Smoky Mountain Reflections
June 2014
Summer
is here and it is time to finish that series on historic heresies. We discussed
Legalism, Gnosticism and Arianism, so let's wrap things up and discuss Pelagianism
and Socinianism.
PELAGIANISM:
The next great heresy in the church was Pelagianism. This heresy is named after
the British monk named Pelagius (354-420 or 440) who first popularized the
view. Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature
and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine
aid. Modern day Pelagians reject the doctrine of original sin or what Calvinists
call total depravity, and they reject the practice of infant baptism. This
heresy leads to works righteousness or partial works righteousness known as
semi-pelagianism.
Pelagius
and Augustine were opponents and the conflict between Pelagius and Augustine
involved some of the very same issues Calvinists and Armenians (believing in decision
theology) still argue over today. Pelagius was motivated by a concern to
elevate human free will, because he was (wrongly) convinced it was the only way
to preserve human responsibility. Augustine defended the sovereignty of God,
because he (rightly) knew it was the only way to preserve the centrality of divine
grace in salvation.
Augustine
responded by demonstrating from scripture that the human will is not free in
the sense Pelagius taught; our wills are hopelessly bound by sin (Romans
8:7–8). Sinners are utterly helpless to change for the better apart from the external
working of divine grace in their hearts (Jeremiah 13:23). The Council of
Ephesus in 431 condemned Pelagianism as heretical.
SOCINIANISM:
Socinianism is a system of Christian doctrine named for Fausto Sozzini (Latin:
Faustus Socinus), which was developed among the Polish Brethren in the Minor
Reformed Church of Poland during the 16th and 17th centuries, and embraced by
the Unitarian Church of Transylvania during the same period. It is most famous
for its Non-Trinitarian Christology but contains a number of other unorthodox
beliefs.
Socinianism
is the culmination of heresy—an amalgamation of all the other heresies—and it
is without a doubt the most widespread of all the heresies in our generation.
Modern theological liberalism is nothing more than a variety of Socinianism. Rejecting
everything Catholic, the Socinians ended up with a doctrine that embraced virtually
every serious error that had ever assaulted the church. Like the legalists and
the Pelagians, they taught salvation by works. Like the Gnostics and the
Arians, they were Anti-Trinitarian. In fact, they denied not only the deity of
Christ but also every miraculous element of scripture, just as many do today. They
blended the skepticism of the Sadducees with the humanistic rationalism of the
enlightenment era, and that combination is what gave birth to this heresy. Modern
day Unitarian Universalism is a clear representation of this heresy. This
heresy does away with the authority of scripture and makes human reason supreme.
Socinians would say that Jesus came to show us how to live not to die for our
sins.
Every
cult and every false doctrine that exists today has something in common with
one or more of these five false doctrines. Now you are equipped to take on any
serious heretic. So remember, if you run into a any of these garden variety
heretics, let them know the church condemned Legalism in the first century,
Gnosticism in the second century, Arianism in the third century, Pelagianism in
the fifth century, and Socinianism around 400 years ago. Or, just tell them to
read the Bible.
Blessed Summer,
Pastor Portier
