Last words of the faithful
John Chrysostom
Died 14 September 407 · in exile at Comana
John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople and the most celebrated preacher of the ancient church, was driven into exile and died at Comana in Pontus on 14 September 407, worn out by forced marches. Early accounts of his death record his final words as a doxology: glory be to God for all things.
The last words
The story behind them
They called him Chrysostom, golden mouth, and not as flattery. He preached through whole books of Scripture to crowds that filled the greatest church in the empire, and he would not stop telling the rich in his congregation what they owed the poor outside the door. That is mostly what got him exiled.
The second exile was designed to kill him without the embarrassment of executing him. He was marched through heat and rain to a remote place on the Black Sea, in poor health, at a pace that would have been hard on a well man. He did not arrive. At Comana in Pontus his body stopped.
Not glory to God for the good parts. For all things.
The accounts record that he asked to be dressed in white, received communion, prayed, and ended with the doxology he is remembered for: glory be to God for all things. It is worth sitting with what 'all things' had come to mean for the man saying it. He had lost his church, his city, his health and his liberty, and he was dying on a road under guard. He did not thank God despite that list, and he did not pretend the list was good. He blessed God for all of it, which is a harder and stranger thing than either.
What they died for, you can meet
None of these people died for an idea. They died holding onto a Person, convinced that death was not the end because he had already walked out of a tomb. The Living Bread is a quiet place to meet that same Jesus, read the Gospels for yourself, and ask your honest questions.
Jesus Christ is Lord.
Frequently asked questions
- What were John Chrysostom's last words?
- The early accounts of his death record that he ended with a doxology, 'Glory be to God for all things,' shortly before dying in exile at Comana on 14 September 407.
- Why was John Chrysostom exiled?
- He was archbishop of Constantinople and preached relentlessly against wealth and corruption, including at the imperial court. He was deposed and exiled twice, the second time being marched to a remote location in poor health, which killed him.
- What does Chrysostom mean?
- It is a nickname, not a surname. It means 'golden mouth' in Greek, given to him for his preaching.
