History and Accuracy

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Recently I've been reading collections of the homilies of John Chrysostom an early church father who lived during the fourth century. I began reading him and other early church writers in a collection of commentaries on the book of Corinthians with the idea that since these writers were much closer in time to the writing of the original letters they would have more to offer on the difficult contextual passages.

Unfortunately this has not been the case. The three hundred year gap is enough to make their lack of knowledge just as great as mine. I've learned more from the modern writer Ben Witherington.

Most recently in my readings, Chrysostom mentioned in a homily that the apostles were busy men who had established many monasteries and religious orders. As a modern I know this is incorrect the monastic movement didn't begin until the middle of the third century.

So sometimes what seems as an advantage, turns out not to be one.