Scripture as the Indispensable Source for Doctrinal and Moral
Instruction.
Chrysostom's work as both teacher and homilist is primarily
based on Biblical exegesis. He insists that Scripture is the basic,
indispensable, and completely adequate source for both doctrinal and moral
instruction. "He who is in agreement with Scripture is a Christian," he writes,
"and whoever is not in agreement with it is far from the truth." Chrysostom
constantly exhorts each and every man to read the Bible with attention. "Do not
wait for another teacher . . . You have been given the word of God, and no one
will teach you as this will." Laymen in particular need to read the sacred
books. "Monks who are removed from the cities are in a safer position but we who
live amidst the sea of sinful desires and temptations need this divine medicine
so that we can heal ourselves from the sores which afflict us and guard
ourselves from further harm. With Scripture we can destroy the fiery arrows of
Satan."
Everything contained in Scripture offers us instruction and
healing, "and in one short passage in Divine Scripture we can find great
strength and an ineffable wealth of ideas." A man who reads the Bible diligently
will constantly discover new depths, and he will hear the voice of God which
speaks with authority in every human soul. "The sight of the Gospels alone makes
us more able to abstain from sin," Chrysostom writes, "and if we supplement this
with attentive reading, then it is as if the soul enters into a mysterious and
holy place. It is purified and becomes better, for through these writings it
enters converse with God." The holy books are a message which has been written
for men by God for all eternity, and this explains the effect that can be gained
by reading the Bible. When the all-loving Master sees how eager we are to
understand the depths of His Divinity, He enlightens and illuminates our minds
and reveals the truth to our souls.
Chrysostom's understanding of Divinely inspired Scripture,
including its list of names, salutations, and dates, is almost literal.
Scripture contains nothing that is superfluous or has no definite purpose, not
even a single iota or a single word, and frequently the addition of even one
letter can alter its meaning, as is demonstrated by the renaming of Abraham.
Chrysostom considers that the human weakness of the authors of Scripture is a
sign of God's lenience towards men and His accommodation for them. He tries to
discover the Divine significance of even mistakes and discrepancies, since in
his conception the "differences among the Evangelists" are an intentional part
of God's plan. "If they were in complete harmony about everything, in relation
to the time and the place and the words which were spoken, then none of their
enemies would believe that they did not write without consulting among
themselves and reaching an agreement beforehand, or that their agreement is true
and genuine. Now the very fact that the Gospels contain discrepancies in minor
details should allay all suspicion and should triumphantly justify our faith in
those who wrote them."
The sacred writers wrote and spoke "in the Spirit" or the
Spirit spoke in them, but Chrysostom carefully distinguishes the inspiration of
the Spirit from possession by It. Inspiration is a form of enlightenment. The
consciousness and intellect remain clear and that which is revealed is fully
understood. This is the essential difference between prophecy and mantic
divination and this is why the sacred writers never lose their own identities.
Chrysostom emphasizes the individual personality of each writer and the
circumstances of the composition of the individual books. The image of Paul in
particular is clearly present before him. The entire Bible forms a single whole
because it is all from God. The individual writers are only the implements of a
single great author.
thanks to:
http://www.holytrinitymission.org/books/english/fathers_florovsky_1.htm#_Toc3723912
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