Christian Courier's Shoddy Scholarship

In a portion of their article with regards to Peter, christiancourier.com has seriously erred. Here is an excerpt of their article:

3.) Chrysostom (c. A.D. 347-407), a theologian who lived in Constantinople, referred to this passage as illustrative of Peter’s great weakness. He suggested that the apostle’s fall “was more grievous than that of the others” (Homily 82). That ancient scholar knew nothing of Peter’s primacy based upon this text.

The article in full can be found at the following location:

http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:ju0AgY7rNX8J:www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/simon_simon_+Peter+strengthens+his+brethren&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Now, it is QUITE a serious charge to make to insist that Luke 22:31-32 was never used by St. John Chrysostom to argue for Petrine Primacy.

It is also a charge that is not backed up by the historical record.

Now, it is true that Chrysostom begins his exegesis of Luke 22 considering the status of Peter's faith and his fall. But apparently, the author of this supposedly scholarly article did not CONTINUE READING. He would have read the following:

"For He Who built the Church upon his confession, and so fortified it that ten thousand dangers and deaths should not prevail against it, He Who gave him the keys of heaven, and made him lord (possessor) of so much authority, and Who needed not prayer for this (for He said not 'I have prayed' but with authority 'I will build' and 'I will give'), how did He need prayer that He might save the soul of one man?"

This is from the EXACT SAME EPISTLE! Apparently, the author of this article decided that he would play the risky game of selective quotation instead of read the ENTIRETY of Epistle 82. (Found here: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200182.htm)

And elswhere:

"Again, that coryphaeus Peter, after a thousand wonders and signs and so much warning and counsel, did He not rebuke him when he had fallen this grave fall? Nay, He passed it over, and appointed him first of the apostles. Wherefore He said: 'Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat, and I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not'." (In Psalm 129, 2, vol V, 375[369])

"God allowed him to fall, because He meant to make him ruler of the whole world [Greek], that, remembering his own fall, he might forgive those who should slip in the future. And what I have said is no guess, listen to Christ Himself saying, 'Simon, Simon, how often hath Satan desired to sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy strength fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren'." (Hom quod frequenter conveniendum sit, 5, vol XII, 466[329])

John Chrysostom has spoken; the case is closed. Wayne Jackson, the author of this article, should make a much more serious effort to learn how a Church Father exegeted a passage.

- Sean Hutton