Resurrection history

I'm over half way though Nick Needham's 2000 Years of Christ's Power Part One: The Age of the Early Church Fathers, Grace Publications, 2002 Revised Edition. Perversely, I started this projected five volume set at Part Two: The Middle Ages, 2000, followed by Part Three: Renaissance and Reformation, 2004 before reading Part One. Needham's aim is to provide an accessible history of the Church that is based on solid and accurate scholarship. Part Four will cover the period from the 17th century to the Enlightenment and and Part Five will bring the story up to date.

The whole series is a delight to read. The great characters of Church history are introduced, their views discussed and samples of their writing given. Needham is a convinced Reformed Baptist who writes with a rare generosity of spirit and fine historical sympathy. All Christians would benefit from reading this wonderful account of the history of the Church.

In Chapter 2 of Part One, we are introduced to "The Jesus Movement". It is here that Needham gives us the theological rationale behind his project:

'So, whichever period of Church history we are studying, it is always worth pausing and reminding ourselves of this: the entire history of the Christian Church is rooted in one central reality - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If Jesus of Nazareth had not risen, there would be no Church history. The rest of the story told in these pages flows out of the resurrection'. (p. 45) [Author's emphasis].

Indeed, Church history is resurrection history.

Letter to Diognetus on the sweet exchange of justification

Here is another example of Patristic teaching on justification by faith alone. We don't know the author, but the letter was written circa 100-150AD (see here).

As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able. But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.

From The Letter to Diognetus, chapter 9.

Clement of Rome on justification by faith alone

Just to show that the Reformers did not invent justification by faith alone, here is a very old (and perceptive) perspective on Paul (AD 96):

Whosoever will candidly consider each particular, will recognise the greatness of the gifts which were given by him. For from him have sprung the priests and all the Levites who minister at the altar of God. From him also [was descended] our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh. From him [arose] kings, princes, and rulers of the race of Judah. Nor are his other tribes in small glory, inasmuch as God had promised, "Thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven." All these, therefore, were highly honoured, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Letter to the Corinthians chapter 32

Augustine of Hippo and the Reformation

It is Augustine who gave us the Reformation. For the Reformation, inwardly considered, was just the ultimate triumph of Augustine's doctrine of grace over Augustine's doctrine of the Church. The doctrine of grace came from Augustine's hands in its positive outline completely formulated: sinful man depends for his recovery to good and to God entirely on the free grace of God...

Therefore, when the great revival of religion that we call the Reformation came, seeing that it was, on the theological side, a revival of "Augustinianism"... there was nothing for it but the rending of the Church.

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BB Warfield in Calvin and Augustine p. 322 & 323 P&R.

Augustine: "Let me seek you, Lord"

Augustine of Hippo

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10: 13 & 14)

Let me seek you, Lord, by praying to you and let me pray believing in you; since to us you have been preached. My faith prays to you, Lord this faith which you gave me and with which you inspired one through the Incarnation of your Son and through the ministry of the Preacher.

The Confessions of Augustine, Book I:1