Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism
By Dr. Ken Matto
Pelagianism comes from a man named Pelagius (circa
354-420 A.D.) who was a British Monk that taught in Rome for a short period
of time. He had gone to North
Africa in 410 A.D. where he engaged Augustine, then Bishop of Hippo in a
theological dispute. After that
he went to Palestine and then disappeared from history.
He was another cog in the wheel of heretical teachings.
Pelagianism – Denies original sin therefore denies
that sin is passed down through having children.
If there is no original sin, then what is the source of the sin that
is handed down to each generation?
He taught that people still had the capability of choosing good or
evil without any divine intervention or assistance.
Pelagianism is condemned as a heresy
Pelagius has been condemned by many councils throughout church history
including the following:
Councils of Carthage (412, 416 and 418)
Council of Ephesus (431)
The Council of Orange (529)
Council of Trent (1546) Roman Catholic
2nd Helvetic (1561/66) 8-9. (Swiss-German Reformed)
Augsburg Confession (1530) Art. 9, 18 (Lutheran)
Gallican Confession (1559) Art. 10 (French Reformed)
Belgic Confession (1561) Art. 15 (Lowlands,
French/Dutch/German Reformed)
The Anglican Articles (1571), 9. (English)
Canons of Dort (1618-9), 3/4.2 (Dutch/German/French
Reformed).
The
list of councils was taken from
http://public.csusm.edu/guests/rsclark/Pelagius.htm
California State University San Marcos
It is very rare that you will come in contact with
anyone who endorses full Pelagianism.
There is one radio preacher who is a full Pelagianist and that is
Tony Evans which means he is a blatant heretic.
Here is his response to Glenn Plumber who interviewed him at the 2003
or 2004 National Religious Broadcasters Convention.
DR. EVANS:
“Well, here is the thesis. This is where there will probably be a
theological skirmish over this one. But I believe that Jesus Christ in his
death covered original sin. But the thing that the death of Christ did was
cover and overrule original sin so that no man is condemned because they are
born in Adam, but men are condemned because they consciously reject
salvation. Therefore, since an infant cannot consciously reject salvation
and since original sin was covered, infants go to heaven. People who have
mental deficiencies so that they cannot understand, they would go to heaven.
And then I have the big controversial one and that is people who are in
foreign lands.”
The entire interview:
https://nickvoss.wordpress.com/2012/04/07/tony-evans-pelagian/
The people you will come in contact with are those
called semi-Pelagianists.
Semi-Pelagianism
Semi-Pelagianism teaches that God and man can
cooperate to attain man’s salvation.
Have you ever heard the saying that you need 2 signatures on a
spiritual paycheck, God’s and yours?
They also believe that the sinner has the ability to initiate belief
in God. They also teach that
God’s grace is in response to man’s initial effort of reaching out for
salvation. They believe the
seeker for salvation cooperates with God.
It sounds like the theology found in free will churches today.
Oh wait a minute, it is!
Here
is my take on cooperation. We
have all been to funerals.
Right before we go to the cemetery for interment there is the final
opportunity to file past the casket to see the loved one or friend for the
last time. Then after all the
family members have departed from the funeral home, the undertaker then
prepares to close and seal the casket.
Before that takes place, the person in the casket reaches up and
helps him close the lid and secure it.
Wait you say, the person in the casket is dead and can’t do anything
like that. Wait I say, that you
believe a spiritually dead person can accept the Lord!
He who has ears to hear!
Dead is dead, physically or spiritually!
Semi-Pelagianism was condemned at the Council of Orange in 529 A.D. in Orange, France. The Council affirmed much of the theology of Augustine of Hippo, and made numerous proclamations against what later would come to be known as semi-Pelagian doctrine. The majority of Christians today are semi-Pelagian in doctrine, we know it as the belief in free will. In 412 A.D. Augustine came to the understanding of predestination in that there is absolutely no acceptance by man as a prerequisite for salvation but the choice was totally God’s choice. Semi-Pelagianism was condemned by the Synod of Dort in 1619 under the first point of Arminius who espoused the belief that a person has free will to either accept or reject salvation.