Broken Heroes: Brokenness and Grace in the Life of John Chrysostom

John Chrysostom (ca. 347-407) was a fourth- and early fifth-century pastor and bishop who sought God with all of his heart for over forty years, and who exercised great influence over the church for many centuries. He was indeed a hero for whom we should be grateful to God, but he was a broken hero.

From the time John was young, he was given to extremism which psychologically stems from insecurity, and theologically from a gross misunderstanding of the gospel. On the one hand, John lost his father as a small child and he spent much of his childhood seeking the approval of adults. When he decided to seriously seek after God, his instinct was to go to extremes to gain God’s approval.

On the other hand, John’s extreme pursuit of God shows that, in his younger years, he didn’t understand the gospel. For two years he chose to live in a cave where he denied himself all but the sheer necessities of life. He refused even to lay down because he thought this was the only way to obey Jesus’ command to be watchful (Matthew 24:42). This extreme action caused health problems that plagued John for the rest of his life, that likely cut short his life, and that most importantly distorted the gospel.

As Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” Paul is addressing the seriousness of religious extremism, and if we take his words seriously we must draw the conclusion that John’s actions were at best a naïve distortion of the gospel.

However, God is immensely gracious and he redeemed this time in John’s life. For example, during those two years in the cave, John memorized the entire New Testament which prepared him well for the theological education he later received in Antioch, and for the labor of preaching and teaching that eventually marked his life. Indeed, although John wrote two influential books, On the Priesthood and On the Providence of God, his primary contribution to the church is the result of his sermons which made such an impact in his day that they have been preserved down to our day. Although John’s extremism was eventually tempered, God used his over-zealousness to prepare him for his life’s work and lasting legacy.

Therefore, we see that John was an extreme man but that God, in his grace, redeemed John’s brokenness and used him greatly for the glory of Christ and the preservation of the church. John Chrysostom is a broken hero for whom we should give thanks and praise to God.