John Chrysostom's thirty-two homilies on Paul's letter to the Romans represent the most sustained biblical exposition from Christianity's greatest preacher. Delivered in Antioch around 391, these sermons emerged from Chrysostom's regular practice of preaching through entire books of Scripture verse by verse. The homilies address a congregation grappling with the practical implications of Paul's dense theological arguments about justification, election, and Christian living in a cosmopolitan Syrian city where Jewish-Christian relations remained complex.
Chrysostom approaches Romans not as a systematic theologian but as a pastor determined to make Paul's argument accessible and transformative for ordinary believers. He traces Paul's logic carefully through the epistle's famous progression from universal sinfulness through justification by faith to the practical demands of Christian community. Rather than getting lost in abstract doctrinal speculation, Chrysostom consistently draws out the ethical implications of Paul's theology, showing how justification by faith necessarily leads to transformed relationships with God, neighbors, and enemies. His treatment of Romans 9-11 demonstrates particular pastoral sensitivity, explaining Paul's anguish over Israel's rejection of the gospel while warning Gentile Christians against supersessionist pride. Throughout, Chrysostom's rhetorical gifts illuminate Paul's compressed arguments with vivid analogies and contemporary applications.
These homilies shaped Eastern Christian interpretation of Romans for centuries and offer modern readers an alternative to Western preoccupations with individual guilt and forensic justification. Chrysostom reads Romans as fundamentally about the restoration of human community across ethnic and social divisions, making his exposition particularly relevant for contemporary discussions of race, reconciliation, and social justice. Pastors and teachers seeking to preach Romans will find in Chrysostom a master of biblical exposition who never loses sight of the text's pastoral purpose. Readers intimidated by Paul's theological density will discover how Romans functions as intensely practical guidance for Christian community. Those familiar only with Augustine's more individualistic reading of Romans should engage Chrysostom's more communal and cosmic interpretation.
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OTHERIn epistulam ad Romanos homiliae (New Advent)PD
Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans
by John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom's thirty-two homilies on Paul's letter to the Romans represent the most sustained biblical exposition from Christianity's greatest preacher. Delivered in Antioch around 391, these sermons emerged from Chrysostom's regular practice of preaching through entire books of Scripture verse by verse. The homilies address a congregation grappling with the practical implications of Paul's dense theological arguments about justification, election, and Christian living in a cosmopolitan Syrian city where Jewish-Christian relations remained complex.
Chrysostom approaches Romans not as a systematic theologian but as a pastor determined to make Paul's argument accessible and transformative for ordinary believers. He traces Paul's logic carefully through the epistle's famous progression from universal sinfulness through justification by faith to the practical demands of Christian community. Rather than getting lost in abstract doctrinal speculation, Chrysostom consistently draws out the ethical implications of Paul's theology, showing how justification by faith necessarily leads to transformed relationships with God, neighbors, and enemies. His treatment of Romans 9-11 demonstrates particular pastoral sensitivity, explaining Paul's anguish over Israel's rejection of the gospel while warning Gentile Christians against supersessionist pride. Throughout, Chrysostom's rhetorical gifts illuminate Paul's compressed arguments with vivid analogies and contemporary applications.
These homilies shaped Eastern Christian interpretation of Romans for centuries and offer modern readers an alternative to Western preoccupations with individual guilt and forensic justification. Chrysostom reads Romans as fundamentally about the restoration of human community across ethnic and social divisions, making his exposition particularly relevant for contemporary discussions of race, reconciliation, and social justice. Pastors and teachers seeking to preach Romans will find in Chrysostom a master of biblical exposition who never loses sight of the text's pastoral purpose. Readers intimidated by Paul's theological density will discover how Romans functions as intensely practical guidance for Christian community. Those familiar only with Augustine's more individualistic reading of Romans should engage Chrysostom's more communal and cosmic interpretation.
Editions
External off-site sources
Free downloads