On Faithfulness, not numbers in the church.....
"Would you learn that it is the saints, not the numbers, which make the multitude? Lead out to war ten hundred thousand men, and one saint, and let us see who achieves the most? Joshua the son of Nun went out to war, and alone achieved all; the rest were of no use. Wouldest thou see, beloved, that the great multitude, when it does not the will of God, is no better than a thing of naught? I wish indeed, and desire, and with pleasure would be torn in pieces, to adorn the Church with a multitude, yea, but a select multitude; yet if this be impossible, that the few should be select, is my desire. Do you not see that it is better to possess one precious stone, than ten thousand farthing pieces? Do you not see that it is better to have the eye sound, than to be loaded with flesh, and yet deprived of sight?"
St. John Chrysostom, 5th Century, AD
Commentary on Acts, chapter 3
The Glory Has Departed
Monday, March 22, 2010
Chrysostom on the Multitude
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
In sync with Chrysostom's statement is Luther's sermon concerning what a Christian is. This is in contrast with the current Lutheran (sic) practice of calling everyone Christian which shows a complete lack of discernment and failure to test the spirits with the pure Word. A sign of the times.
Luther's sermon:
http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSermons/Matthew9_18_26.html
John Chrysostom is definitely one of my favorite early Christian writers. His analogies, quite simply, make sense. Martin Chemnitz loved to quote him in "Loci Theologici." For example, in De Paupertate -| De Usura. I translated him quoting Chrysostom concerning usury and interest...
“Usury is similar to the bite of an asp snake. For instance, one having been bitten by an asp advances sleeplessly just as if he was charmed, and through that charm expires into a deep sleep, because the venom secretly coursed through his every member: Thus whoever undertakes usury, as if he experiences kindness within that time; but usury hastens through his every means, and changes his every part into debt.”
http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/
MLSermons/Matthew9_18_26.html
Pasting the link to Luther's sermon again.
Chances are Valleskey et al never read and certainly do not agree with John Chrysostom on “On Faithfulness, not numbers in the church.....” Their fool ideas and beliefs continue to hurt the synod.
Right.
Luther says
So one is not called a Christian because he does much, but because he receives something from
Christ, draws from him and lets Christ only give to him. If one no longer receives anything from Christ, he is no longer a Christian, so that the name Christian continues to be based only on receiving, and not on giving and doing, and he receives nothing from any one except from Christ alone. If you look at what you do, you have already lost the Christian name. It is indeed true, that we are to do good works, help, advise and give to others; but no one is called a Christian by reason of that, nor is he on that account a Christian.
7. Therefore, if you wish to consider the word in its true meaning, you must identify a Christian by the fact that he only receives something from Christ, and has Christ within him; for this is what the word properly means. Just as a person is called "white," because of his white color, black because of his dark color, large because of his size. So also one is called a "Christian" because of Christ, who dwells in him and from whom he receives his blessings. So, if one is called a Christian because of Christ, he is certainly then not called a Christian because of his works.
To a Christian then, Christ is his all.
LPC
Post a Comment