Patristic Era (125-325 A.D.) Rejected Paul s Salvation Doctrine = Patristic Era (125-325 A.D.) Rejected Paul s Salvation DoctrineJesus’ Words Only was the earliest post-apostolic standard of orthodoxy. The era that predates the Roman Catholic period is traditionally called the Patristic era. It spans 125 A.D. to 325 A.D. In this period, the bishop of Rome was just one of many bishops competing for influence within a loose fraternity of bishops in ah major cities of the Mediterranean world. It is in that period we find church leaders, traditionally called the fathers, who are setting forth the earliest doctrines of churches founded by the twelve apostles. (This is why it is called the Patristic Era.) They thereby serve as a witness of what the twelve apostles likely must have been teaching. A
15.Tertullian’s chapter title is interesting: “Dangerous Effects to Religion and Morality of the Doctrine of So Weak a God.” He saw eternal security as a threat to morality. Tertullian repeats this attack on eternal security forcefully in his book The Scorpion’s Bite (207 A.D.) He felt the doctrine sapped the resolve of those under persecution. Many were teaching that if you denied Christ, Christ would not deny you and you remained saved (quoting Paul in 2 Timothy). Tertullian regarded this eternal security doctrine as the A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers (Peabody, Mass.: Henrickson Publishing, 1998.) Based on this extraordinary research, Bercot claims “early Christians universally believed that works or obedience play an essential role in our salvation.” 16 This was completely contrary to Paul’s teaching in (Eph. 2:8-9).
If true, then Bercot’s claim causes us to ponder. Are we to believe the twelve apostle taught works were not essential to salvation? If we believe this, then we must also believe the church which had a diffuse organization as of 125 A.D. became heretical immediately after all the apostles died. This also had to occur simultaneously in numerous disparate congregations under different authorities. Further, as Paulinists concede, we have to believe this ‘heresy’ that rejected Paul’s doctrines on salvation continued universally for 1400 years until Luther rediscovered the true salvation formula in 1517. If Bercot is correct, the Paulinist asks us to swallow a host of implausibilities if we assume the twelve accepted Paul’s teaching on salvation.
Thus, Bercot’s claim is a big one. However, it is one which Bercot backs up with thorough quotes. For example, while the early church believed you were not saved by works
16.David W. Bercot, if we do His will and walk in His commandments, love what He loved, and keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness, covetousness, love of money, evil speaking, falsewitness;...forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you; be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy;.(Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians,
ch. 2.) 17
Hennas, whose work of about 132 A.D. was one of the favorites of that early era, wrote: “ Only those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments have life with God.” (Hernias, Shepherd II. comm. 7; III sim. 10 ch. 2.)
Clement of Alexandria (150-212 A.D.), an elder of his church and whose works quote the New Testament 2,400
times, wrote around 190 A.D.:
Whoever obtains [the truth] and distinguishes himself in good works shall gain the prize of everlasting life... .Some people correctly and adequately understand how [God provides necessary power], but attaching slight importance to the works that lead to salvation, they fail to make the necessary preparation for attaining the objects of their hope. (Clement, Rich Man chs. 1 & 2.)
“Even a baptized person loses the grace he has attained unless he remains innocent.” Cyprian (250 A.D.)
f\nti-[\jicene
J—ath evs Vol. 5 at 542.
-
http://www. earlychristianwritings.com/text/polycarp-roberts.html
-
Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands A Verdict{{images/img_0086.png|Picture #86}}
In response to the Marcionites’ claim that salvation was by faith alone, Clement further responded:
Let us not merely call Him Lord, for that will not save us. For He says, ‘Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will be saved, but he who does what is right.’ Thus, brothers, let us acknowledge him by our actions. ...This world, and the world to come are two enemies. This one means adultery, corruption, avarice, and deceit, while the other gives them up. We cannot, therefore, be friends of both. To get the one, we must give the other up. (Second Epistle of Clement ch. 4.) 19
What led into this quote was Clement’s explanation that a true confession of Christ is not with the lips but with the heart by action.
For He himself declares, ‘Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father.’ This, then, is our reward if we shall confess Him by whom we have been saved. But in what way shall we confess Him? By doing what He says, and not transgressing His commandments, and by honouring Him not with our lips only, but with all our heart and all our mind. For He says in Isaiah, ‘This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’ (Second Epistle of Clement, ch.3.)
What if we should strive to win the crown in Christ, but commit sin en routel as some today read Paul’s words in (Rom. 8:39). Clement wrote instead:
We must remember that he who strives in the corruptible contest, if he be found acting unfairly, is taken away and scourged, and cast forth from the lists. What then think ye?
If one does anything unseemly in the incorruptible contest, what shall he have to bear?
For of those who do not preserve the seal [unbroken], [the Scripture] saith, ‘Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be a spectacle to all flesh.’ (Second Epistle of Clement ch. 7.)
These and numerous other sources demonstrate Paul’s salvation theory was not recognized. Paul’s ideas were that salvation was by a one-time faith alone, without works, and there was no condemnation once in Christ. (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 8:1.). However, the only proponents who took these verses seriously were the Marcionites. They were branded, however, as heretics by the early post-apostolic church. Paul’s salvation formulas were never accepted in the universal post-apostolic Christian church from 125 A.D. to 325 A.D. In that period, Paul, even if quoted on salvation by faith, was always read to line up with Christ’s emphasis on the essential nature of works and the damning power of sin in a Christian’s life.
For example, Polycarp is the only ancient ‘father’ to quote (Eph. 2:8-9) that we are “saved by grace, not of works.” (. Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians 1:6.) Yet, in
20.If you go to www.earlychristianwritings.com, every time a verse is discussed in a patristic writing, it is linked. However, neither (Rom. 8:1) nor 8:39 are ever once cited by any patristic-era ‘father.’ See if we do His will, and walk in His commandments, and love what He loved, keeping ourselves from all unrighteousness....
[Epistle to the Philippians, 2:13-14.) 21
Thus, whenever tension between Paul and Jesus were apparent, our Lord Jesus was never interpreted to fit Paul, as is the nonn today. As Bercot puts it:
The early Christians didn’t put Paul’s letters to the Romans and Galatians up on a pedestal above the teachings of Jesus and the other apostles. They read Paul’s words about grace in conjunction with...Scriptures [where Jesus requires endurance for salvation, Matt. 24:13, doing the will of God for salvation, Matt. 7:21, the resurrected will be those who have done good, (John 5:28), 29, etc.] (Bercot, Will the Real Heretics Stand Up, supra, at 63.)
Calvin’s research corroborates Bercot’s position. Calvin was the second major figure in the Reformation after Luther. Calvin cited Augustine as the only early church figure who agreed with any aspect of salvation in Paul’s teachings. However, Augustine was from the mid-300s. faith-alone without works. While Paul was quoted on salvation by faith, he was always put back in the context of Jesus’ words. Paul was always then interpreted to line up with Jesus’ emphasis on the essential nature of works for salvation, i.e., obedience to Jesus’ commandments, doing righteousness, charity, repentance from sin, etc. The early apostolic age emphasized always{{images/img_0087.png|Picture #87}}