What is Pelagianism?

Towards the end of the 4th century and into the 5th century there was, in the church, a debate known as the Pelagian Controversy. A British monk named Pelagius took exception to a written prayer by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in North Africa.

Augustine prayed this prayer. He said, O God, command what thou wouldst, and grant what thou dost command. Now Pelagius believed that God gave command, so he did not object to the first part of Augustine's prayer, however, he rejected the implication of the second part.

That man was unable to obey the command of God without God's help or without God granting it. Pelagius reasoned that if God commanded men to obey, they must have the ability within themselves to obey without requiring assistance or grace from the Almighty.

If God says, Be ye holy, then man must have the ability to be holy without God having to intervene. What this really comes down to is the doctrine of original sin. It's important to remember that original sin does not refer to the first or original sin committed by Adam and Eve, rather it refers to the effects of it.

The doctrine of original sin says that all men are born sinners and are hopelessly lost without God's grace. Those who deny original sin believe that man is born morally neutral. These two viewpoints are called Pelagianism and Augustinianism.

Pelagius was condemned by the church as a heretic, however, a modified view developed called Semi-Pelagianism that did acknowledge that God's grace was necessary for salvation. However, man within himself still had some ability to do good before God.

Later on in church history, this developed into what is known today as the Arminian versus Calvinist debate. Calvinists carry on the legacy of Augustine, while Arminians hold to what is referred to as a Semi-Pelagian view, although in fairness they would likely reject that label due to it being pejorative in nature since Pelagius was, after all, condemned as a heretic.

So which view is correct? The answer, I believe, is made clear in the second chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. The Apostle says, starting in verse 1,. And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace are you saved, and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.