Ancient Spiderman

by Pastor Dan Miller

^{Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Dan Miller’s book Spiritual Reflections.}
He was Spiderman of the ancient church. Living in an era when chivalrous sensitivity to the self-esteem of others had yet to evolve as a cultural virtue, John of Antioch’s (347-407) likeness to a spider was routinely noted by his contemporaries. Short of stature, slight of build, and fatefully fitted with unusually long arms and a large, bald head, the likeness was too apparent to leave unmentioned.

This spiderman scaled no walls and wore no mask. He did, however, possess a keen mind and a golden tongue which he dedicated with singular devotion to the cause of Christ.

Abandoning preparations for a promising career in law, John became a monk. He was eventually appointed priest at Antioch of Syria where his singular preaching skills earned him widespread acclaim. In 398 he was kidnapped and forced against his will to serve as Archbishop of one of the world’s largest churches at Constantinople, the eastern seat of the Roman Empire. While many of his contemporaries jockeyed to secure high office, John eschewed notoriety. But yielding to providence, he assumed his new assignment with singular devotion, leaving behind a legacy that speaks to this day.

Humble Austerity. As Archbishop of Constantinople, John exercised authority over 100,000 parishioners and hundreds of church officials. At his disposal were vast stores of wealth and the ear of high-ranking government officials. But he refused to hobnob with high officials or curry favor with power brokers in the Church.

John boldly condemned the extravagance of church leaders and adorned his message by living frugally. It was custom for Archbishops to live in palaces and to host lavish banquets. But John dined alone and dispersed his sizable household allowance to care for the poor and to finance the construction of hospitals. On one occasion he forced construction to cease on a lavish bishop’s residence, sold the marble pillars, and donated the proceeds to several hospitals.

None of this made John particularly popular with the establishment. But his frugality and austerity earned the undying respect of the people he served.

Biblical Preaching. John’s rhetorical skills were so renowned he was nicknamed the “Golden-Mouthed” (Greek, chrysostomos), and thus became known as “John Chrysostom.” He is revered as one of the most eloquent preachers of all time. His lengthy sermons, still studied for their rhetorical genius, were characterized by deep spiritual insights and meaningful, lively application. They were carefully tied to the text of Scripture and stressed literal interpretation.

Throngs attended his lengthy sermons which were so well-received the audience often broke into spontaneous applause. On one occasion, Chrysostom rebuked the audience for applauding to which the audience responded with further applause. The governing officials of the city, the emperor, and the empress were very proud of their Archbishop. But Chrysostom’s preaching became his undoing.

Bold Conviction. Much of the appeal of John’s sermons was their pointed, forthright, and hard-hitting nature. Directed primarily at the nominally Christian populace of Antioch and later Constantinople, his sermons emphasized moral reformation. He preached against opulence, gambling, horse racing, and rampant sexual immorality in Roman culture and the Church.

Eventually, John’s bold preaching began to offend the empress, Eudoxia. In 401 he delivered a blunt sermon on the vices of women with less than subtle reference to the empress. Once supportive of John, this sermon turned Eudoxia against him, and she conspired to depose the Archbishop.

Martyr. By steadfastly refusing to forge political alliances or participate in high society, John had failed to bank sufficient political capital to aid him against his enemies. He was banished to Pontus in 404.

So enraged were John’s supportive congregates, they torched the cathedral and rioted in the streets. Possessing no friends in high places, his impeccable reputation and devout service to Christ had earned him the loyal respect of the commoners who watched his daily life and heard the witness of Christ from his golden mouth.

After three years in banishment, orders came for John to remove to a remoter location. Forced to walk in severe weather while suffering ill-health, John collapsed. He was taken to a small, remote chapel where he died and was buried.

The golden mouth was silenced but John’s testimony continued to echo in the consciences of many. Thirty-four years after his banishment, the emperor ordered John’s body returned to Constantinople where throngs of quiet mourners assembled to pay their respects. John was eulogized on that occasion by the emperor, none other than the son of Eudoxia! Theodosius II offered a public apology for his parent’s crimes against John and granted the cleric honorable burial near their tombs in the Church of the Apostles.

Thus Chrysostom received his final vindication on earth—a faint shadow of the vindication he certainly received at the throne of the Emperor of Heaven. May all who would follow reflect.

Dan Miller has served as senior pastor of Eden Baptist Church (Savage, MN) since 1989. He graduated from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College (Owatonna, MN) with a B.S. degree in 1984. His graduate degrees include an M.A. in History from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and M.Div. and Th.M. degrees from Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN). He is nearing completion of D.Min. studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL). Dan is married to Beth, and the Lord has blessed them with four children.