So... You think you know about Augustine, do you? Augustine is both the father of the Roman Catholic Church and also the father of the Protestant Reformation. For some odd reason, despite his teachings being Roman Catholic through and through, Reformed groups (Lutherans, "Calvinists," Presbyterians, etc.) have blindly clung to Augustine and his teachings. Let us learn some facts about this "hero" of the faith, shall we?
- Augustine taught that there is an irreconcilable conflict between salvation based on grace and salvation conditioned on works or obedience. This stems from the False Dilemma fallacy, stating that it is either one or the other. It is not! These passages obliterate that heretical teaching once and for all: Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 22:12, 14; cf. Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:5-8; 11:19-22; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 10:1-12; Gal. 6:7-9; Eph. 5:3-8; Jude 1:3-5; et al.
- Augustine radically altered the doctrine originally taught by the Church, becoming the most influential teacher of all time. The list of doctrines and practices Augustine either initiated or gave his authority to is impressively long:
- Mary was born and lived her entire life without actual sin.
- All unbaptized infants are eternally damned.
- Sex within marriage is an inherently debased act.
- Taught the doctrine of "holy war."
- There is no forgiveness of sins outside the Catholic church.
- Some of the practices and teachings of the apostles no longer apply to Christians because they lived in a different era.
- There is a purgatorial fire.
- The dead can benefit from the sacrifice of the Eucharist.
- It is proper for a "Christian" state to persecute heretics.
- Augustine is the father of Western theology. Modern Westerners can usually follow Augustine's logic; but they cannot follow the logic of the pre-Nicene Christians.
- Augustine never mastered Greek, which is likely why he departed from early Christianity in so many areas—more than any other teacher of his time.
- Because Pelagius taught a no-nonsense message of repentance and holiness, Augustine responded with these teachings that went to the opposite extreme of Pelagius' disciple Celestius:
- Man is totally depraved; he cannot believe or have faith in God.
- Man can believe or have faith in God only if by grace they are given the faith or belief. Man has no free will.
- God arbitrarily chooses whom to give faith to and who to condemn.
- Before creation, God arbitrarily predestined who would be saved or condemned.
- The elect cannot lose their salvation; the damned cannot be saved.
- No one can know if they are of the elect. Some people God has given the gift of believing have not been given the gift of perseverance and will be lost.
- Salvation is totally of grace. Faith, obedience, perseverance are gifts from God.
- Augustine obliterated the original early Christian teachings of free will and man's involvement in salvation.
- Nicene theologians took the lead in the veneration of Mary. Augustine gave his support to the false teaching that Mary was a perpetual virgin and lived a sinless life. He even called those who disagreed "heretics." They also taught Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven and ruled as Queen of Heaven. Not one whit of protest came from the lips of the Nicene theologians.
- Augustine gutted the Sermon on the Mount, explaining away Jesus' teachings. The teachings had become meaningless. Nicene theologians exalted Jesus but did not hesitate to contradict His words. Christianity had become corrupted. Catholicism was born.
- Augustine believed that the purpose of marriage is procreation, and that lust during sex—even among married Christians—was wrong.
- Augustine believed that the use of contraception to prevent children was perverting the purpose of marriage, "committing adultery within marriage" and "turning the bed-chamber into a brothel."
- Augustine believed that if you are going to teach Scripture, you must have a knowledge of the natural world, mathematics, music, science, history, the liberal arts, and a mastery of dialectics (the science of disputation).
- Augustine believed that sacramental baptism produces regeneration and is necessary for the forgiveness of sins.
- Augustine believed it was permissible to use force against heretics.
- Augustine believed that the Lord's Supper (the Eucharist) was necessary for salvation.
- Augustine held to a dualistic view of the world, which was heavily influenced by non-Christian philosophy.
- Augustine believed that a person can fall from grace and lose their salvation.
- Augustine believed that Mary (mother of Jesus) was a perpetual virgin.
- Augustine believed in praying for the dead.
- Augustine believed infants were subject to eternal death unless baptized (baptismal regeneration).
- Genuine followers of Jesus do not leave the sick and elderly to die. They do not force others to sell their children in exchange for dog meat. And they do not retaliate against their oppressors and slaughter and plunder them.
Jesus did not say, "Study Me!" He said, "Follow Me!" Do not let your Christianity become Doctrianity.