What Did the Early Christians Teach, Lesson 4
We have shown that the Doctrines of the Present Day Christian System are 100% Fallacy when compared to early times. The deadly mistake most people are making when they research these things to uncover the lies, is they begin with the Reformation. However it was during this so-called Great Awakening that MOST of the Augustinian fallacies were Codified into what we refer to as a Systematic Theology. Augustine certainly laid much of the groundwork in 3-4 Century Rome, by Blending into Christian thought the Pagan concepts of Original Sin, Predestination and Election. The Roman Church, especially in the West, adapted his teachings as Doctrine and Persecuted all dissenters out of existence over the next several 100 yrs.
Ask Yourself: WHICH Doctrinal Model Fits the Early Saints?
1) Satisfaction, Substitution or Ransom rescue from corruption of sin
2) Fallen Nature, loss of ability or Free will with ability
3) Inbred Sin inherited from Adam or Moral Choice, Slave to whom you Obey
4) God immutable, unchanging, predetermining everything or Interaction with Man based on choice
5) Moral Transfer of Christ’s Virtue & Obed. Or Doing what is Right by Work working by love
6) Sins forgiven in Advance or Man responsible for his own actions
7) Christ becoming sin, suffering Penalty & Wrath or Offering His blood as Remission W/O Spot
Battleground: Forth Century Rome! The Pelagians vs Augustinians (the roots of reformation fallacy!)
Thus far Proven: Early Saints held to:
Ransom, Free Will, Repentance proven by deeds, faith working by love purifying
the heart of sin, following the example of Christ and working together with God!
ALL Directly in line with Scripture: Gal5:6, 1Pet1:22, 1Cor6:1, 1Pet2:21-24,
Acts15:9
Jude told the Early Saints to Contend Earnestly for the Faith. They took it to heart and spent much of their time Refuting the lies of the Pagan Philosophies. It Cost many of them their lives. However following the Council of Nicaea, 325AD and Constantine’s famous edit of Milan 313AD, that allowed Christians to freely practice their religion in the Empire, Corruption of Doctrine became common place in the church.
By early 4th Century the Roman Ecclesiastical System was well established and a bitter debate raged between the Augustinian mind set and Early Christian Teaching.
Beginning in the Reformation will Confuse all Issues debated in this era. The False Premise of the Reformers is that the Early Church was full of Heretics. From that Point of View, Man is Born a Sinner, unable to respond to God and Saved by Substitution. But again NONE of this agrees with the Bible.
Here is a Summary of Augustinian Doctrine espoused in 4th Century Rome:
Under the name of
grace, they (i.e. the Augustinian Catholics) so assert fate as to say that
unless God inspired unwilling and resisting man with the desire of good, and
that good imperfect, he would neither be able to decline from evil nor to lay
hold of good.
(Inability because of Original
Sin)
(At one point Julian made reference to
Proverbs 16:1 which states "The preparation of the heart is man's part, and the
answer of the tongue is from the Lord.)
[The Augustinian Catholics] say that the law of the Old Testament was given not
for the end that it might justify the obedient, but rather that it might become
the cause of greater sin. (No one was ever
Righteous, like Noah, Enoch, Moses, ect)
They (the Augustinian Catholics) assert that baptism, moreover, does not make
men new—that is, does not give complete remission of sins; but they contend that
they are partly made children of God and partly remain children of the world,
that is, of the devil. (By inbred Sin)
[The Augustinian Catholics say] that the Holy Spirit was not the assister of
virtue in the Old Testament. (Scripture declares they Spoke by the Spirit of God!
(2Pet1:21, 1Pet1:12)
[The Augustinian Catholics say] that all the apostles or prophets are not
defined as entirely holy, but they say that they were less wicked in comparison
with those that were worse; and that this is the righteousness to which God
affords His testimony, so that, as the prophet says that Sodom was justified in
comparison with the Jews, so also the saints exercised some goodness in
comparison with criminal men. (The stain of
inbred sin makes it impossible to be pure)
[The Augustinian Catholics say in regards to Jesus as our Advocate that this
just Advocate] spoke falsely by the necessity of the flesh.
(Truly Outrageous! Scripture denies Christ had any sin!)
[The Augustinian Catholics say] that after the resurrection such is to be our
progress, that there men can begin to fulfill the commands of God, which they
would not here. (You remain a sinner for life)
[The Augustinian Catholics] guard the continuous propagation of souls with the
continuous propagation of sin. (Sin inherited
and handed down from Adam!)
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As you can easily see, to embrace Original Sin you negate Man’s Free will and Ability to Obey God. Augustine blended these fallacies into Christian Doctrine & the Reformers adopted them as Truth!
In Opposition a Bishop named Julian earnestly refuted these errors & tried to keep them out of the church, but in the end history has shown, Augustine emerged the victor & Truth was cast to the wind.
