March 30, 2008

 

   The conflicts over the nature of Christ and that of Trinity was partially resolved as church councils came forth under godly men to issue statements that are

viewed as orthodox.  But the minds of western (Rome) leaders came to focus

more on practical aspects, such as “how is a man saved”?

 

THE PELAGIAN CONTROVERSY-

 

1) Pelagius- a Briton by birth, was joined by Celestius, traveling to North Africa by way of Italy in about 411.  He taught that it was not necessary for infants

to be baptized as they were not  effected by original sin (Adam) and therefore

did not need sin to be “washed away” in baptism.

  He found himself in conflict with the more dominant views taught by Augustine,

the bishop of Hippo in north Africa.

 

2) Pelagius said that each soul was a separate creation of God and therefore

uncontaminated by the sin of Adam.  The universality of sin was explained

by the weakness of human flesh, rather than the corruption of original sin

from Adam.  He admitted that the sins of previous generations could weaken

the flesh of present generations so that sins are committed unless the individual wills to cooperate with God in the process of salvation.  But Pelagius said that

man can choose God’s gift of eternal life and had power to live righteously.

  

3) Augustine taught that although Adam was free and created faultless, the entire human race was depraved due to Adam’s sin.  He said that clearly

mankind cannot work for salvation and is completely helpless to be delivered,

except for the grace of God.  He declared that baptism would remove the

guilt of “original sin from Adam” and that sacraments of the church would

deliver man from guilt & penalty of sin.  The sacraments were the ‘way’ or

‘channel’ of God’s grace in salvation.

   Further, Augustine said the God elected certain individuals to salvation

and thereby, men were saved.   His strong views on God’s sovereignty in

election & salvation made it sound as though man could not determine his

own choice.  Thus, Pelagius and Augustine were viewed as opposing concepts

of how a man would be saved.

 

4) Pelagius’ views were condemned by the Council of Ephesus in 431, but

neither the Easter nor Western church fully embraced Augustine’s doctrines.

Yet, Augustine’s teaching has had strong influence over church history as seen even in John Calvin’s adoption of Augustinian views in his thoughts on grace

and the human will.

 

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5) One other area of Augustine’s teaching needs mentioning:  he said

(against the views of the Donatists) that a bishop’s character as being

unrighteous does not enter into his authority or position as a bishop.

If a man as a bishop spoke, then his authority was firm and valid, whether

he himself lived right or not.  Thus, Augustine went further in establishing

the sacramental and authoritative acts of a (Roman Catholic) bishop as

valid and binding on the faithful.

 

6) Augustine would go on to write CITY OF GOD, a allegorical story of

the conflict of Righteousness and Evil.  In it, the City of God would slowly advance and encompass the world and establish godly rule.  Thus, Augustine

taught post-millennialism, influencing the Roman church in its views of

THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION.  Pope Leo 1^st secured recognition of his claim of Petrine Power (through succession) at Council of Chalcedon in 451.

Thus, by the end of the 5^th century, Roman Catholicism was entrenched in power and would strongly influence all of European Christendom until the Reformation

in the 16^th century.