Early Church and Justification
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After the Apostolic era, the concept of justification was secondary to issues such as martyrdom. Justification as a concept is mentioned in the works of early church fathers and in the sermons of John Chrysostom, but it is not developed until Augustine's conflict with Pelagius.
Pelagius taught that one became righteous through the exertion of one's will to follow the example of Jesus' life. Pelagius wrote in his commentary on the book of Romans that men are justified "by faith alone", in his own words. Over against this, Augustine taught that we are justified by God, as a work of His grace. Augustine took great pains in his anti-Pelagian works to refute the notion that our works could serve as the proper basis for our justification. Following an appeal from Augustine, Pope Innocent I condemned Pelagius. The accused heretic wrote an appeal of his own, declaring his innocence, which was duly accepted by Innocent's successor, Pope Zosimus. However, the Council of Carthage in 418 again renounced Pelagius with papal approval. Hence, in the early church, justification was a work of God leading to righteousness, and saving us from God's wrath.
Read more about this topic: Justification (theology)
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