for the job. So he became Bishop. Constantinople was the capital city in the Eastern Roman Empire. And as Chrysostom preached against the flaunting of wealth, he came into conflict with the Empress who thought John was targeting her in his sermons.

Now, if you listen to the message, because there's online, there's a message you're supposed to listen to for each lesson. It was funny, something that Nathan said, he said, you know, making the Emperor angry is one thing, making the Empress angry is another.

And because of this, that conflict, you know, I think of Herod and his wife Herodias, right? Making Herod mad is one thing, making Herodias mad is something else that John the Baptist was off with his head because of that.

Anyways.

Yes.

Those cities again, did you say Istanbul?

Istanbul.

Yeah.

What's the other, its other name?

It was known as Constantinople.

Isn't that where Ben Buckland just returned from?

I'm not sure. I mean, I know he was in Turkey.

That country.

Yeah.

He was in Turkey, but it was, it was known as Asia Minor, but now Turkey.

What's the main city in Turkey now? It's not Istanbul?

Istanbul is the capital of Turkey, right?

That's where he was.

Yeah.

Probably.

I'm not sure.

Um, of course Constantinople, well, what does that sound like? It reminds you of Constantine, right? So the emperor Constantine named the city after himself. Of course, once it was taken over by the Muslims, they don't want this, this man who identified as a Christian, you know, the city named.

So they changed the name to Istanbul.

Okay.

Anyways. So that conflict making the Empress angry because she thought John was preaching against her, which he, he might have been, I don't know, uh, because of that and other things that resulted in Chrysostom being exiled from Constantinople and he died in the year four Oh seven while in exile.

And as you go through church history, you often see this, that many of these men who were faithful in their stance and their preaching, they all ran into trouble with the governing, not all of them, but many of them ran into trouble with the governing authorities and they were, yeah, arrested, exiled in prison, killed something like that.

So just interesting how that, how that works, because if the King or the emperor loves you or doesn't mind you, well, chances are you're not being all that faithful because that's just the way it works.

Anyways, for discussion as a Christian, Chrysostom committed himself to meditating on and memorizing large portions of the Bible read Psalm one 1911 and one Oh five. And the question is, why is it important for believers to hide God's word in their hearts?

So let's turn to Psalm one 19, if you would, unless somebody has these verses, yeah, so yeah, Psalm one 19, let's read, yeah, one Oh five is a common verse that people have memorized, but Psalm one 19 verse 11 says your word, as, as you referenced your word, I have hidden in my heart that I might make, excuse me, that I might not sin against.

You.

And this phrase hiding God's word way in our hearts is this is biblical based on this verse. And then a verse one Oh five for some one 19, as you're probably noticing, this is a very long chapter. I think it's the longest chapter in all of the Bible.

And first one Oh five says your word is a lamp to my feet and the light to my path. So based on those verses, why is it important for believers to memorize scripture? Why is it important to hide God's word away in our heart?

A couple of reasons.

So that he can speak to you, okay, so that you having to open the Bible, you can do it with your eyes closed as you're going to sleep and you're bringing, he can speak right back.

To you.

You can ask him questions and he can answer your questions.

Okay.

So God can speak to you. That's Marcus's answer. Have you ever had this experience where somebody at some point in your life, a person maybe gave you advice, but there's something they repeated and you can kind of hear that person in your mind, like at certain points, you just know what they would say, right?

You hear them talking. Well, that's the way it is with God. If we memorize his word and we're familiar with it, it's, it is like we are hearing God speak to us, you know, in our mind. Um, these verses, uh, come up when we experienced this, that, or the other, whatever applies.

So that's a good answer. Anyone else?

Why it's important to memorize scripture. Because we're commanded to, okay, and obedience, right? What is sending God's eyes to make sure, like to me, it's like, you know, say somebody says something that's just pleasing.

Yep.

You're here in your mind, as you just said, bridle your tongue.

Yep.

Right.

God is not happy if you give evil for evil.

Sure.

And also as a light onto your path to know the path that God wishes for you to take. I mean, obviously we're all sinners. We're never going to be perfect until we're in heaven, but to know when you're doing right.

Or wrong.

Okay.

It convicts you.

Yep.

These are good answers. I think of something that probably won't happen, but if you are ever in a situation where you didn't have God's word, some people, this is what they're facing. They're in a country where they can't just go to the store or go online and order a Bible.

They're illegal.

They're not available, whatever. So if you're ever in that situation, having strip scripture memorized, I mean, obviously you would want to have a Bible in your hand to reference, but that way they can ever take it from you.

God's word is always with you to, as you guys said, convict, to speak to you, to guide you.

Okay.

