St. John Chrysostom anti-Semitic ?

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Oblio

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This following 'quote' by St. John Chrysostom is thrown about by numerous anti-Apostolic sources. Realizing that St. John was defending Christianity against the Judaizers, I would like to know what a scholarly translation of this is, rather than what those who would malign the Church wish it to say. I also wonder what is left out in all the '...' gaps.



"The synagogue is worse than a brothel…it is the den of scoundrels and the repair of wild beasts…the temple of demons devoted to idolatrous cults…the refuge of brigands and dabauchees, and the cavern of devils. It is a criminal assembly of Jews…a place of meeting for the assassins of Christ… a house worse than a drinking shop…a den of thieves, a house of ill fame, a dwelling of iniquity, the refuge of devils, a gulf and a abyss of perdition."…"I would say the same things about their souls… As for me, I hate the synagogue…I hate the Jews for the same reason." - John Chrysostom (344-407 A.D.)

 
Dear y'all

Greetings in our Lord,

It is not like this issue has not come up before concerning St. John Chrysostomous.

I leave you with the following link which leads to other links and so on and so on and so on.

This is a dead issue! St. John Chrysostomous was NOT anti-semitic!

Please read!!!

http://www.chrysostom.org/jews.html

plus the original text which has caused all this unwanted commotion!

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/chrysostom-jews6.html



Thank-you

Miltiadis
 
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Oblio

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Thanks mtown :)

I did not get a google match on the 'quote' above on chrysostom.org so I was hoping for more direct info on that particular accusation. In fact, all the hits were on sites that claim that he was anti-Semitic, so the validity of that 'quote' is highly suspect.

I would imagine we will find no scholarly work on a translation which does in fact, not exist.
 
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Oblio

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I founds this at the end:



John Chrysostom: Eight Homilies Against the Jews [Adversus Judeaus], Patrologia Greaca, Vol 98

This translation, here cleaned up for typos, etc, was on an anti-Semitic website [as a justification for current anti-Semitism]. So far I have been unable to track down the translator. There were eight homilies by Chrysostom on the subject. This seems to be the first six.

MELVYL reports a translation C. Mervyn Maxwell, Chrysostom's homilies against the Jews : an English translation, Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, 1967. I am trying to find out whether these texts are Maxwell's or an earlier translators'.



So it appears that ironically, pro-Semites are using a translation produced by anti-Semites to justify their hatred of the Church :(
 
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SonWorshipper

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(4) And so I wanted again today to engage in that contest. For if the enemies of the truth never have enough of blaspheming our Benefactor, we must be all the more tireless in praising the God of all. But what am I to do? Another very serious illness calls for any cure my words can bring, an illness which has become implanted in the body of the Church. We must first root this ailment out and then take thought for matters outside; we must first cure our own and then be concerned for others who are strangers. (5) What is this disease? The festivals of the pitiful and miserable Jews are soon to march upon us one after the other and in quick succession: the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Tabernacles, the fasts. There are many in our ranks who say they think as we do. Yet some of these are going to watch the festivals and others will join the Jews in keeping their feasts and observing their fasts. I wish to drive this perverse custom from the Church right now. My homilies against the Anomians can be put off to another time, and the postponement would cause no harm. But now that the Jewish festivals are close by and at the very door, if I should fail to cure those who are sick with the Judaizing disease. I am afraid that, because of their ill-suited association and deep ignorance, some Christians may partake in the Jews' transgressions; once they have done so, I fear my homilies on these transgressions will be in vain. For if they hear no word from me today, they will then join the Jews in their fasts; once they have committed this sin it will be useless for me to apply the remedy.


Leviticus 23
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.................................................


Whose feasts?

http://www.chrysostom.org/writings.html

Haven't read the whole thing but looks to be an Orthodox site to me? My excerpt is from Against the Judaizers 1-6, 7, 8

What is unfortunate is that this misuse of the saint's words is based significantly on a mistranslation of the title of the sermons, translated as Against the Jews, rather than Against the Judaizers, which is the rendering the most up to date translations are now using. By this adjustment, sermons intended by the saint to be polemics against those in 4th century Antioch who would try to Judaize the Christians are being read as racist invective.

As far as I can see, any title you put upon it will not change the fact that he is speaking agaisnt the Jews AND condeming them in the worst way in celebrating the L-RD'S feasts and Days, Those which the L-rd himself commanded. Yeshua did not do away with these, and why? Because within these feasts this was how the L-rd G-d taught his plan of redemption, which still has not be completed.
 
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Oblio

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Whose feasts?

God the Father has sent by the request of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit to guide His Church in the celebrations of His Holy Feasts. Therefore the Feasts the Church celebrates are at the command and authorization of our Lord.
 
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Woodsy

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For me, the Church does not stand or fall on the words of St. John Chrysostom. He was a man, and like all men, he was flawed. As am I.
The early Church Fathers were important and what they wrote is important. What they wrote, in fact, is unparalleled in importance for Christianity (next to, of course, Holy Scripture) - notwithstanding any personal flaws which may make their way into their writings. St. John Chrysostom's writings are extremely important and enlightening. None of his remarks about Jews (whatever he meant by them) have been canonized as Scripture by the Church. But his theological writings are important.
Christians have attacked Jews and Jews have attacked Christians.
I don't know whether St. John Chrysostom was anti-Semitic or not. At this point, I don't care.
Even during His lifetime, Christ's Apostles were flawed. Yet we rely upon their writings to guide us in our Walk.
The Church stand or falls on Christ, and I know Him.



P.S. - And yes, I do listen to Wagner, regardless of his politics. ;)
 
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Feasts? Feasts? Feasts? Feasts? Why are you asking about Feasts?

There really is only ONE Feast in the Christian Church and that is the Holy Eucharist!!! Therefore, all other Jewish feasts are null and void in the Church, that is the point that St. John Chrysostomous was pointing out and his attack against Judasizers in the Church, not Jews!
 
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SonWorshipper

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Mtown, this is a different topic so I won't get into it here, but the feasts were brought up because of what was contained in the quote I posted of John's. However I would like to invite you to the MJ forum or IDD where we could talk about the Feasts of G-d as opposded to the feasts of the Church. Do you know why G-d instituted them in the first place?
 
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I decline the invitation to come onto the Messianic Judaism site for the reason is that the only TRUE Feast of God is the Holy Eucharist. Within the Holy Eucharist we make the ultimate and only TRUE sacrafice to God. This is the CENTER of TRUE WORSHIP!

Thus I will not discuss it further!

In Christ,

Miltiadis
 
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Woodsy

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No interdenominational debates, please! I have my hands, and my conscience, full with the mess I've already started. :cry:

I truly repent of the discord I have sown with the questions I posted. The questions came from an inner turmoil with which I have dealt, and whose source I recognize.

Please, let's restore peace amongst ourselves. Please. :pray:
 
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Maximus

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"In that He says, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).

Mtown is right. The feast of the true Israel of God - the Church - is the Holy Eucharist.

" 'In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations,' says the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 1:11).
 
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