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| An image of Mani, the creator of Manichaeanism, the Gnostic sect in which Augustine was a member. |
These quotes not merely show that the Gnostics believed that all the saved are unconditionally elected, but that they also used the exact same arguments as modern Calvinists do for their doctrine.
(If you prefer to listen to the gospel in a video format, watch this video from the Youtuber "Onorato Diamante" whom I strongly recommend.)
Many today teach that if we are simply good enough, submit enough, or perform enough religious rituals, we might earn our way into heaven. However, the Bible teaches that we can have full assurance of our salvation:
1 John 5:1313 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Romans 3:2323 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;Ecclesiastes 7:2020 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.Galatians 3:1010 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
The wages of sin is death, and we all have sin, thus deserving of eternal death in the lake of fire. We have no hope of saving ourselves, and if salvation was dependant upon our own efforts, we would all go to eternal damnation. This is why the Bible repeats many times that salvation is not by our own works:
Titus 3:5-7
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
John 1:12
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Since we are all sinners, if we trust on our own works to enter heaven, we are trusting in a sinner. And if we are trusting in a sinner, we will not enter heaven.
However, there is good news. Jesus, who is God in the flesh (John 1:1, John 1:14) was born of a virgin and came to the earth to die and shed his blood for our sins on the cross, be buried and rise again for our justification (Romans 4:25). Jesus lived a perfect life, and he did not sin even once, however he came to die in our place, taking the punishment for our sins on the cross, satisfying God's wrath:
Matthew 26:28
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Romans 5:9
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Hebrews 10:14
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
John 1:29
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
1 Peter 1:18-19
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
The gospel of our salvation is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, which reads:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Thus, we receive salvation only by trusting in what he did for us, as Paul says that we are justified by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ:
Romans 3:25
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Salvation comes by placing our trust in Jesus' sacrifice — his blood atonement, burial and resurrection, depending upon Jesus alone for our salvation. If we mix any of our own efforts for salvation, we are effectively saying that the blood of Jesus is not enough. When we are saved, we are sanctified forever as Hebrews 10:14 affirms. This is why when we believe in Jesus, all our sins (past present and future) are forgiven, thus our salvation is secure:
John 5:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:37
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:39
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
John 10:28
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Because our salvation does not depend upon us, but on the blood of Christ, we can have full 100% assurance that we are going to heaven. Thus, if we have trusted in what Jesus on our behalf, we can have full assurance of our salvation:
1 John 5:13
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
Faith is the means by which we receive salvation, which is why we use the language of "by grace through faith". If you want to receive salvation today, just believe in the blood atonement for our sins on the cross, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your salvation!
Acts 16:30-31
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Thank you for your letter of September 24 and your previous phone call relative to the booklet, "The Blood of Christ" by Robert B. Thieme. Although Mr. Thieme quotes a syllabus of mine written many years ago, I did not then nor do I now agree with the point of view expressed in this booklet . . . . I do not know of anyone who follows the point of view of Mr. Thieme, and his teaching on this point has apparently confused a number of people. It is not the teaching of any member of the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary 1
While He did not bleed to death, I do believe that He literally shed His blood as part of the act of dying and that this was necessary to fulfill such scriptures as Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter: 18-19; and similar passages. The implication from your quotation of my writings that you and I agree on your major thesis set forth in the booklet is, therefore, wrong as I do not agree with the major point of view which you express in the booklet. Further, I do not know any Dallas faculty member who shares your point of view. In fact, your point of view is quite a unique and unusual interpretation 1
There are those who claim that the concept of Free Grace is entirely novel, lacking any historical precedence. While our beliefs should be grounded in scripture, this article aims to address any doubts regarding the presence of Free Grace throughout history for those who struggle with it, and to provide an interesting research topic for those who are already strong in the faith.
Within the earliest early church writings, we have general references to justification by faith alone from multiple Christian writers, such as Polycarp (2nd century), Clement of Rome (1st century), Mathetes (2nd century) and the more unknown Odes of Solomon (1st century). The following quotes seem to imply some kind of understanding of faith alone:
All these, therefore, were highly honoured, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Letter to the Corinthians)
Clement of Rome
In whom was it possible for us, the lawless and ungodly, to be justified, except in the Son of God alone? O sweet exchange, O the incomprehensible work of God, O the unexpected blessings, that the sinfulness of many should be hidden in one righteous man, while the righteousness of one should justify many sinners ( Epistle to Diognetus/Mathetes)
In whom, though now you see Him not, you believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that by grace you are saved, not of works, but by the will of God through Jesus Christ. (Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians)
However, many of these early Christians are very ambigious, as these letters were not written as theological treatises. For example, although Polycarp mentions salvation by faith without works, he later exhorts his audience to do good works to reign with Christ. May Polycarp have distinguished reigning from salvation? Maybe, but we cannot be certain. However, the late 1st century to early 2nd century writing "Odes of Solomon", likely written by an Essene convert to Christianity seems to make some statements that more strongly may imply eternal security. Consider these following quotes:
Ode 4:13 For that which You gave, You gave freely, so that no longer will You draw back and take them again.