Any other answers? Okay, good. All right, let's move on. This is a Chris system or Chrysostom and grace. The letter a says, because John was so careful or carefully tied to the biblical text, his preaching in many places affirms that salvation is by grace through faith alone.

So for the following examples, look up the new Testament passage on which John Chrysostom is commenting. Then, as you read Chrysostom's comment, take note of his emphasis on salvation by grace through faith apart from works.

So who would like to look up Romans three 27? I get a volunteer for that.

Okay.

Larry, we'll look up Romans three 27. How about Romans five, two?

Okay.

Jordan, Romans five, two Ephesians two, eight.

I'll get that.

Well, you should have that one memorized, right? These are Colossians one, 26 through 28. Get a volunteer.

Okay.

Lance.

And then Marcus, you can have first Timothy one 15 and 16, which you may or may not have.

Memorized.

I think I know 15, but not 16. So, all right. So we'll read through these and we'll see if John Chrysostom is lining up with the biblical text, because if he's not preaching salvation, salvation by grace through faith or faith alone, then, you know, if you got the wrong gospel, not much else is going to matter.

So who would like to read? Who did I call on Romans three 27?

Where is boasting then it is excluded by what law or works? No, but by the law of faith.

Okay.

So that's what Paul wrote. Here's what John said, but what is the law of faith? It is being saved by grace here. He shows God's power and that he has not only saved, but as even justified and led them to boasting and, and led them to boasting and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only.

What do you think is this? Is this in line with what Paul was saying? Well, his point is that, yeah, you're justified by faith, faith only or faith alone. So who has Romans five to Jordan?

Okay.

Speak up, speak it nice and loud.

Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Okay.

Here's what John Chris Austin said. If then he has brought us near to himself when we were far off, much more will he keep us now that we are near. And let me beg you to consider how he everywhere sets down these two points, his part and our part on his part.

However, there are things buried in numerous and diverse where he died for us and further reconciled us and brought us to himself and gave us grace unspeakable, but we brought faith only as our contribution.

Okay.

So notice that last part. The only thing we bring to the table is not our good works because our good works are as scripture says, filthy rags. The only thing we contribute is what faith. You agree with that?

Yes.

Yup.

So far, so good. Ephesians two eight four by grace. Are you saved through faith that not of yourselves? It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. Of course, that's verse nine as well.

Let's look at what John Chris Austin said. He says, even faith Paul says is not from us for if the Lord had not come, if he had not called us, how should we have been able to believe for how Paul says, shall they believe if they have not heard Romans 10, 14.

So even the act of faith is not self initiated. Now this is where maybe some people might disagree, but he says, even faith is not self.

Initiated.

It is.

He, as John says, the gift of God.

Okay.

Rats.

Rats.

Does everyone agree with this?

No.

You don't think faith is the gift of God. You think faith is something. We don't really want to argue this point.

So we got some verses.

I mean, yeah.

Well, this is three.

Well, those are too big.

So you believe that?

Yes.

There are people who believe that faith is something that we initiate. Others say it's the gift of God. Uh, so this would go back to Ephesians two, eight and nine, where John, not John Chris Austin, but John, the apostle writes for by grace, are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

It is the gift of God. So you have to ask in that passage, what is the gift of God? So is it, is it faith or is it salvation? So just so you're aware, this is the disagreement that some people have and it goes back.

I will continue until eternity. I would think, but Spurgeon said that those two things, predestination and free will were parallel truths that do not converge on this side of the gates of heaven. And actually, well, we don't want to do this.

Um, well the, the question is, was Chris Austin right to say that the act of faith is not self initiated. I think all this stuff with Calvinism and Arminianism and debates that happened a thousand years later, not to get into that, but to say, do you believe because of you or did God initiate it?

I think God initiated it for this reason that God gave us his word. God sent his son into the world. So a person believes the gospel because, well, as this verse says, uh, Romans 10, 14, shall they, how shall they believe if they have not heard, you know, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

So without God's word, without the Holy spirit, we would not be able to believe. So in that sense, God is the one who moves first. And then we respond to hearing the gospel and the work of the Holy spirit within us.

So in that sense, I would say it's faith is not self initiated.

Okay.

Larry kind of following along with that. Um, we love him because he first loved us, you know, so because of his love toward us, that makes us drawn to him through faith, which he gives it.

Right?

Yeah.

It's not as if God is in heaven and he's not really interested in us and we're just pursuing him and come on, God, please save me. Like he did, he moved first and we're, we're reacting to what he did.

So in that way, it's not self initiated.

All right.

The next one, Colossians one 26 through 28, the mystery, which has been hidden from ages.

And from generations, but now has been revealed to his saints to them. God will to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Him we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Okay.

