Six Books on the Priesthood

Джерела християнського Сходу #7

by Graham Nevelle (Introduction)

The stylistic brilliance of this work demonstrates the appropriateness of St John's title, "the golden-mouthed, " and his gift for linking concrete observation and theological vision.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, Christian, Nonfiction, Church History, Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1907

Reviews

[Ramón S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Siento mucho dar solo dos estrellas a este libro pues aprecio tanto a San Juan Crisostomo pero la edición de la B.AC es malísima sin notas y con una traducción mas que dudosa.
Aparte de esto esta obra la escribió San Juan siendo diácono explicando vehemente porqué no aceptó el presbíterado en su momento;en un diálogo a su amigo Basilio va relatando los peligros del ministerio y las gracias necesarias para el mismo.
No creo que lo vuelva a leer ni a recomendar a ningún sacerdote aunque es un clásico. Prefiero “lo que puede un sacerdote hoy” de San Manuel Gonzalez

[Richard Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful summary of the duties of a christian minister and a strong argument against "going into ministry" for most people (based on the seriousness of the responsibility).

A helpful classic I will likely return to BUT could do with a little more grace...
The material on the duty of the minister to Love God and his People is particularly valuable as is the section on the importance and perils of Preaching.

Second read: I disagree with my former evaluation - the grace is there; as is the reality of the weight of ministry. One to come back to again

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly useless. Basically, be a good person and don't give into temptation. Like Augustine of Hippo, he sorely needed to organize and edit his writing.

Once I got to the part about those annoying, pesky virgin women--who are so hard to maintain in their father's houses and keep out of the public eye, and who are worthless if they don't get married and have babies (Yes, it's in Book III.)--I mostly checked out.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wonderful. I may take a break on pastor books. Maybe it’s time to read CPH greatest hits?

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy description of the weight and difficulty of priestly/pastoral ministry. The framing of the book is difficult to wrap my mind around. John writes the whole book as his excuse for not becoming a priest and lying to his friend about it. Framing aside it is a worthwhile read. It’s amazing how much is true and insightful a thousand years later.

[Mikhael Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the book i was expecting, but not a bad book either. Useful as a gauge of what leaders a few centuries after Jesus’ dead were concerned about in terms of overseeing a church. I really admire the gravity John sees as he surveys the office of priest, and i think my biggest takeaway will be related to viewing offices more seriously

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy but beautiful

[Stephen Mulder · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Chrysostom remains one of my favorite patristic, especially as he handles the difficulties of the priesthood (pastorate). This book is written in the form of a dialogue as he seeks to convince his friend Basil why he should not be a priest. But in doing so, Chrysostom demonstrates how he has the necessary qualifications for this office. Chrysostom will leave you feeling the weight and seriousness of the calling to ministry, and so urge you to pursue it with great diligence and reliance upon the grace of God.

"He must face these ups and downs in a noble spirit, pardoning those whose opinion is due to ignorance, grieving over those who maintain an attitude of envy, as miserable, pitiable creatures, and letting neither make him think the less of his powers."

[Eric Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished it. It was tough to stay engaged with this one. I think I set my expectations too high.

[Lance Kinzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Carl Trueman recommend this book as an excellent resource for both seminarians and current Pastors and Elders. I’d echo that advice.

[Michael Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will post what was written as my reading report for the class it was included in.

I read “On the Priesthood” by John Chrysostom. This book was a rather unique work due to is construction and the particular topic that was being addressed. The work is presented as a dialogue between John Chrysostom and his friend Basil. Their discussion centers around John’s deception and avoidance of the call and election to priest, and as part of that deception the plotting to help make Basil join the order of priests.
This led to a conflict between the two. John in the exchange seeks to justify his actions and deception and Basil seeks to correct and rebuke John in the book. Basil is not the most famous Basil, who was fifteen years older, but is likely a lesser-known Basil who had been friends with John.
The beginning of the work centers on the deception itself and the reasons for this deception. John writes that dishonesty for a righteous and holy cause is just, and this was one of those causes. His arguments revolve around the challenge of the priesthood, the high calling of character of the priesthood, the need for Basil to bless this Church with his abilities, and the fact that this deception was for the sake of the gospel and the Church and thus justified.
The latter part of the letters sees the conversations shift from defending his actions to describing the importance, necessity, and dangers of the calling of the priesthood. He discusses the praise of man as a danger to those pursuing the call. John describes the skill required in speech to become one and the temptation to love the praise of man is everpresent. He also talks about the political and moral temptations surrounding such a position. This all comes from the desire to support his general claim that John did not believe himself worthy nor skilled enough for the task while Basil was clearly prepared for this life.

