Editing John Chrysostom (section)

=== Diaconate and service in Antioch ===
{{Further|Meletian schism}}

John was first appointed as a [[Reader (liturgy)|reader]] in the church of [[Antioch]] by [[Zeno of Verona]] upon the latter's return from Jerusalem. Later, he was ordained as a [[deacon]] in 381 by the bishop [[Meletius of Antioch]] who was not then [[in communion]] with Alexandria and Rome. After the death of Meletius, John separated himself from the followers of Meletius, without joining [[Paulinus II of Antioch]], the rival of Meletius for the [[bishopric of Antioch]]. But after the death of Paulinus II (388) he was ordained a [[presbyter]] (priest) by [[Evagrius of Antioch]], the successor of Paulinus by the [[Eustathius of Antioch]] faction in the city.<ref>[[Socrates of Constantinople|Socrates Scholasticus]], [http://www.synaxis.org/cf/volume25/ECF00007.htm ''Ecclesiastical History''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222102659/http://www.synaxis.org/cf/volume25/ECF00007.htm |date=22 February 2020}}, VI, 3</ref> He was destined later to bring about reconciliation between [[Flavian I of Antioch]], Alexandria, and Rome, thus bringing those three sees into communion for the first time in nearly seventy years.<ref>Philip Hughes, ''History of the Church'', Sheed and Ward, 1934, vol I, pp. 231–232.</ref>

In Antioch, over the course of twelve years (386–397), John gained popularity because of the eloquence of his public speaking at the Golden Church, Antioch's [[cathedral]], especially his insightful expositions of Bible passages and moral teaching. The most valuable of his works from this period are his [[homilies]] on various books of the Bible. He emphasised charitable giving and was concerned with the spiritual and temporal needs of the poor. He spoke against abuse of wealth and personal property:<blockquote>Do you wish to honour the body of Christ? Do not ignore him when he is naked. Do not pay him homage in the temple clad in silk, only then to neglect him outside where he is cold and ill-clad. He who said: "This is my body" is the same who said: "You saw me hungry and you gave me no food", and "Whatever you did to the least of my brothers you did also to me"... What good is it if the [[Eucharist]]ic table is overloaded with golden chalices when your brother is dying of hunger? Start by satisfying his hunger and then with what is left you may adorn the altar as well.<ref>Chrysostom, John; ''In Evangelium S. Matthaei'', homily 50:3–4, pp. 58, 508–509</ref></blockquote>

His straightforward understanding of the Scriptures – in contrast to the Alexandrian tendency towards [[Allegorical interpretation of the Bible|allegorical interpretation]] – meant that the themes of his talks were practical, explaining the Bible's application to everyday life. Such straightforward preaching helped Chrysostom to garner popular support.{{sfn|Baur|1910}}

One incident that happened during his service in Antioch illustrates the influence of his homilies. When Chrysostom arrived in Antioch, Flavian, the bishop of the city, had to intervene with emperor [[Theodosius I]] on behalf of citizens who had gone on a rampage mutilating statues of the emperor and his family. During the weeks of [[Lent]] in 387, John preached more than twenty homilies in which he entreated the people to see the error of their ways. These made a lasting impression on the general population of the city: many pagans converted to Christianity as a result of the homilies. The city was ultimately spared from severe consequences.{{sfn|Wilken|2013|p=}}