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Reply to Melanchthon: Justification #1

Reply to Melanchthon: Justification #1

Last updated on: September 5, 2024 at 12:48 pm by Dave Armstrong

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Reply to Melanchthon: Justification #1 2024-09-05T12:48:36-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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Moral Assurance of Salvation / Examination of Conscience / Bible On Apostasy / Initial Justification & Faith Alone

Photo credit: Loci praecipui theologici (a.k.a. Loci communes rerum theologicarum) 1552 edition, by Philip Melanchthon [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) was the founder of Protestantism: Martin Luther’s best friend, co-reformer, and successor as the leader of Lutheranism. Encyclopaedia Britannica (“Philipp Melanchthon“) states that “Melanchthon . . . in 1521 published the Loci communes rerum theologicarum (‘Theological Commonplaces’), the first systematic treatment of Reformation thought.” It’s considered the initiatory work in the Lutheran scholastic tradition. Modified editions appeared in 1535, 1543 and 1559.

Martin Luther wrote, “No better book has been written after the Holy Scriptures than Philip’s. He expresses himself more concisely than I do when he argues and instructs. I’m garrulous and more rhetorical” (Table-Talk, 1543; in Luther’s Works, Vol. 54, 439-440). Many think that this volume was the reason why Luther never wrote his own work of systematic theology. Melanchthon at length departed from Luther in some ways; most notably, in his denial of the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, by the time of the 1543 edition, and on the question of free will.

In this series of replies, I will be utilizing the 1992 translation of the 1543 Latin version (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House), by J. A. O. Preuss (1920-1994), who was a pastor, theologian, and the president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) from 1969 to 1981. He wrote in the Introduction:

Luther, who had some violent disagreements with him, never criticized him publicly and never really broke with him. In fact, the verdict of history is that Luther was kinder to Melanchthon than Melanchthon was to Luther. . . . Most Lutherans in America up to the present time have been critical of him, including Schmauck, Neve, Bente, Pelikan, and many others, although that attitude is changing somewhat. (p. 7)

Melanchthon was a prodigy. He entered Heidelberg University at twelve and received his bachelor’s degree at 14. He moved on to Tubingen, where he earned the master’s degree at 17, . . . He never received the doctorate and was never ordained into the ministry. He never preached from the pulpit, although he had much to do with the development of the study of oratory and homiletics. He received an appointment to teach at the newly established University of Wittenberg in 1518. . . . He remained at Wittenberg the rest of his life . . . differences [with Luther] appear as early as 1530, . . . and become more evident as the years roll on. (p. 8)

See also my introductory post for this series on Facebook, which highlights his historically brand-new position of imputed justification (sola fide). For other installments of this series, see my Lutheranism web page, second section: “Replies to Philip Melanchthon’s Loci Communes.” Melanchthon’s words will be in blue. I use RSV for biblical citations.

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They (Catholics) want us always to be in doubt as to whether we are in grace. . . . They add that the regenerate still must be in doubt as to whether they are in grace, and they must remain in this doubt. This kind of doubt is plainly heathenish. Nor are these errors only minor matters, but rather they cast darkness over the Gospel, hide the benefits of Christ, take away true comfort of conscience, and destroy true
prayer. (p. 85)

This is a caricature: a thing that the earliest Protestants were very good at; and unfortunately it’s a trait that has stubbornly persevered in their anti-“Romanist” polemics to this day. We don’t believe that perpetual doubt and uncertainty is God’s will for the Christian, but rather, in a sensible, reasonable moral assurance of being in a state of grace: which will bring about final salvation, provided we persevere. We believe in a thorough self-examination of conscience, which is quite biblical as well. Paul wrote:

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

1 Corinthians 11:28 Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Galatians 6:4 But let each one test his own work, . . .

The degree of moral assurance we can have is very high. The point is to examine ourselves to see if we are mired in serious sin, and to repent of it. If we do that, and know that we are not subjectively guilty of mortal sin, and relatively free from venial sin, then we can have a joyful assurance that we are on the right road.

