John Chrysostom on the Observance of Days/Dates

Status
Not open for further replies.

DTK

Puritan Board Junior
Chrysostom (349-407): The Church does not recognize the exact [ἀκρίβειαν - precise] observance of dates. In the beginning the Fathers decided to come together from widely separated places and to fix the Easter date; the Church paid respect to the harmony of their thinking, loved the oneness of mind, and accepted the date they enjoined. My earlier remarks have proved adequately that it is impossible for us or you or any other man to arrive at the exact date of the Lord’s day [i.e. Easter]. So let us stop fighting with shadows, let us stop hurting ourselves in the big things while we are indulging our rivalry over the small.
Fasting at this or that time is not a matter for blame. But to rend asunder the Church, to be ready for rivalry, to create dissension, to rob oneself of the benefits of religious meetings⸺these are unpardonable, these do demand an accounting, these do deserve serious punishment. FC, Vol. 68, Discourses Against Judaizing Christians, Disc. 3.6.12-13 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1979), p. 70.
Greek text: Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ Ἐκκλησία χρόνων ἀκρίβειαν οἶδεν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν πᾶσιν ἔδοξε τοῖς πατράσι διῃρημέ48.872 νοις ὁμοῦ συνελθεῖν, καὶ ταύτην ὁρίσαι τὴν ἡμέραν, τὴν συμφωνίαν πανταχοῦ τιμῶσα καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοια ἀγαπῶσα, κατεδέξατο τὸ ἐπιταχθέν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀδύνατον ἢ ἡμᾶς, ἢ ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἕτερον ὁντιναοῦν αὐτῆς ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῆς κυριακῆς ἡμέρας, ἱκανῶς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἀποδέδεικται. Μὴ τοίνυν σκιομαχῶμεν, μηδὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν τυχόντων φιλονεικοῦντες, ἐν τοῖς μεγάλοις ἑαυτοὺς καταβλάπτωμεν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῷδε ἢ τῷδε χρόνῳ νηστεῦσαι οὐκ ἔγκλημα, τὸ δὲ σχίσαι Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ φιλονείκως διατεθῆναι, καὶ διχοστασίας ἐμποιεῖν, καὶ τῆς συνόδου διηνεκῶς ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερεῖν, ἀσύγγνωστον καὶ κατηγορίας ἄξιον, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχει τὴν τιμωρίαν. Adversus Judaeos, III, §6, PG 48:871-872.

Notice that John Chrysostom made this comment on behalf of what he understood the Church's position to be in his day.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top