This reading was highly engaging and unique. Although at times Chrysostom seems to go in circles there are many quite beautiful descriptions of the calling of the priesthood. He even provides orthodox trinitarianism inside of beautiful reflections on the Apostle Paul and his writings. A truly unique work!

[Zachary Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chrysostom is the man. That said, On the Priesthood was not what I expected—though not in a bad way.

At first glance, the thrust of this work is overwhelming. The entire book is John’s attempt to explain to his friend why he is running from the call to the priesthood. In fact, it almost reads like a warning. Each of the six books highlights, in John's poetic style, the weight and difficulty of pastoral ministry.

Here's why you should read it:

1. Ministry hasn't changed
For over a thousand years, the core struggles of pastoral ministry have remained the same. People are still people. Chrysostom explores the difficulties of preaching, caring for the sick, battling pride, and so much more. I found myself chuckling at times at how precisely he articulated issues I face today. It was both comforting and sobering.

2. It is good to be overwhelmed.
This book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of ministry. In fact, with the exception of the final page, it feels intentionally discouraging—meant to shake you into serious reflection. By the end of Book 3, you may feel utterly unworthy of the calling. And that’s kind of the point.

3. The grace of Christ is enough.
In the words of Chrysotom, "For I trust in Christ," I said, "Who called you and set you over his own sheep, that you will gain such an assurance from this ministry that when I stand in peril on that great day, you will receive me into your everlasting habitation."

Though the work of our calling is heavy, the grace of Christ is heavier still.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work on the importance and weightiness of ministry and leadership within the Church. Presented as a dialogue between two friends, Chrysostom and his close friend Basil, the later is frustrated with his friend who refused to join the priesthood alongside him, and wants his friend to justify this felt abandonment. Chrysostom then goes on to paint a picture of the true burden of Church leadership, of how perfect a man must be to stand in such a role dealing with men’s souls and Christs bride… and of how far he, Chrysostom, is from being worthy of standing before God on the day of judgement if he were to accept such a responsibility.

I would love to find a version of this more suited to modern English; I know I missed many gems in this treasure trove of a book, both due to the style of writing from which I am 1600 years removed, but also the translation. I look forward to wading deeper into it again in the future.

This should be required reading to everyone who would stand in a position of leadership in Gods church… but maybe I need to find a more suitable translation first.

[Monique Mathiesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s hard to say that I enjoyed this book because of just how dense it is to read. It’s very old English and took a while for me to get through each page, but it was definitely worth the effort. Crysostom’s reverence for the priesthood and the gravity of the role is so wildly profound.

This quote really stood out to me as a former Protestant:

"Our priests have received the power not of treating with the leprosy of the body, but with spiritual uncleanness; not of declaring cleansed, but of actually cleansing. ... Priests accomplish this not only by teaching and admonishing, but also by the help of prayer. Not only at the time of our
regeneration [in baptism], but even afterward, they have the authority to forgive sins: 'Is there anyone among you sick? Let him call in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he shall be forgiven'"

[Kaite Allred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I liked it. It gives appropriate weight to the priesthood even if his writing is a bit dramatic. One star down because his views on women in society as constant troublemakers for existing was really appalling from most perspectives today, the but especially any in priesthood ever. The views of women in ministry 1000 years ago was expected, but the call to care for the entire flock calls for compassion even 1000 years ago and it felt the opposite. Overall though, I enjoyed his insight on the difficulties pastors experience.