Here's what John Christopherson said. He said to have brought humanity more senseless than stones to the dignity of angels simply through bare words and faith alone without any hard work is indeed a rich and glorious mystery.

It is just as if one were to take a dog quite consumed with hunger in the mange, foul and loathsome to see, and not so much as able to move, but lying passed out and make him all at once into a human being and to display upon him, uh, the Royal throne.

Now that's, that's a interesting quote. This is how God changes a person and he does it all by faith. You know, you were like this, this mangy dog just laying there passed out and God just comes down and, and rescues you and turns you into a creature alive towards God, worthy of sharing Christ's throne.

What do you think about that comparison? I mean, I guess the point is, I mean, we are so unworthy and we're so at the same time unable to come to God and pursue God that he has to do it all. And it's, it's, it's God's work.

What do you think?

Okay.

Um, good. We agree on that. Uh, so it's all by faith alone, not by any hard work. Of course, this is the great difference between Chris awesome and later the Protestant reformers and what the Catholic church taught because the Catholic church says we're not saved by faith alone.

You know, God kind of, he plants the seed, but we have to kind of water it and, and we have to grow and we have to change ourselves.

Really.

It's, it's a process. Salvation is more of a process with Rome while with, with the biblical gospel, it happens in a moment. So this is what he said.

Yep.

So it's all, it's all the difference between salvation by faith alone and the process of good works and kind of climbing the ladder to get to God. You know, you get, you got to keep climbing. Let's look at the final verse.

First Timothy one 15 and 16.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. And Paul could only say that because I hadn't been born yet.

Okay.

So here's what Chris is some stead, uh, said for as people on 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 that when, uh, what then was it that was thought incredible, that those who were enemies and sinners justified by neither the law nor works should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor.

It seemed to them incredible that a person who had misspent all his former life in vain and wicked actions should afterwards be saved by his faith alone. On this account, he, that is Paul says it is a saying to be believed.

Okay.

So, uh, does a person deserve salvation? I guess is what, uh, this is really getting at here. You know, a person's maybe misspent their whole life. They've wasted it doing their own thing, sinning against God.

And then God steps in and saves them. Are they worthy of that? Did they, did they deserve that? And of course the answer we say is no, but there's so many today that would say, well, but I'm a good person.

I'm, I'm, I don't do these other things. And God, God saved me because he saw my heart. You know, I mean, there, there are a lot of people who would say that and they don't really buy into the fact that man is, is depraved and unable to remedy his loss condition, or this is really the divide within Christianity that man is.

Yeah.

We all agree. Man is sinful, but man isn't really that bad. Well, Chris Austin is like, no man, man is that bad and he's probably worse than you.

Think.

So, all right. But that, that message doesn't really sell, uh, not, not in our day and age.

So anyway, yes, Isaiah, Isaiah and Jeremiah, Isaiah said, but we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. And we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities have taken us away.

Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can.

Know it.

A very unpopular thought to, to folks. And I guess that's why people don't, they don't want to hear about being saved. They don't want to believe that they need to be saved, but they do.

All right.

So it says in my book, in these excerpts, Chris system clearly expresses the truth of the gospel of grace. His clarity is due to the fact that he was looking to the word of God and interpreting its truth in a straightforward way for Christians today.

Our understanding of the gospel must also be grounded in the text of God's word. So I think one of the reasons why people don't believe the gospel part of it is they don't believe they need to be saved.

Certainly. Now I'm not that bad. Jesus will accept me because I'm, I'm nice and I do all this stuff. Another part of it though, and I've run into this so many times, the idea that you can just believe in that believing in and of itself is what saves you.

People can't get beyond that. They want, I must have to do, you know, all this lists. They have to do this and do that and do that and that they want a salvation by faith plus.

Works.

I mean, this is what mankind is inclined to believe. Anyway, you're telling me that I just have to believe it's all about faith in Jesus. So my neighbor, this lady, she's so nice, but she rejects G you telling me she's not going to heaven simply because she doesn't believe in Jesus.

Oh, is that what we're saying? Yeah, that's yes. Her rejection of the son of God is exactly the reason why she's not going to heaven. But think about it for a moment. Well, you're saying it's just all about accepting Christ.

What's the unspoken message there that it's not about Christ at all. It's about me. It's about you that we go to heaven based on our righteousness. God will accept me because of who I am. Forget who Christ is like the, they find it absurd that it's all about believing in Jesus.

And in that they reveal their, maybe their contempt, um, that, that it really is all about the cross and resurrection and the gospel. So they just reject that message and insist upon this works based system, which every religion on earth is one form or another of some works based, uh, situation.

Again, climbing the ladder, climbing the mountain to get to God. You're doing it yourself as opposed to Christ who did it for us on the cross.

