What did early Christians believe about...?

(Before 300 AD)

Uninspired records of how early Christians worshipped and what doctrine they believed!

Salvation By Works?

• 30-100 AD Clement of Rome "[We] are not justified by ourselves. Nor by our own wisdom, understanding, godliness, or works done in holiness of heart. But by that faith through which Almighty God has justified all men since the beginning." (Clement of Rome Corinthians chap. 32)
• 69-156 AD Polycarp "Many desire to enter into this joy, knowing that 'by grace you are saved, not of works,' but by the will of God through Jesus Christ [Eph. 2:8]." (Polycarp Philippians chap. 1)
• 125 AD Barnabas "To this end the Lord delivered up His flesh to corruption, that we might be sanctified through the remission of sins, which is effected by His blood." (Barnabas Letter chap 5)
• 110-165AD Justin Martyr "Our suffering and crucified Christ was not cursed by the law. Rather, he made it manifest that He alone would save those who do not depart from His faith.... As the blood of the passover saved those who were in Egypt, so also the blood of Christ will deliver from death those who have believed." (Justin Trypho chap. 111)
• 185-255 AD Origen "One of the doctrines included in the teaching of the Church is that there is a just judgment of God. This fact incites those who believe it to live virtuously and to shun sin. They acknowledge that the things worthy of praise and blame are within our own power. ... It is our responsibility to live righteously. God asks this of us, not as though it were dependent on Him, nor on any other, or upon fate (as some think), but as being dependent on us. The prophet Micah demonstrated this when he said, 'It has been announced to you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy' [Mic. 6:8]. Moses also said, 'I have set before you the way of life, and the way of death. Choose what is good and walk in it' [Deut. 30: 15]. ... "Notice how Paul also speaks to us with the understanding that we have freedom of the will and that we ourselves are the cause of our own ruin or our salvation. He says, 'Do you show contempt for the riches of His goodness, patience, and longsuffering, not realizing that God's goodness leads you towards repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. God will render to each one according to his works. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are contentious and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be anger, wrath and tribulation.' [Rom. 2:4­8]. ... "But certain statements in the Old and New Testaments might lead to the opposite conclusion: That it does not depend on us to keep the commandments and be saved. Or to transgress them and to be lost. So let's examine them one by one. ... "First, the statements concerning Pharaoh have troubled many. God declared several times, 'I will harden Pharaoh's heart' [Exod. 4:21]. Of course, if Pharaoh was hardened by God and sinned as a result of being hardened, he was not the cause of his own sin. So he did not possess free will. ... "Along with this passage, let's also look at the passage in Paul: 'But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall the thing formed say to Him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' Does the potter not have power over the clay-from the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?' [Rom. 9:20,21]. ... "Since we consider God to be both good and just, let's see how the good and just God could harden the heart of Pharaoh. Perhaps by an illustration used by the apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we can show that, by the same operation, God can show mercy to one man while he hardens another, although not intending to harden. 'The ground,' he says, 'drinks in the rain that falls upon it and produces crops for the farmer, being blessed by God. But the ground that produces thorns and briers is worthless, and is in danger of being cursed. Its end is to be burned' [Heb. 6:7,8]. ... "It may seem strange for Him who produces rain to say, 'I produced both the fruit and the thorns from the earth.' Yet, although strange, it is true. If the rain had not fallen, there would have been neither fruit nor thorns. The blessing of the rain, therefore, fell even on the unproductive land. But since it was neglected and uncultivated, it produced thorns and thistles. In the same way, the wonderful acts of God are like the rain. The differing results are like the cultivated and the neglected land. ... "The acts of God are also like the sun, which could say, 'I both soften and harden.' Although these two actions are opposite, the sun would not speak falsely, because the same heat both softens wax and hardens mud. Similarly, on the one hand, the miracles performed through Moses hardened Pharaoh because of his own wickedness. But they softened the mixed Egyptian multitude, who left Egypt with the Hebrews. ... "Let's look at another passage: 'So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him that runs, but of God who shows mercy' [Rom. 9:16]. Paul is not denying that something also has to be done by human means. But he gratefully refers the benefit to God, who brings it to completion. The mere human desire is insufficient to attain the end. The mere running does not in itself enable athletes to gain the prize. Nor does it enable Christians to obtain the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Those things are only accomplished with the assistance of God. ... "As if speaking about farming, Paul says, 'I planted, Apollos watered, and God made it grow. So then neither is he who plants anything, nor he that waters, but God, who made it grow' [1 Cor. 3:6,7]. Now we could not correctly say that the growing of crops is the work of the farmer alone. Nor of the one who irrigates. It is ultimately the work of God. Likewise, it is not as though we ourselves play no role in our spiritual growth to perfection. Yet, it is not completed by us, for God produces the greater part of it. So also with our salvation. What God does is infinitely greater than what we do." (Origen First Things bk. 3. chap 1. Paraphrased and abridged)
• 190 AD Clement of Alexandria "It follows that there is one unchangeable gift of salvation given by one God, through one Lord, benefiting in many ways." (Clement Miscellanies bk. 6, chap. 13)
• 190 AD Clement of Alexandria "Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith [Rom. 4:3]. Therefore, even if they do good works now, it is of no advantage to them after death, if they do not have faith." (Clement Miscellanies bk. 1, chap. 7)

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