[Michael Shami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent practical and spiritual reflection upon the office of priest/bishop, and its pastoral obligations and implications.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

For something written over 1000 years ago, this has remarkably candid and accurate assessments of the church and ministry.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard one. I have been waiting to read some Chrysostom because of his reputation and the bits of sermons I've read (his Easter one is great). But this was not what I expected. The writing is eloquent and the content is harsh. Everyone called into ministry should give this a try because it works at revealing the difficulty of priestly life and the great seriousness that comes with the work.

The book, essentially, is Chrysostom explaining to a friend why he should not be ordained as a bishop. His friend, Basil, was ordained and though John was to do the same but John backed out at the last second. When confronted John goes on to list the great responsibilities of the priesthood and how he, himself, falls short. There are some theological points that I disagree with but I truly enjoyed hearing someone speak about the minister's profession with such admiration and weight. I don't agree fully with how much agency he gave the priest's role but I did appreciate his highlighting of how unique the office is. There are consequences for taking this job too lightly.

I found the book to be amazing because of how honest John is in his writing. I will read more of his stuff and more of the patristics.

Reviewed.

[Leo and Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woe to those in the priesthood. Reading this book greatly enhanced my understanding and gratitude and admiration for my priest for the profound seriousness he takes with his office. Truly a must-read; it is St John Chrysostom after all.

[Darryl Burling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad translation for its age. What draws you in is the conversation style format (especially at the beginning) between Basil and Chrysostom and the relationship between them. Certainly Chrysostom leaves the reader feeling unworthy of the task of spiritual leadership.

[Anam Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i will never look at my parish priest again in the same way. What a burden he carries!

[Chad Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Must read for all Christians, especially the ones considering ministry.

[Jarrod Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

puts the fear of God in me…

[Derek DeMars · Rating 2 out of 5]

This particular Saint John, nicknamed "Chrysostom" (or Golden-Mouthed), earned his reputation for his popular preaching style and eloquence. It's said that people would flock for miles to hear him speak. Many of his sermons are still well worth reading today. And his ability to turn a phrase or marshal a powerful metaphor for his point is definitely on display in this short treatise on the role of the priesthood.

However, despite this particular book's status as a historical classic, I found myself a little underwhelmed by the actual content here.

The most beneficial sections were definitely books IV and V, where he offers his advice on preaching and teaching (only natural, given that was his strong suit), and these are well worth reading and pondering for anyone involved in a ministerial role involving teaching or influencing others. He gives an excellent reflection on finding the needed balance between speaking well enough for people to benefit from your teaching while avoiding the temptation to live for your audience's approval. Preaching is to edify, not to entertain. And it is to be done with an eye toward pleasing God, not people, ultimately.

The rest of the book, however, is just difficult to recommend in a contemporary context. John's perspective on the ministry is couched within a dialogue (whether contrived or real; scholars disagree) in which John is giving all his reasons why he doesn't desire to hold the office of a priest, which serves as a veiled way of lauding just what a magnificent and demanding privilege the office is. His view of the priest's authority is indeed a little too high compared to what Scripture presents as the role of a presbyter or even a bishop, reflecting later Catholic developments in the ideology of the priesthood and instilling them with too much sacerdotal power.

Even if some of it may be excused as hyperbolic and not quite to the same level as post-medieval Catholicism, it gives the wrong impression at points. Plus John's whole rhetorical frame of "Oh my gosh, the priesthood is just too great a privilege for me! I could never measure up because I would just do so badly because the priesthood is SO GREAT!" became extremely tiresome after the first couple of chapters. This isn't to say that John's point isn't without merit -- the priestly/pastoral office IS indeed a weighty responsibility, and there are many who may need to hear this put so starkly and illustrated so vividly as St. Chrysostom does here. But for me personally, much of this felt more like a beatdown rather than an inspiration to rise to the occasion.

Also worth mentioning is that, even when allowance is made for the cultural context in which he lived, Chrysostom is just a little too fixated at points on how much he views women in general as problems more than people. Many of his remarks on that front just have not aged well at all, and were pretty disparaging even for his own context. And finally, many of the portions of the book that are more directly in the form of his dialogue with Basil are overly wordy and not really helpful to the modern reader looking for ministry advice.