Ray, you had your hand up.

One of the things that brings, I think the one, I think the worst based, the thief on.

The cross.

He had absolutely no time to perform any works that Jesus himself said, you know, he could have shared the gospel with the other thief.

True.

He had some words to say. Yeah, some of it's recorded.

How dare you?

Don't you realize who this is?

Yeah. Yeah.

That was the point I was going to make. People don't seem to understand and maybe we don't understand how serious it is rejecting the salvation that's available because it costs God so much. I have a couple of tracts.

One of them says heaven or hell, which one will you choose? And you do choose it. You choose it by believing and accepting or rejecting. Do you want to accept the Lord? Do you want to receive the Lord?

No.

Don't think I need to. Well, you know what? That makes God pretty mad. I would think that he would send his son and take all the sins of that person and put them.

On his son. Anyways.

Linda, you had a hand up.

Yes, I was going to say about just believing in Jesus, it's also what you believe about.

Jesus.

Right.

So it's a little more than, there are a lot of people that believe in Jesus. It's not an intellectual, it's not a thought thing. It doesn't have to do with your thought. Believing in him means you're going to place your trust in him.

That's what believing in, you believe in that pews will hold you up. You believe in something. You believe your car will start when you'll be able to.

Yeah.

Yeah, and that's a good point because I think what some people are reacting against, what they hear is, well, you're telling me if I say this prayer, if I say these were, if I just give the intellectual ascent, well, I believe in Jesus.

You're selling, you're saying to me, that's all I have to do to be saved. Well, no, that's not what we're saying. You have to truly believe in him in the biblical sense, which, which means you, you trust in him a hundred percent.

You, which involves you love him, that you want to obey him, which doesn't all happen in a moment. I mean, it, there is a process called sanctification. So, so we're not just saying a little tweak in your thought and that's what saves you or just repeat these words, but you know, belief, we are saved by faith.

So yeah, there could be misunderstandings in that as well. Here's why it's important to believe in the deity of Christ. That's something I've been, you know, stressing, which the gospel of Matthew stresses.

So as we go through the gospel, stressing the deity of Christ, because once you understand that Christ is God and human flesh to reject Christ, you're rejecting God. So if you're rejecting God, why would you think you're going to be received into heaven when you're rejecting the God whose heaven it is?

Right?

So Mark, sure. Well, I mean, if people want to live their life without God right now, this is right. This is the people of this world. They want to live their life on their terms. I don't want God in my life right now.

Well, okay. But that decision will mean you're not going to have God for eternity either, which means you're not going to have his benefits for eternity. But let's continue on unless someone has something else they'd like to add.

Larry?

John 3 .18 says he who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Yeah.

So there's this choice.

Right.

Choosing not to believe is chosen. And it's always good to throw in the one that even the demons believe and tremble. So when they saw Jesus, they said, we know who you are. Don't send us into the abyss.

All right.

B, let's try to finish up Chrysostom. Like Augustine Chrysostom affirmed that God's word is without error. Commenting on John 17 verse 17, he said, your word is truth. That is, there is no falsehood in it and all that is said in it must happen.

So, you know, John 17, 17, Jesus praying to the father, sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. Of course, if there's mistakes and lies and things that aren't true, then he couldn't.

Say that.

So Chrysostom believed in the, I mean, I guess you could say technically, is this commenting on the inerrancy of scripture? Well, yeah, it is. He's saying it is true. Scripture is all true. There's no error in it.

Do you believe that? See, this makes us a tiny minority today that we believe in the inerrancy of scripture,.

That it's all true.

We're in the minority. Have you encountered that?

Yeah.

What's the difference between infallible and inerrant?

The Bible is inerrant and infallible. Inerrant means it's not wrong. Infallible means it can't be wrong.

That's like grace.

Grace and mercy.

Yeah.

Grace and mercy.

Yeah.

So Chrysostom also affirmed the authority of scripture, noting that all arguments must be supported from the word of God. Here's what he said. These then are the reasons, but it is necessary to establish them all from the scriptures and to show with exactness that all that has been said on the subject is not an invention of human reasoning, but the very sentence of the scriptures.

For thus will what we say be at once more deserving of credit and sink the deeper into your minds. You know, people back then had a way of talking. It just doesn't really roll off the tongue, just the way he spoke, or maybe it's just how it's translated, but he is John Chrysostom.

He is the golden mouth. So I guess for him, this just all flowed right out. One important point to add regarding Chrysostom has to do with his method of interpreting.

The Bible.

It says, rather than treating the biblical accounts like allegories, as origin did Chrysostom took the Bible at face value. He interpreted it in a literal way. I mean, I know we already said that in this class and say that often, but you know, you can never really stress it enough.