Baptismal Instruction by Saint John Chrysostom

First transcribed:Catecheses ad illuminandos, 388 c.e. (English translation, 1889)

Edition(s) used:Instructions to Catechumens, edited by W. R. W. Stephens and T. P. Brandram. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1978

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Subgenre(s): Exegesis; sermons

Core issue(s): Baptism; repentance; women

Overview

Two sermons by Saint John Chrysostom survive from among the hundreds he preached in Antioch in the late fourth century. Though brief, each sermon covers a plethora of theological points. John was born into a wealthy Christian family in Antioch and prepared for a career in law, but ran away from home to begin a career in the Church. His pronounced ascetic practices and his remarkable eloquence caused him to be appointed chief preacher in Antioch, where he acquired the nickname “Chrysostomus,” or “Golden Mouth.” He was consecrated patriarch of Constantinople, the imperial capital, in 398. He immediately began to make powerful enemies for publicly rebuking both clergy and imperial officials for their corrupt and unchristian behavior. After he called Empress Eudoxia a thief to her face during a Sunday service, she had him banished from the city, and Chrysostom died en route to his place of exile.

Most of Chrysostom’s vast literary output exists in the form of sermons on the books of both the Old and New Testaments. Writing and preaching in flawless Greek, he left behind hundreds of sermons from his period as chief preacher in Antioch. Unfortunately, only two of the sermons on baptismal instructions for catechumens survive. They were preached during Lent of 388. Though brief, these two sermons give indications of many topics of which Chrysostom preached in more detail on other occasions. One of these sermons is addressed to male catechumens; the other is addressed to female catechumens. Both groups would have been making final preparations to be baptized into the Church during Easter.

The first sermon is addressed to the male catechumens, who Chrysostom refers to as “those about to be illuminated.” He dwells on the image of baptism as illumination, as a new way of seeing, at length. He wishes the catechumens to be very clear that baptism is not some sort of magic ritual for the forgiveness of sins. Accepting baptism involves a fundamental reorientation of one’s entire existence. One is baptized into the death of Christ. Chrysostom takes this quite literally. On becoming a Christian, one’s former self, one’s previous lifestyle, dies. One now lives not for the possibility of material advantage, but in hope of eternal life. Baptism also entails participation in the resurrection of Christ. Christians reorient their lives to live for the sake of heaven. While the promise of forgiveness of sins is a component of the baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ, it is not an end in itself. Chrysostom wants to be certain the catechumens recognize that baptism is a permanent, life-changing decision.

All of Chrysostom’s theological opinions are grounded in a very close, literal reading of the biblical text, a method of biblical interpretation particularly practiced in Antioch, his hometown. Chrysostom rarely waxed poetic or philosophical in his sermons. He was not a speculative thinker. He was a very careful and thorough reader of the Bible. All the material in his sermons and all of his examples are taken directly from Scripture, rather than from philosophical or literary texts, though Chrysostom and his audience certainly knew these secular texts. He was always trying to impart an immediately practical benefit or point of guidance to his audience. The sermons on baptismal instruction are no exception to his policy. Every statement he makes to the catechumens and every image he invokes has its antecedents in Scripture. In the midst of their instruction on the meaning of baptism, the catechumens are exposed to a tour through the entirety of Scripture.

The catechumens are praised for their decision not to wait until their deathbed to request baptism, still a common practice in the late fourth century. By preparing for baptism while in good health, the catechumens will immediately begin to enjoy the benefits of eternal life while still on earth. Such current benefits, however, do not come without responsibilities. One such responsibility is to refrain from swearing any oath, even if the oath is one that can be kept easily. Chrysostom takes quite literally Jesus’ teaching equating oath taking with works of the devil in Matthew 5:35. Jesus said not to do it, and for Chrysostom, that is the end of the discussion. Scripture is clear, and becoming a Christian means living by the Scriptures in both thoughts and deeds.

In his baptismal instructions to the female catechumens, Chrysostom dwells at length on Christian modesty. Specifically, Chrysostom objects to women using makeup, wearing gold jewelry, or arranging their hair in fancy styles. Such behaviors are of this world, precisely the world the women are preparing to leave behind them through baptism. Refraining from stylish ornamentation will mark a Christian woman for all to see. A woman’s true marks of beauty are her modesty and devotion, not household wealth or costly clothing. Chrysostom was preaching this sermon in Antioch, but this attitude toward women caused him many problems when he tried to preach a similar message to the wealthy and powerful women of Constantinople, many of whom competed with one another is ostentatious displays of wealth and social standing.

Chrysostom takes issue with women’s continued reliance on folk medicine, particularly as folk healers used magic amulets and incantations as part of their remedies. Christians should rely on prayer to the Lord, the giver of life, not pagan superstitions. Again, Chrysostom is trying to impress on the catechumens that the consequences accompanying baptism require a fundamental reorientation of all aspects of life.

Christian Themes

Despite their brevity, the baptismal instruction sermons are packed with meaning. Chief among the important ideas conveyed by Chrysostom is the notion that baptism is a permanent, life-altering event, the consequences of which last into the next life. Baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ sets a Christian apart from the rest of society in both thought and action, both in this earthly life and in the world to come. Because of baptism’s tremendous consequences, catechumens should be aware of exactly what type of covenantal relationship they are agreeing to enter.

To help them navigate their new lifestyle, the baptized should constantly refer back to Scripture, Chrysostom says. The literal meaning of the Scriptures is straightforward. A thorough knowledge of Scripture will provide one with plenty of examples of how to think and act for the sake of heaven. Jesus himself provides the perfect example for Christians to emulate.

Chrysostom asks Christians to pay less attention to their social and physical selves, and much more attention to their spiritual selves. He asks them to forgo previous patterns of thought and behavior, to give attention to the poor and the vulnerable in society, to turn away from anything that gives power to Satan, to act in the grace of the Lord, and to give glory to God.

Sources for Further Study

Chrysostom, John. Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist. 2 vols. Fathers of the Church series. Reprint. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2000. Contains eighty-eight sermons on the Gospel of Saint John. These sermons are from the time when Chrysostom was in Antioch.

Kelly, J. N. D. Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom, Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop. London: Duckworth, 1995. A detailed biography of John Chrysostom. Includes numerous translated passages from his sermons and the historical context in which these sermons were preached.

Mayer, Wendy, and Pauline Allen. John Chrysostom. New York: Routledge, 2000. A useful introduction to the importance of John Chrysostom’s preaching to later biblical exegesis.