Bottom line, read parts IV and V (you can find it free online) and only pick up the full copy if, like me, you're really passionate about church history and/or you feel like being a bit extra.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chrysostom’s Six Books on the Priesthood is a dialogue between him and his friend Basil who feels betrayed by John. The conversation occurs when Basil finds John and asks him why he abandoned him and how he should respond to the elders for John’s unwillingness to take the call.
John begins his defense by saying the calling is too difficult and demands too much responsibility. He points out that human beings are not animals, and you cannot force them to stop the wrong that they do or accept the medicine they need for their spiritual sicknesses. On the other hand, there is danger for being too lenient because they will only cause greater harm to themselves and others. The priest must possess the highest of skills to examine a person and the situation and rightly apply law or gospel in order to care for and cure souls.
The spiritual care of souls is too intimidating, and he fears the responsibility that comes with doing it wrongly. The calling comes from God, but the priest is responsible before God for what he has done. What is at stake is the eternal state of human souls.
He is intimidated by the demands of the virtues and character required, especially in light of all the temptations a priest must endure from the devil and all his schemes to destroy the church.
In defense of all temptations and troubles, there is only one medicine and one weapon for the work, the Word of God, which is why false doctrine is so dangerous. It is poison. But even with doctrine, there must be the correct balance, or else medicine can also turn to poison. Therefore, a priest must be an expert in the Word (1 Tim 4:13-16, 2 Tim 2:24, Matt 5:19).
While being an expert, the priest must also be humble, not desire vainglory, or promotions so that he not become conceited. Because the temptations and dangers are so great, being a monk is more attractive. One can avoid many dangers and temptations, but this too is selfish because it is not loving others and serving the neighbor.
In the end, the call must be accepted, but the priest must always be aware of the difficulties, dangers, temptations, and demands.

[Rasmus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itse en ole pohtinut pahemmin pappeutta. Opiskelen kuitenkin teologisessa tiedekunnassa, jossa olen luterilaisten pappiskandidaattien ympäröivänä lähes joka luennolla. Oma matkani kristinuskon kanssa on tällä hetkellä siinä tilanteessa, että protestanttiset kirkot eivät ole vakuuttaneet minua. Oma potentiaalinen pappeuteni olisi siis joko ortodoksisen tai katolisen kirkon parissa. Epätodennäköistä kuitenkin.

Johannes Krysostomos on sen sijaan miettinyt pappeutta, ja paljon. Dialogisesti kirjoitettu teos avaa Krysostomoksen ajatuksia pappeuden tehtävästä, ihmisluonnosta ja moraalista. Hän antaa pappeudelle erittäin tärkeän, jopa tavoittelemattoman tason. Papin moraalinen velvollisuus toimia uskovien palvelijana, sakramenttien jakajana sekä hyvä moraalin ylläpitäjänä saa välillä aika kovat vaatimuksen Krysostomoksen ihanne-mallissa. Krysostomos itse huijaa Basileosta, jotta häntä ei vihittäisi rooliin. Ilmeisesti Jumala itse nauroi tälle, sillä Krysostomos päätyi Konstantinopolin patriarkaksi 398.

Krysostomos näki papin roolin vaikeampana kuin munkin. 300-luvulla munkit ja hermiitit elivät aavikoilla rukoillen ja tehden työtä. Tämä vaatii valtavasti uhrauksia ihmiseltä ja lähes kaikesta mukavuudesta luovuttiin. Ihminen on poissa paheista, pystyen keskittymään vain rukoiluun. Pappi kuitenkin joutuu elämään kaupungeissa, paheiden ja viettelemysten keskellä. Pappi joutuu oman hengellisyyden lisäksi hoitamaan muiden ihmisten sielunhoitoa, sakramentteja ja usein myös hallinnollisia tehtäviä. Krysostomoksen mukaan tämä kaikki vaatii paljon enemmän ihmiseltä kuin kivoittelu luostarissa.