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I always use my own example, by noting that when I was an evangelical, I felt very assured of salvation, though I also believed (as an Arminian) that one could fall away if one rejected Jesus outright. Now as a Catholic I feel hardly any different than I did as an evangelical. I don’t worry about salvation. I assume that I will go to heaven one day, if I keep serving God. I trust in God’s mercy, and know that if I fall into deep sin, His grace will cause me to repent of it (and I will go along in my own free will) so that I can be restored to a relationship with Him.

We observe St. Paul being very confident and not prone to lack of trust in God at all. He had a robust faith and confidence, yet he still had a sense of the need to persevere and to be vigilant. He didn’t write as if it were a done deal: that he got “saved” one night in Damascus and signed on the dotted line, made an altar call and gave his life to Jesus, saying the sinner’s prayer or reciting John 3:16, never having to persevere in the slightest ever more. No. See my papers:
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Luther and the Origin & Nature of “Instant” Salvation [1991]

Assurance of Instant Salvation? / Apostasy / Falling Away (Bible passages) [c. 2000]

“Certainty” of Eternal Life? (1 Jn 5:13 & Jn 5:24) [5-8-02]

St. Paul on Falling Away from Grace and Salvation [2004]

Absolute Assurance of Salvation?: Debunking “Prooftexts” [Oct. 2010]

“Once Saved, Always Saved”: Is it Biblical? Antinomian? [8-18-15]

Reply to Protestant Challenges Re Eternal Security (vs. Jason Engwer) [7-26-20]

Defense of Bible Passages vs. Eternal Security & Faith Alone (vs. Jason Engwer) [8-12-20]

Reply to Jason Engwer Re Eternal Security [9-26-23]

Grace is also not a static, unvarying condition. The Bible teaches that there are degrees of grace. In my article about this topic I cite eleven Bible passages proving this, and also several citations of St. Augustine.

To be justified by works means to obtain forgiveness of sins and to be righteous or accepted before God by reason of our own virtues or deeds. . . . we are justified by faith, which is the voice of the Gospel, is used by Paul in opposition to the other concept, which is the voice of human reason or the Law, that we are justified by works. (pp. 86-87)

That’s Pelagianism, which the Catholic Church condemned no later than the time of St. Augustine (4th-5th centuries).

On the other hand, to be justified by faith in Christ means to obtain remission of sins, to be counted as righteous, that is, accepted by God, not because of our own virtues but for the sake of the Mediator, the Son of God. (p. 86)

We agree as to initial justification. We just don’t think the whole story of salvation ends there. See:

Trent Doesn’t Utterly Exclude Imputation (Kenneth Howell) [July 1996]

Initial Justification & “Faith Alone”: Harmonious? [5-3-04]

Monergism in Initial Justification is Catholic Doctrine [1-7-10]

Catholics & Justification by Faith Alone : Is There a Sense in Which Catholics Can Accept “Faith Alone” and/or Imputed Justification (with Proper Biblical Qualifications)? [9-28-10]

Salvation: By Grace Alone, Not Faith Alone or Works [2013]

But there are those who reply to this discussion that it is absolutely ridiculous and meaningless to say that “having been justified by faith we have peace with God,” Rom. 5:1. (p. 87)

Yes, we have peace (of course). But that’s not the same as absolute assurance of salvation. St. Paul also wrote:

1 Corinthians 9:27 I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

Philippians 3:11-14 that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And the author of Hebrews likewise asserted:

Hebrews 3:12-14 Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day . . . that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God, and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy . . .

And St. Peter agreed:

2 Peter 2:15, 20-21 Forsaking the right way they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, . . . For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

So did St. John, recording the words of our Lord Jesus:

Revelation 2:4-5 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. [5] Remember then from what you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

They all had peace (Jn 14:27; 16:33; Rom 8:6; 14:17; 1 Cor 14:33; Gal 5:22; Phil 4:7; Col 3:15). But they had no absolute assurance of final salvation, because they — like all of us — didn’t know the future, and they knew that it is possible to fall away from both grace and the salvation that is the end result of it.

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Photo credit: Loci praecipui theologici (a.k.a. Loci communes rerum theologicarum) 1552 edition, by Philip Melanchthon [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Summary: Reply to Philip Melanchthon’s Loci Communes regarding justification, incl. moral assurance of salvation, examination of conscience, apostasy, and initial justification

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