Ode 5:3 Freely did I receive Your grace, may I live by it.
Ode 4:3 The ancient one shall not be perverted by those which are inferior to it. You have given Your heart, O Lord, to Your believers.
Ode 29:5-6 And I humbled my enemies, and He justified me by His grace. For I believed in the Lord's Messiah, and considered that He is the Lord.
Ode 17:2 And I was justified by my Lord, for my salvation is incorruptible.
Ode 25: 12 And I was justified by His kindness, and His rest is for ever and ever. Hallelujah.
In addition to affirming that salvation is by grace, not of works, the writing seems to affirm the finality of salvation by describing it as "incorruptible" and by his statement that "no longer will You draw back and take them again". The Odes may be the earliest possible writing that may be understood as teaching eternal security outside the New Testament.
Additionally, what deserves a brief mention is Tertullian's understanding of the Greek term "metanoia" (repentance). Although Tertullian clearly did not teach Free Grace soteriology, as he was clearly involved in a works justification system, he affirmed the view that "repentance" refers to a change of mind, not to turning from sins, as he writes:
Now in Greek the word for repentance (metanoia) is formed, not from the confession of a sin, but from a change of mind, which in God we have shown to be regulated by the occurrence of varying circumstances (Against Marcion, book 2, chapter 24)
We see the usage of the Greek term "metanoia" (repentance) in the earliest Christian writings as a reference to a change of mind multiple times. The following examples show the usage of the term in reference to a change of mind, not turning from sin:
Martyrdom of Polycarp (2nd century):
“The Proconsul said unto him, ‘I have wild beasts ready; to those I will cast thee, unless thou repent [metanoēsēis].’ He answered, ‘Call for them, then: for we Christians are fixed in our minds, not to change [i.e. not to repent] from good to evil. But it will be good for me to be changed from my grievous (sufferings) to their just reward. The Proconsul added, ‘Seeing thou despises the wild beasts, I will cause thee to be devoured with fire, unless thou shalt repent [metanoēsēis].’ Polycarp answered, ‘Thou threatenest me with fire, which burns for an hour, and in a little while is extinguished: for thou knowest not the fire of the future judgment, and of that eternal punishment, which is reserved for the ungodly. But why tarriest thou? Bring forth what thou wilt.”
Clement of Alexandria (2nd century):
“The devil is responsible for his actions. He was capable of changing his mind [metanoēsai] or of committing the theft. It is he who bears responsibility for the theft, not the Lord who did not prevent him.” (Stromateis, (John Ferguson translation)
Lactantius (3rd century)
“For he who repents of that which he has done, understands his former error; and on this account the Greeks better and more significantly speak of ‘metanoia,’ which we may speak of in Latin as a return to a right understanding.” (Divine Institutes, (William Fletcher translation):)
Lactantius is especially powerful, as he testifies to the usage of the term as a synonym for belief, not as a turning from sins, contrition or such.
Within the post-Nicene era, we have more explicit mentions of Free Grace soteriology. Augustine, for instance, vehemently debated against the notion of carnal Christians attaining salvation solely through faith, yet he acknowledged their acceptance within the broader Christian community. He highlighted this stance in his writings, including his treatise "On Faith and Works" and "The City of God". We find quotes in Augustine such as:
But, say they, the catholic Christians have Christ for a foundation, and they have not fallen away from union with Him, no matter how depraved a life they have built on this foundation, as wood, hay, stubble; and accordingly the well-directed faith by which Christ is their foundation will suffice to deliver them some time from the continuance of that fire, though it be with loss, since those things they have built on it shall be burned.ire, though it be with loss, since those things they have built on it shall be burned. (1 Corinthians 3:15) - City of God, book 21
(The Latin term "catholicus" translated as "catholic" does not refer to the Roman Catholic church, but was a designation given by early Christians to those not deemed outside the body of Christ)
Augustine even mentions people who explicitly affirmed that even those who leave the faith will be saved:
“But let us now reply to those who promise deliverance from eternal fire, not to the devil and his angels (as neither do they of whom we have been speaking), nor even to all men whatever, but only to those who have been washed by the baptism of Christ, and have become partakers of His body and blood, no matter how they have lived, no matter what heresy or impiety they have fallen into"
(The terms for baptism and becoming partakers of His body and blood may be understood as references to being born again instead of the sacraments (1 Corinthians 12:13,John 6:35)
He repeated the same point again in His book "On Faith and Works":
"But the reason why our opponents think that the one person may be admitted, but not the other, is this: they think that these persons are saved, although by fire, if they believe in Christ.... They are saved, so they think, even though they do not correct their evil ways"
In his book "Early Christian Doctrines," the scholar John Norman Davidson Kelly, who does not align with Free Grace theology, discusses Jerome's views on salvation. Kelly notes that Jerome makes a distinction, suggesting that while those who have rejected God will face eternal torment, those who have placed their trust in Christ, even if they have sinned and strayed, will ultimately find salvation:
"Jerome develops the same distinction, stating that, while the Devil and the impious who have denied God will be tortured without remission, those who have trusted in Christ, even if they have sinned and fallen away, will eventually be saved. Much the same teaching appears in Ambrose, developed in greater detail." ( John Norman Davidson Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, second edition (Harper & Row publishers, 1960)
Jerome
Kelly appears to be referencing Jerome's statement: "He who with all his spirit has placed his faith in Christ, even if he dies in sin, shall by his faith live forever." (Epistola CXIX, Ad Minervium et Alexandrum Monachos, §7, PL 22:973).
Individuals teaching salvation by faith alone were additionally still mentioned by Caesarius of Arles (470-542ad), who wrote the following:
For many say: I believe; and they think that faith alone without good works is sufficient. (Sermon 186)
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| Jovinian |
Around the 4th to 5th centuries, Pseudo-Chrysostom expressed perspectives reminiscent of Free Grace theology. In his commentary on Matthew, he suggests that certain individuals who enter the kingdom may be excluded from "reigning" with Christ. Pseudo-Chrysostom's stance thus implies the possibility of disobedient individuals attaining salvation:
But seeing that to break the least commandments and not to keep them areone and the same, why does He say above of him that breaks thecommandments, that he shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven, and hereof him who keeps them not, that he shall not enter into the kingdom ofheaven? … For a man to be in the kingdom is not to reign with Christ, butonly to be numbered among Christ’s people; what He says then of him thatbreaks the commandments is, that he shall indeed be reckoned amongChristians, yet the least of them. But he who enters into the kingdom,becomes partaker of His kingdom with Christ. Therefore, he who does notenter into the kingdom of heaven, shall not indeed have a part of Christ’sglory, yet shall he be in the kingdom of heaven
During Bede's lifetime (672-735), he would have encountered proponents of the Free Grace perspective, as evident in his commentary on the Epistle of James, where he rebukes those advocating for Free Grace theology:
"Although the apostle Paul preached that we are justified by faith without works, those who understand by this that it does not matter whether they live evil lives or do wicked and terrible things, as long as they believe in Christ, because salvation is through faith, have made a great mistake. James here expounds how Paul's words ought to be understood. This is why he uses the example of Abraham, whom Paul also used as an example of faith, to show that the patriarch also performed good works in the light of his faith. It is therefore wrong to interpret Paul in such a way as to suggest that it did not matter whether Abraham put his faith into practice or not. What Paul meant was that no one obtains the gift of justification on the basis of merit derived from works performed beforehand, because the gift of justification comes only from faith." (Concerning the Epistle of St. James)
Bede's use of the phrase "those who understand by this" clearly indicates his recognition of this doctrine being taught in his time. Bede disapproves of this belief, highlighting its existence alongside his disapproval. Notably, the individuals Bede criticized do not align with the classical Reformed or Lutheran perspective of faith alone, as he mentioned the belief that immoral conduct has no bearing on salvation, indicating the presence of individuals arguing for the salvation of even the morally compromised Christian.
Despite almost all the previous mentions being from western Christianity (as it seems Free Grace was primarily a western doctrine), some eastern writers such as Chrysostom (347 – 407) addresses objections likely raised by early proponents of a Free Grace ideology in several instances, as evidenced in his commentary on John. For instance:
"He that believeth on the Son, is not judged." He that "believeth," not he that is over-curious: he that "believeth," not the busybody. But what if his life be unclean, and his deeds evil? It is of such as these especially that Paul declares, that they are not true believers at all"
"Is it then enough, says one, to believe in the Son, that one may have eternal life? By no means."
Chrysostom's responses suggest a rebuttal to arguments advocating for salvation based solely on faith, drawing from the Gospel of John. This indicates his awareness of such arguments circulating, implying the existence of Free Grace theology.
