Pelagianism: A Common Heresy

Among the varied heretical views of Christ that have existed since His death, perhaps none has been more prevalent--and dangerous--than that of Pelagianism. Pelagianism denies original sin, assumes man’s free will to choose good, and advocates salvation by good works.     

Not much is known about the life of Pelagius. What we mainly know of him is derived from his few writings and those of his followers. However he is also mentioned in writings by Augustine and St. Jerome among others.

            Pelagius taught that since the human will was created by God, humans have the ability to live a sinless life. He believed that man could achieve moral perfection, aside from God’s grace, through his own free will. Pelagius wrote, “God wished to bestow on the rational creature the gift of doing good of his own free will and the capacity to exercise free choice, by implanting in man the possibility of choosing either alternative”. He did assert, however, that it is God’s grace which assists in man’s good works.

Regarding sin, Pelagius did not believe that Adam’s sin brought guilt to all mankind, but that it was Adam’s example of sinfulness that had condemned mankind. Christ’s redeeming work on the cross was therefore merely a metaphor for Christian living, serving as a further example for His people.

The Council of Diospolis, finding Pelagius’ teachings to be contrary to the authors of the biblical texts, condemned Pelagianism at the Council of Carthage in 418 AD.

The denial of original sin in humanity is clearly not biblical. The Psalmist-King David wrote in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me”. David believed that sin begins at conception. The Apostle Paul is the most notable New Testament author to argue for original sin. Particularly in his letter to the Romans, Paul lays out the framework for the doctrine. Throughout Romans chapter 3, Paul quotes numerous Old Testament passages to point out the sinfulness of all men, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). Skipping forward to chapter 5, Paul attributes guilt to Adam, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). A denial of original sin could have implications in which a person could live their life without sinning, a theory which John says is antithetical to a belief in the Christ of Scripture: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (I John 1:8-10).

Pelagianism assumes that since man is inherently good, man can choose to do good in regards to salvation. But since the Bible states that all men are sinners, they are incapable of choosing to do good (Romans 3:10-12). Man does, in fact, have a will. But that will has been corrupted by sin. Therefore man can only choose evil. Man will never choose the path of righteousness. This is why Christ died for those who would never choose Him.

Salvation by good works is a further example of how the teachings of Pelagianism is contrary to those of the Bible. Paul wrote many times in his epistles that salvation comes only from faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:28, 4:5, Galatians 2:16). This is what makes man at peace with God (Romans 5:1). God’s people have always been justified by their faith (Genesis 15:16). The Reformers, combatting the heretical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, which is essentially an extension of modern Pelagianism, affirmed the justification by faith alone and adopted sola fide as one of the five solas of the Reformation.

            In conclusion, Pelagianism is a doctrine that exalts man over the work of Christ. Many modern churches have elements of Pelagian doctrine in their teachings. Christians must beware of the powerfully negative effect that Pelagianism has on the soul. Pelagianism is popular because it exalts man over the Creator. It comes in many forms and is especially prevalent in Humanist and Roman Catholic theologies. Like Adam, we are seeking any theology that will make us “like God”. We must firmly grasp the reality that man is totally sinful, not just a sick patient in need of treatment. We must realize that we have no power to choose good over evil. We must recognize that salvation can come only through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone to the Glory of God alone.

Justification by Faith

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

--Romans 3:21-26

Prior to the time of Christ, the righteousness of God was made manifest by the law. Since God is righteous, He required absolute perfection to the law. Since man is sinful, absolute perfection was impossible, so the law pointed to the inadequacy of man to uphold God’s righteous and perfect requirements. The law was never intended to save but was intended to show man’s incompetence and need for a savior. But now that Christ has instituted a new covenant, the righteousness of God is available for anyone who puts their faith in Christ, the perfect substitutionary atonement for the sin of mankind.

Next comes a hard truth. It makes no difference what ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status one may be, the fact is that all are guilty because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect requirements. Everyone has sinned, from the moment of birth to the last second of life. There is no one who is righteous.

However, God has presented humanity with a gift. The gift of grace has been provided by Christ Jesus’ redemption of His people on the cross. This gift is received by His people through their faith, which had always been the means of salvation (Hebrews 11). Even during the Old Covenant, it was the faith of the Lord’s covenant people that saved them.

The death of Christ brings glory to the Father. In order to save His people, Christ had to give up the riches of heaven, take on human form, and live a righteous life amidst great temptation. But not only that, He had to suffer and die a humiliating and painful death on the cross to save people whose minds had been corrupted and set against Him. Because of Christ, the status of those who come to Him in faith has been changed. They are no longer guilty before God. The justice of God was placed on the shoulders of Christ on the cross. He carried our guilt as he hung there on the cross. His people have been declared “not guilty”.

God had every right to destroy Adam and Eve when they sinned. That would have been just. However, he gave mercy to them and also to their ancestors. He chose to withhold His judgment. But now that Christ has been made known, there is no excuse. The law of God has been written on the hearts of men. Those who do not believe seek only to suppress of the truth of Christ (Romans 1:18).

The Law Brings Death

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

-Romans 3:19-20 

A citizen of any given country is held under subjection to the laws and regulations of the land. If the citizen breaks those laws, that citizen must be punished based on the severity and extent of the offense. Since all of humanity is under subjection to the law of God (Romans 2:15), and all of humanity is guilty of breaking that law (Romans 3:9-18), therefore humanity must serve the punishment for breaking God’s law. The penalty for disobedience is death (Romans 3:23). Sometimes, an excellent defense lawyer can get his client a favorable verdict. However, a defense against cosmic treason is non-existent. It is indefensible. The verdict is always the same and it is always eternal death. 

A convict can oftentimes perform community service to decrease his sentence. A convict who has good behavior and performs community service can sometimes get years, and even decades, erased from his sentence. However, no good work can satisfy the demands of God’s law. The law requires perfection, and since that is impossible for depraved humanity, everyone is cursed. Everyone is destined to live a life of spiritual death and eternal separation from God.

It would be a dark, depressing, and destructive reality if that were the end of the story. The next passage, however, discusses the hope for humanity through the justifying grace of God and the redemption that comes through His Son. Thank the Lord for the gift of Christ!