Loppuun vielä nykyaikaan viisautta Johanneksen suusta:
"For nothing so magnifies both an evil and a good report as the undisciplined mob. For accustomed to hear and to speak without any regard to the truth of it"

[Bogdan Javgurean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a creative way to write about the topic of priesthood without being
boring. Chrysostom writes about his view of the heaviness of the office of a priest in form of a dialogue with his friend Basil. Both of them have been chosen to become priests by the church, but Chrysostom escapes this office because he thinks himself unworthy and is afraid of God’s judgement when he fails at the job. Throughout the book he is expounding to Basil who is taken aback by this unexpected behaviour of his friend, why the office of priest is too difficult for an unfit man like himself.
It sounds like Chrysostom wrote this work after he was a pastor for a while rather than before he became one. He speaks of the dangers and difficulty of this calling with great detail as only one who has experienced them himself would (as he himself mentions at the end of book 5). I didn’t read more about the background of the book, but it made me wonder if maybe Chrysostom chose this creative format, almost a drama, to write a book that he wanted to write about the office of the priest. Today such a book would be divided in systematic chapters: duty of a priest number 1, duty number 2, number 3 and so on.
It is also interesting that Chrysostom is raising such a high standard for a minister. While it is of course true that a minister must be held to a higher standard by both God and the church, I’m not sure anyone fits the description provided by Chrysostom. It makes me think of churches that do not have many candidates to choose from. Here in Lithuania there are barely a couple of people in all the evangelical churches taken together who are inclined towards becoming ministers. What are such churches to do in such a case? Remain without a

pastor? Sometimes you just have to choose someone who is most suitable and trust God to cover the missing parts.
I’m also wondering about Chrysostom’s motives, was he sincerely humble when he was denying the position because he is “unfit” or was it just another form of focusing too much on self rather than on the people who need to be served.

[Steven Azzara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one book is a collection of letters between John Chrysostom and his friend Basil. This one book is divided into six smaller books or letters between the two lifelong friends. In Book I, Chrysostom betrays Basil and refuses to be ordained, when he originally promised Basil that they would be ordained together. So when the men of the church came to them to ordain them, Chrysostom went into hiding, and only Basil was ordained. In Book II, Chrysostom defends his betrayal, and explains that the calling of the priesthood was too high for a man of his unworthiness. In Book III, Chrysostom addresses the beauty and the responsibilities of the priesthood. In Book IV, Chrysostom addresses the calling of the ministry and the nature of preaching. In Book V, Chrysostom continues his examination of the nature of preaching. And finally, in Book VI, Chrysostom addresses the character and the moral witness of the preacher. For these reasons (books I-VI), Chrysostom initially refused to be ordained in the priesthood but he believed his friend Basil excelled, and he was certainly being called by God. Chrysostom believed that if he would have been honest with Basil of why he didn't want to be ordained, then that would have influenced Basil, and he would have missed out on his true calling. By the way, Chrysostom does eventually become ordained in the church as a bishop.

[Readius Maximus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one common take away from this book is it isn't easy and I made the mistake of reading it when my brain was functioning at 1-2 standard deviations in IQ lower then normal. If this book wasn't written by St. John Chrysostom I probably would have given it a 1-2 star but I am not a heretic.

I don't know how to place the book either. Is the book historical or is he just using it as a rhetorical device?

The first third of the book is John trying to explain why he deceived his friend into joining the Priesthood all the while he had no intention of doing the same when they had agreed to make a joint decision. A rather odd topic for a Saint. Is he trying to show that morality isn't objective but hierarchical and that convincing his friend to join through deception was more important than being honest?

The rest of the book is still concerned with this but only indirectly. He is showing all the great dangers of being a Priest and why he did what he did.

[Reed Goforth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, and interesting to hear such a great Saint talk the way he does. This whole book he is basically talking about the seriousness of the Office of the Priesthood, and how he is incredibly unworthy of it. Ironic because he becomes the Archbishop of Constantinople and is one of the greatest Saints and Influential Christians Speakers to ever live. Chrysostom is regarded as one of the greatest Sermon givers of all time , hence the name Golden Mouth, he talks about Sermons and the importance and motivation behind them. The first half is kinda ok, this whole book is a dialogue between Himself and a man called Basil. The ending is really good when talking about trials Priests face and how to deal with them. Certainly becoming a Priest is not something to do lightly, your salvation and other people’s Salvation is in your hands essentially. Chrysostom talks in such an eloquent way, you would not expect him to be from the 4th century. St John Chrysostom pray for us.