clawrence9008
Puritan Board Freshman
Found this absolute gem in Chrysostom’s homilies on 2 Corinthians. While Chrysostom was inconsistent in his affirmations of sola fide, yet he affirms a seed form of justification by faith alone more than most Fathers that I’ve read. Here we see a basic understanding of sola fide, the legal imputation of our sin to Christ and Christ’s righteousness to us, and a penal substitutionary understanding of the atonement all in one passage.
“For had He achieved nothing but done only this, think how great a thing it were to give His Son for those that had outraged Him. But now He has both well achieved mighty things, and besides, has suffered Him that did no wrong to be punished for those who had done wrong. But he did not say this: but mentioned that which is far greater than this. What then is this? ‘Him that knew no sin,’ he says, Him that was righteousness itself, ‘He made sin,’ that is suffered as a sinner to be condemned, as one cursed to die. For cursed is he that hangs on a tree. For to die thus was far greater than to die; and this he also elsewhere implying, says, ‘Becoming obedient unto death, yea the death of the cross.’ For this thing carried with it not only punishment, but also disgrace. Reflect therefore how great things He bestowed on you. For a great thing indeed it were for even a sinner to die for any one whatever; but when He who undergoes this both is righteous and dies for sinners; and not dies only, but even as one cursed; and not as cursed [dies] only, but thereby freely bestows upon us those great goods which we never looked for (for he says, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him); what words, what thought shall be adequate to realize these things? 'For the righteous,' says he, 'He made a sinner; that He might make the sinners righteous.' Yea rather, he said not even so, but what was greater far; for the word he employed is not the habit, but the quality itself. For he said not made [Him] a sinner, but sin; not, 'Him that had not sinned' only, but that had not even known sin; that we also might become, he did not say 'righteous,' but, righteousness, and, the righteousness of God. For this is [the righteousness] of God when we are justified not by works, (in which case it were necessary that not a spot even should be found,) but by grace, in which case all sin is done away. And this at the same time that it suffers us not to be lifted up, (seeing the whole is the free gift of God,) teaches us also the greatness of that which is given. For that which was before was a righteousness of the Law and of works, but this is the righteousness of God.” (Homilies on 2 Corinthians 11.5, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:21).
He goes on to say: “And that you may learn what a thing it is, consider this which I say. If one that was himself a king, beholding a robber and malefactor under punishment, gave his well-beloved son, his only-begotten and true, to be slain; and transferred the death and the guilt as well, from him to his son (who was himself of no such character), that he might both save the condemned man and clear him from his evil reputation ; and then if, having subsequently promoted him to great dignity, he had yet, after thus saving him and advancing him to that glory unspeakable, been outraged by the person that had received such treatment: would not that man, if he had any sense, have chosen ten thousand deaths rather than appear guilty of so great ingratitude?” (Homily 11.6).
Some other interesting excerpts from earlier in the same homily:
“Do you see love surpassing all expression, all conception? Who was the aggrieved one? Himself. Who first sought the reconciliation? Himself. … For had it been His pleasure to require an account of the things we had transgressed in, we should all have perished; for all died. But nevertheless though our sins were so great, He not only did not require satisfaction, but even became ‘reconciled’; He not only forgave, but He did not even ‘reckon.’” (Homily 11.5, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:19)
“But behold, both a new soul (for it was cleansed), and a new body, and a new worship, and promises new, and covenant, and life, and table, and dress, and all things new absolutely. For instead of the Jerusalem below we have received that mother city which is above; and instead of a material temple have seen a spiritual temple; instead of tables of stone, fleshy ones; instead of circumcision, baptism; instead of the manna, the Lord's body; instead of water from a rock, blood from His side; instead of Moses' or Aaron’s rod, the Cross; instead of the promised [land], the kingdom of heaven; instead of a thousand priests, One High Priest; instead of a lamb without reason , a Spiritual Lamb. With these and such like things in his thought he said, ‘all things are new.’ But all these things are of God, by Christ, and His free gift.” (Homily 11.4, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:18)
“For had He achieved nothing but done only this, think how great a thing it were to give His Son for those that had outraged Him. But now He has both well achieved mighty things, and besides, has suffered Him that did no wrong to be punished for those who had done wrong. But he did not say this: but mentioned that which is far greater than this. What then is this? ‘Him that knew no sin,’ he says, Him that was righteousness itself, ‘He made sin,’ that is suffered as a sinner to be condemned, as one cursed to die. For cursed is he that hangs on a tree. For to die thus was far greater than to die; and this he also elsewhere implying, says, ‘Becoming obedient unto death, yea the death of the cross.’ For this thing carried with it not only punishment, but also disgrace. Reflect therefore how great things He bestowed on you. For a great thing indeed it were for even a sinner to die for any one whatever; but when He who undergoes this both is righteous and dies for sinners; and not dies only, but even as one cursed; and not as cursed [dies] only, but thereby freely bestows upon us those great goods which we never looked for (for he says, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him); what words, what thought shall be adequate to realize these things? 'For the righteous,' says he, 'He made a sinner; that He might make the sinners righteous.' Yea rather, he said not even so, but what was greater far; for the word he employed is not the habit, but the quality itself. For he said not made [Him] a sinner, but sin; not, 'Him that had not sinned' only, but that had not even known sin; that we also might become, he did not say 'righteous,' but, righteousness, and, the righteousness of God. For this is [the righteousness] of God when we are justified not by works, (in which case it were necessary that not a spot even should be found,) but by grace, in which case all sin is done away. And this at the same time that it suffers us not to be lifted up, (seeing the whole is the free gift of God,) teaches us also the greatness of that which is given. For that which was before was a righteousness of the Law and of works, but this is the righteousness of God.” (Homilies on 2 Corinthians 11.5, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:21).
He goes on to say: “And that you may learn what a thing it is, consider this which I say. If one that was himself a king, beholding a robber and malefactor under punishment, gave his well-beloved son, his only-begotten and true, to be slain; and transferred the death and the guilt as well, from him to his son (who was himself of no such character), that he might both save the condemned man and clear him from his evil reputation ; and then if, having subsequently promoted him to great dignity, he had yet, after thus saving him and advancing him to that glory unspeakable, been outraged by the person that had received such treatment: would not that man, if he had any sense, have chosen ten thousand deaths rather than appear guilty of so great ingratitude?” (Homily 11.6).
Some other interesting excerpts from earlier in the same homily:
“Do you see love surpassing all expression, all conception? Who was the aggrieved one? Himself. Who first sought the reconciliation? Himself. … For had it been His pleasure to require an account of the things we had transgressed in, we should all have perished; for all died. But nevertheless though our sins were so great, He not only did not require satisfaction, but even became ‘reconciled’; He not only forgave, but He did not even ‘reckon.’” (Homily 11.5, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:19)
“But behold, both a new soul (for it was cleansed), and a new body, and a new worship, and promises new, and covenant, and life, and table, and dress, and all things new absolutely. For instead of the Jerusalem below we have received that mother city which is above; and instead of a material temple have seen a spiritual temple; instead of tables of stone, fleshy ones; instead of circumcision, baptism; instead of the manna, the Lord's body; instead of water from a rock, blood from His side; instead of Moses' or Aaron’s rod, the Cross; instead of the promised [land], the kingdom of heaven; instead of a thousand priests, One High Priest; instead of a lamb without reason , a Spiritual Lamb. With these and such like things in his thought he said, ‘all things are new.’ But all these things are of God, by Christ, and His free gift.” (Homily 11.4, commenting on 2 Cor. 5:18)
Last edited:
