john chrysostom on community

I found this comment by John Chrysostom (brief bio) in study for my sermon this coming Sunday and was struck by the way it speaks to living in community as Christians. It was quoted in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture on Galatians.

“He then also shows the way by which the rectification* may be easily accomplished. Be slaves to one another in love, Paul says. Here again he hints that love of strife, faction, ladder climbing and folly were the causes of their error. The mother of heresies is the desire for power. From this foolishness and conceit he is calling them to be slaves to one another. Therefore Paul applies this corresponding remedy: ‘Since you have been torn apart by your desire to rule one another, be slaves to one another. In this way you will be brought together again.’ He does not openly state their fault, but he states the remedy openly, so that through the remedy they may also better grasp the fault… He did not say “love one another” but be slaves to one another, to express the most intense possible love.” (Homily on Galatians 5:13) *The removal of the yoke of the law.

“The mother of heresies in the desire for power.” Wow. Well said Johnny.