I hope this will be a lively thread with much to learn and ponder.
Blessings,
Ed
I hope that this is not too much at once to ponder as I get carried away with citations and referencing (at university my classmates might use up to 15 sources in an essay, whereas I might use in excess of 60).
Anyway, here's another one; using or rather mis-using John Chrysostomon's words of praise for Peter.
Claim: (Peter), the foundation of the Church, the Coryphaeus of the choir of the Apostles, the vehement lover of Christ ...he who ran throughout the whole world, who fished the whole world; this holy Coryphaeus of the blessed choir; the ardent disciple, who was entrusted with the keys of heaven, who received the spiritual revelation. Peter, the mouth of all Apostles, the head of that company, the ruler of the whole world. (De Eleemos, iii. 4; Hom. de decem mille tal. 3)[1]
Reply: My thanks here for an extensive web-resouce[2] that shows that these are exalted titles but in using them Chrysostom does not mean that Peter possesses a primacy of jurisdiction in the Church or that he is the rock upon which the Church is built. Again, we have already seen this in Augustine. He uses similar language in describing Peter but without its having a Roman Catholic meaning. We know this is also true for Chrysostom because he applies similar titles to the other apostles and did not interpret the rock of Matthew 16 to be Peter. The term coryphaeus, for example, was a general title applied by Chrysostom to several of the apostles, not to Peter exclusively. It carries the idea of leadership but implies no jurisdiction. Chrysostom uses this term to describe Peter, James, John, Andrew and Paul. He states that just as Peter received the charge of the world, so did the apostles Paul and John. Just as Peter was appointed teacher of the world, so was Paul. Just as Peter was a holder of the keys of heaven, so was the apostle John. He places the apostles on an equal footing relative to authority:
John Chrysostomon uses such titles many times…
”He took the coryphaei and led them up into a high mountain apart...Why does He take these three alone? Because they excelled the others. Peter showed his excellence by his great love of Him, John by being greatly loved, James by the answer...’We are able to drink the chalice.9]
This would seem to indicate that Chrysostom taught that Peter was the supreme ruler of the Church. However in the passage cited above Chrysostom speaks of the apostle John as also receiving the charge of the whole world and the keys equally with Peter:”And this He did to withdraw them (Peter and John) from their unseasonable sympathy for each other; for since they were about to receive the charge of the world, it was necessary that they should no longer be closely associated together.1] http://www.kensmen.com/catholic/easternfathers.html
[2]
http://www.christiantruth.com/stephenray.html[3] John Chrysostom “Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Homily 56.2”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume X; p.345 also at
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-10/npnf1-10-62.htm#P5483_1689815[4] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, Homily XXVI”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XI, p.169 also at
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-11/npnf1-11-33.htm#P1079_1025049[5] (Contra ludos et theatra 1, PG VI, 265. Cited by Chapman, Studies on the Early Papacy (London: Sheed & Ward, 1928 ), p76).
[6] -John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 88.1-2”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XIV, pp. 331-332). Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-14/npnf1-14-92.htm#P5178_1692488[7] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 1.1”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XIV, p1 Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-14/npnf1-14-05.htm#P175_1913[8] John Chrysostom Homily 24, On Genesis. Cited by E. Giles, Documents Illustrating Papal Authority (London: SPCK, 1952), p.165.
[9] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 88.1-2” quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XIV, pp331-332. Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-14/npnf1-14-92.htm#P5178_1692488[10] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 88.1-2”
Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XIV, pp331-332. Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-14/npnf1-14-92.htm#P5178_1692488[11] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 1.1”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XIV, p1. Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-14/npnf1-14-05.htm#P175_1913[12] John Chrysostom, “Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans, Homily 32, Ver. 24”
quoted in Schaff, P, “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), Volume XI, pp561-562. Also at:
http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/NPNF1-11/npnf1-11-96.htm#P3437_3131017
