John Chrysostom's sermon to the Gothic church

John Chrysostom served as Archbishop of Constantinople 398-404. During this very short period of time he exercised enormous influence, particularly through his preaching. At this time, Gothic tribes were situated to the north of the new imperial capital, and many Goths were to be found in the city. The gospel had been brought to the Goths, who spoke a Germanic language, by an Arian missionary called Ulifas. Arian Christianity was a heretical version of the Christian faith which understand the Son of God to be a creature. To counteract the influence of such teaching, and zealous for the Goths to worship God Father Son and Holy Spirit, John Chrysostom arranged for St Paul's church to be set aside for worship in their native tongue. During Holy Week in the year 400, John Chrysostom visited the church and, through a Gothic interpreter, spoke at their service. The text of the sermon would appear to have been Psalm 19:4-5. Here is a translation of his opening remarks:

"I wish Greeks could be here today to hear what has been read, and to realise the strength of the One Crucified on the cross, the power of the cross, the nobility of the church, the firmness of faith, the shame of error and the mockery of demons. The teaching of philosophers is overthrown even among those who share the same speech (as them), while our teaching has much power even among those who speak another language. The former falls apart more easily than a spider’s web, while the latter is established stronger than steel.

"Where is the teaching of Plato, Pythagoras, and those who where in Athens? It has been extinguished. Where is the teaching of fishermen and tentmakers? Not only in Judea, but even in another language, as you have heard today, it shines brighter than the sun; Scythians, Thracians, Sarmatians, Moors, Indians, even those who have settled in the furthest ends of the inhabited world..."

Translation from Russian: Творения, том 12, Беседа VIII, Издательство СПб Духовной Академии, СПб, 1906

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