(AI was used to refine the language used in this article, however the substance of the text is all human made)
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| Christ and the woman taken in adultery, drawing by Rembrandt |
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| Codex Delta's blank space |
Put to death the thief. Stone the petulant. Choose not to read in the Gospel that the Lord spared even the adulteress who confessed, when none had condemned her; that He absolved the sinner who washed His feet with her tears; that He delivered Rahab at Jericho, itself a city of the Phoenicians; that He set Tamar free from the sentence of the Patriarch; that when the Sodomites also perished, He destroyed not the daughters of Lot; willing likewise to have delivered his sons-in-law, had they believed the destruction to come.” Letter 3(39) Against the treatise of the Novatians (Pacian)None of the accusers of the woman taken in adultery were without sin. Christ wrote their names in the earth (Jerome, Against the Pelagians (Book 2.17))
enemies of the true faith, fearing, I suppose, lest their wives should be given impunity in sinning, removed from their manuscripts the Lord’s act of forgiveness toward the adulteress, as if He who had said ‘sin no more’ had granted permission to sin (Augustine, Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum)
Now, it is not contested that this text was widely know in the Western church, nevertheless due to an outdated claim, some have argued that this passage was totally unknown in the writings of the east until around the 12th century, to give an example Metzger wrote thus: "Euthymius Zigabenus, who lived in the first part of the twelfth century, is the first Greek writer to comment on the passage, and even he declares that the accurate copies of the Gospel do not contain it". Not to mention that we have manuscripts from the east before the 12th century which contain this story, we also have multiple eastern attestations to the story of the adulteress in the very early church. Didymus the Blind in the 4th century, living in Alexandria mentioned that he knew of multiple manuscripts which included this story, Didymus writing:
We find therefore in certain Gospels. A woman it says was condemned by the Jews for a sin and was being sent to be stoned in the place where that was customary to happen. The saviour it says when he saw her and observed that they were ready to stone her said to those who were about to cast stones ‘He who has not sinned let him take a stone and cast it ‘ If anyone is conscious in himself not to have sinned let him take up a stone and smite her. And no one dared. Since they knew in themselves and perceived that they themselves were guilty in some things they did not dare to strike her
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| Jerome |
in the Gospel according to John in many manuscripts, both Greek and Latin, is found thestory of the adulterous woman who was accused before the Lord (Migne. Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina, Volume. 23, col. 579.)
If, however, you do not receive a penitent back, being without mercy, you have sinned against the Lord God, since you would not have obeyed nor trusted in God our Saviour, nor acted as did he on account of the woman who had sinned, when the elders set her before him and departed, leaving judgement in his hands. He looked into her heart and asked whether the elders had condemned her. When she said not, he said to her: ‘Go, nor do I condemn you.’
Interestingly, Agapius of Hierapolis (10th century) writes that Papias in the early 2nd century already knew of this passage in the Gospel of John:
And there was at that time in Menbij [Hierapolis] a distinguished master who had many treatises, and he wrote five treatises on the Gospel. And he mentions in his treatise on the Gospel of John, that in the book of John the Evangelist, he speaks of a woman who was adulterous
It should be also noted that the text was quoted by Rufinus of Aquilea (345-411ad), who although was a western Christian, studied under Didymus the Blind in the east, and thus was familiar with Eastern manuscripts quoted it as scripture:
A woman taken in adultery was brought before our Lord by the Jews, so that they might see what judgment he would pronounce according to the law. He, the merciful and pitying Lord, said: ‘He that is without sin among you let him cast a stone at her. And then, it is said, they all departed.”
Other early Eastern, Aramaic or Greek speaking authors who reference the passage include the Apostolic Constitutions (4th century), Pseudo-Athanasius (6th century) and Zacharias Rhetor (6th century). A 10th century Greek named Nikon also accused the Armenians as deleting the passage from their manuscripts "casting out the account which teaches us how the adulteress was taken to Jesus . . . saying that it was harmful for most persons to listen to such things" (S. S. Patrum J. B. Cotelerius, Antwerp, 1698, vol. i, p.235) So how can the claim that it was unknown to the Greek speaking world until Euthymius Zigabenus be still made by textual critics?
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| Greek canon table from the Monastery of Epiphanus |
Additionally, some have pointed out that the 2nd century Gospel of James may perhaps include allusions to the Pericope Adulterae, as it reads "If the Lord God has not revealed your sins, neither do I condemn you" (16,2) (There is a variant in the text, where some manuscripts read "condemn" and some read "judge", however we see this variant in the biblical texts also. Many Byzantine manuscripts read "judge" while the TR reads "condemn"). This might be a possible allusion to the Pericope Adultarae in the Gospel of John, where it reads: "She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.". It has also been pointed out that the Gospel of James contains multiple other parallers to the story of the adulteress, making it very likely to have drawn from it as a source.
An image of Mani, the creator of Manichaeanism, the Gnostic sect in which Augustine was a member. When hearing the claim that the "TULI...