We (the
Pelagians) confess that baptism is necessary for all ages, and that grace,
moreover, assists the good purpose of everybody; but yet that it does not infuse
the love of virtue into a reluctant one, because there is no acceptance of
persons with God. (Free independent Will)
We, the Pelagians, teach] that God is the Maker of all those that are born, and
that the sons of men are God's work; and that all sin descends not from nature,
but from the will. (Ecc7:29)
We, the Pelagians, teach] that baptism is necessary for every age, so that, the
creature itself may be adopted among the children of God; not because it derives
anything from its parents which must be purified in the laver of regeneration.
(Sin by long practice habit, not nature, 1Pet1:18, Eph2:1-3)
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that Christ the Lord was sprinkled with no stain of
sin as far as pertains to His infancy. (1John3:5 NO sin in Him! Offered Himself
W/O Spot! Heb9:14)
[In regards to this we would like to introduce the question] of the origin of
the soul…
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that nothing of evil passed from Adam upon the rest of humanity except death, which is not always an evil, since to the martyrs, for instance, it is for the sake of rewards; and it is not the dissolution of the bodies, which in every kind of men shall be raised up, that can make death to be called either good or evil, but the diversity of merits which arises from human liberty. (Rom5:14)
(Note:Additional Information on
this subject to be covered.)
[We, the Pelagians praise marriage] because the Lord says in the gospel, ‘He who
made men from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Increase and
multiply, and replenish the earth. What therefore God has joined together, let
not man put asunder.’ (Heb13:4, Bed undefiled)
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that the old law was, according to the apostle, holy
and just and good; that on those who keep its commandments, and live righteously
by faith, such as the prophets and patriarchs, and all the saints, life eternal
could be conferred. (Doers shall be Justified, Rom2:13)
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that free will has not perished, since the Lord says
by the prophets, 'If you be willing and will hear me, you shall eat the good
things of the land: if you are unwilling, and will not hear, the sword shall
devour you.' And thus, also, it is that grace assists the good purpose of any
person, but yet does not infuse a desire of virtue into the reluctant heart,
because there is no acceptance of persons with God.
[We, the Pelagians, teach in opposition to Manichaeism] that baptism perfectly
renews men, inasmuch as the apostle is a witness who testifies that, by the
washing of water, the Church is made out of the heathen holy and spotless; that
the Holy Spirit also assisted pious souls in ancient times, even as the prophet
says to God, 'Your good Spirit shall lead me into the right way;' that all the
prophets, moreover, and apostles or saints, as well of the New as of the Old
Testament, to whom God gives witness, were righteous, not in comparison with the
wicked, but by the rule of virtue; and that in future time there is a reward as
well of good works as of evil. But that no one can then perform the commandment
which here he may have contemned, because the apostle said, 'We must be
manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the
things belonging to the body, according to what he has done, whether good or
evil.'"
[We, the Pelagians, teach in opposition to Manichaeism] that the good God is the
maker of those that are born, by whom all things were made, and that the
children of men are His work."
[We, the Pelagians, teach in opposition to Manichaeism] that all sin descends
not from nature, but from the will."
[We, the Pelagians, teach in opposition to Manichaeism that] the flesh of Christ
[was not only truly human flesh but also] that the soul [of Christ] itself was
stained by no spot of sin. (Heb2:14, 9:14)
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that death passed to us by Adam, not sins.
(Rom5:12-14)
[We, the Pelagians, teach] that only death passed upon us by Adam's means.
[We, the Pelagians, assert that our] enemies have taken up our words for hatred
of the truth…"
[We, the Pelagians, assert that] throughout nearly the whole of the West a dogma
not less foolish than impious is taken up, and from simple bishops sitting in
their places without a Synodal congregation a subscription [to the decree of
Pope Zosimus] is extorted to confirm this dogma.
Why is it Significant what the Early Fathers believed and taught?
1) They immediately followed the Apostles
2) They were Disciples of the Apostles
3) They were VERY Familiar with the ancient writings & Pagan Philosophy
4) They Regarded the Epistles as Scripture & were experts of the Septuagint
5) Their Conclusions were Directly in-line with Scripture, nothing had to be twisted or stretched by conjecture to fit their doctrines.
6) They were Pious and Holy men of sound reputation and conduct
7) Many of them were Martyred for teaching the Truth
The Basics of your Understanding of Scripture will determine in what manner you will see the outcome of this 4th Century Controversy in Rome. If Augustine was Correct in blending into Christian Doctrines many of the Pagan Philosophies of his past, then the Reformers are the Bible Hero’s of History. BUT that also requires dismissing the Early Fathers as Vile Heretics! If you can do that in face of all the Evidence presented and still Cling to your Reformed Doctrines, there is little hope you will ever see the truth.
Next lesson: What Happened in Rome?