B. Justification through faith alone

Note: This list is a work in progress, and may change at any time both in the selection of quotations and the content of the annotations. In the meantime, feel free to offer any suggestions.

CLEMENT OF ROME

“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.
        What shall we do, then, brethren? Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love? God forbid that any such course should be followed by us! But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work. For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices in His works.” (1st Letter to the Corinthians, chap.s 32-33)1

“Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts. But how, beloved, shall this be done? If our understanding be fixed by faith towards God; if we earnestly seek the things which are pleasing and acceptable to Him; if we do the things which are in harmony with His blameless will; and if we follow the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness and iniquity, along with all covetousness, strife, evil practices, deceit, whispering, and evil-speaking, all hatred of God, pride and haughtiness, vainglory and ambition.” ( 1st Letter to the Corinthians, chap. 35)2

AD DIOGNETUM (POLYCARP?)

“If you also desire [to possess] this faith, you likewise shall receive first of all the knowledge of the Father. For God has loved mankind, on whose account He made the world, to whom He rendered subject all the things that are in it, to whom He gave reason and understanding, to whom alone He imparted the privilege of looking upwards to Himself, whom He formed after His own image, to whom He sent His only-begotten Son, to whom He has promised a kingdom in heaven, and will give it to those who have loved Him. And when you have attained this knowledge, with what joy do you think you will be filled? Or, how will you love Him who has first so loved you? And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His kindness.” (chap. 10)3

BARNABAS

“For if He had not come in the flesh, how could men have been saved by beholding Him?” (Epistle of Barnabas, chap. 5)4

“And Moses spake unto them, saying, “When any one of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent placed on the pole; and let him hope and believe, that even though dead, it is able to give him life, and immediately he shall be restored.” And they did so. Thou hast in this also [an indication of] the glory of Jesus; for in Him and to Him are all things.” (Epistle of Barnabas, chap. 12)

“What, then, says He to Abraham? “Because thou hast believed, it is imputed to thee for righteousness: behold, I have made thee the father of those nations who believe in the Lord while in [a state of] uncircumcision.” (Epistle of Barnabas, chap. 13)5

“Before we believed in God, the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, as being indeed like a temple made with hands. For it was full of idolatry, and was a habitation of demons, through our doing such things as were opposed to [the will of] God. But it shall be built, observe ye, in the name of the Lord, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built in glory. How? Learn [as follows]. Having received the forgiveness of sins, and placed our trust in the name of the Lord, we have become new creatures, formed again from the beginning. Wherefore in our habitation God truly dwells in us. How? His word of faith; His calling of promise; the wisdom of the statutes; the commands of the doctrine; He himself prophesying in us; He himself dwelling in us; opening to us who were enslaved by death the doors of the temple, that is, the mouth; and by giving us repentance introduced us into the incorruptible temple. He then, who wishes to be saved, looks not to man, but to Him who dwelleth in him, and speaketh in him, amazed at never having either heard him utter such words with his mouth, nor himself having ever desired to hear them. This is the spiritual temple built for the Lord.” (Epistle of Barnabas, chap. 16)

Leo the Great

“True faith also, that justifies the transgressors and makes them just, is drawn to Him who shared their human natures and wins salvation in Him, in whom alone man finds himself not guilty; and thus is free to glory in the power of Him who in the humiliation of our flesh engaged in conflict with the haughty foe, and shared His victory with those in whose body He had triumphed.” (Letter 124, sec. 4; “To the Monks of Palestine”)6

John of Damascus

“For faith apart from works is dead, and so likewise are works apart from faith. For the true faith is attested by works….It does not behove us to delay baptism when the faith of those coming forward is testified to by their works.” (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book Four, chap. 9)7

  1. This is as clear an affirmation of justification by grace alone through faith alone, with works following as as befitting the antecedent reality of gospel justification, as could be expressed by the most ardent of the Reformers!
  2. Faith precedes and empowers perseverance
  3. This remarkable passage teaches that faith apprehends the knowledge of God, promises a Kingdom in Heaven, and so fills its possessors with joy that they will imitate the love and kindness of God which was shown to them.
  4. Men are saved not by works, but only by looking upon Christ, as the Israelites looked upon the serpent in the wilderness.
  5. Because of its importance for the doctrine of justification by faith alone, I here include the original footnote from ANF, vol. One, verbatim: ‘Cod. Sin. has, “when alone believing,” and is followed by Hilgenfeld to this effect: “What, then, says He to Abraham, when, alone believing, he was placed in righteousness? Behold,” etc.’
  6. Leo sees true faith both as the means by which transgressors are justified by uniting them with Christ (“justifies the transgressors…in [Christ] alone man finds himself not guilty”); and the means by which they are sanctified (“[justifies]…and makes them just…”).
  7. Clearly, this is fully in continuity with the later Reformed understanding of faith and works – “we are justified by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone” – faith is the root, the genuineness of which is attested to by the fruit of good works.

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