Augustine
(354-430)
Augustine was born in Tagaste, North Africa (Algeria), to Patricius, a pagan, and Monica, a Christian. He studied grammar at Madaura and rhetoric in Carthage, and was intellectually stimulated by reading Cicero's Hortensius. (This perhaps is the reason his theology was so very off base, his education came from the world, and pagan men!) After a carnal life during his school days he joined the Manichaean religion (373).
He taught grammar and rhetoric in North Africa (373-82) and then in Rome (383), where he abandoned the Manicheans and became a skeptic. He moved to Milan to teach, where he was later influenced by the reading of Neoplatonic philosophy and by Ambrose's sermons. He was converted through an exhortation, overheard in a garden, from Romans 13:13-14, and was baptized by Ambrose (387), and was reunited with his mother, who died shortly thereafter.
After years of retreat and study Augustine was
ordained a priest in Hippo, North Africa (391), where he established a Catholic
monastery (Christ said "Go ye into all the world, He did not say
"Hide your light in a monastery!")
He later became bishop (395). The rest of his life can be seen by the
controversies he engaged in and the writings he produced. Augustine died August
28, 430, as the vandals laid siege to Rome.
Theology. Augustine is the father of unorthodox
theology.
On sin.
Augustine believed sin originated with free will, which is a created
good. Free will implies the ability to do evil. It is a voluntary,
noncompulsory, self-determined act.
Augustine appears to have later contradicted this view when he concluded
that Donatists could be forced to believe against their will. With the fall man
lost the ability to do good without God's grace, yet he retains the ability of
free choice to accept God's grace, this is where Calvin parted ways with
Augustine, Calvin excepted all of the error that Augustine taught, and then
went even further into error than Augustine had gone.
On man.
Augustine believed man was directly created by God without sin (On the
Nature of God), which the whole race derived from Adam. When Adam sinned, all
man sinned in him seminally. Man is a duality of body and soul, and the image
of God is in the soul. The fall did not erase this image, although man's nature
was corrupted by sin. Human life begins in the womb at the time of animation.
Miscarriages before this time simply "perish." Man's soul is higher
and better than his body, which is man's adversary. There will be a physical
resurrection of the bodies of all men, just and unjust, to eternal bliss or
agony respectively.
On salvation. The source of salvation is God's
eternal decree, which is unchangeable. Predestination is in accord with God's
foreknowledge of man's free choice. Both those who are saved and those who are
lost are so predestined. (And so with this theology we place the blame for all
sin on God!) Salvation is wrought only
through Christ's substitutionary death. It is received by faith. Infants,
however, are regenerated by baptism apart from their faith (Oh really!) On
salvation he goes very far from God’s word, (NAS) 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not
slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (KJV)
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come
to repentance. Also 2
Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for
themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one
died for all, therefore all died; Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men, 1 John 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation
for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole
world. Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Acts
2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his
name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
This is the birthing of the heretical doctrine
“Calvinistic Predestination” came from, the Bible teaches predestination, but
it is a predestination based on God’s foreknowledge, not a desire of God to dam
certain people, and bless others.
God IS love!