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.
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