A Great Bishop
at the end of the fourth century. The people loved John. Those in power not so much. It was suggested that the break between east and west started with John Chrysostom who found himself it a very difficult position. He recognized the authority of Rome.
A Historical Fact
as early as the fourth century. Bishops were being bought and sold. People from Ephesus journeyed to Constantinople to a bishop that could be trusted. John Chrysostom was asked to clean up the mess. It was the beginning of the fifth century. He reluctantly agreed.
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A Cottage Industry
that is out of control. Private interpretation of what is written too often is predicting the future because they do not know how to read the past. Your interpretation belongs in the future only because it doesn’t fit in history. Chances are you are not a prophet and need to limit yourself to history.
A Warning
that you can’t believe what you find on the internet. Duh? So what can you believe? A reasonable explanation when there is no alternative to a situation that demands an answer. What is a reasonable explanation? Something that is consistent with historical events.
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A Commentary
by Victorinus modified by Jerome who was not happy with it. What he added and/or edited is not clear. It is possible that Victorinus was looking at a copy of the original Apocalypse and Jerome was not aware of this. This would also explain why so many were convinced it was not written by John the Apostle who may have added the churches at a later date.
A Reliable Copy
of the Apocalypse. We know that John Chrysostom was in Ephesus when Jerome was finishing the Vulgate. Who in Ephesus could be trusted? Certainly not the seven bishops Chrysostom was replacing. Jerome knew all the major players and must have known Chrysostom was someone you could trust.
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A Reliable Copy
of the Apocalypse. “Perhaps the most telling argument against the apostolic authorship of the book is its omission from the Peshito, the Syrian Vulgate.” – 405 Jerome Completes the Vulgate – 401 John Chrysostom was in Ephesus and he could be trusted. Someone had to convince Jerome the Apocalypse was written by John the Apostle.
A Bible
you can trust. That was Jerome’s job. It is safe to say no two bibles were alike before Jerome so it was his job to first find reliable copies of the books that belonged in the Bible before he could produce a reliable translation. At that time it was not clear which ones belonged and that was especially true with the Apocalypse. Before Jerome we don’t know what it looked like.
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A Major Player
in the 4th century and we have the letters to prove it. Pope Damasus I asked Jerome for a new translation of the Bible and Augustine was upset about that. There were already way too many versions of the Bible with way too many errors and according to Augustine the last thing they needed was another version of the Bible. Jerome was not intimidated. His Vulgate would become the official Bible of the Church when they needed it the most.
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A Smaller Church
is necessary to protect the Truth. Who can be saved without a place to go to find the Truth. Mercy mercy mercy will save no one who hasn’t repented. Who hasn’t admitted to being wrong. You should have known but made no effort to find the Truth, the Way, and Life.
