AUGUSTINE OF HIPPOAugustine is one of the greatest theologians in Christian history. His influence goes far beyond his generation and is unrivaled by most. His story is proof that God is at work in His world and that He delights in using flawed individuals for His eternal purposes.
Before conversion, Augustine was a professor of rhetoric. Although he was a skilled philosopher, he continually struggled with finding adequate answers to important questions like “the origin of evil.” He frequently questioned the Christian faith of his mother-- asking, “If God is good and in control, why is there evil in the world?”
Before converting to Christianity, Augustine became a Manichean. This was a heretical group that did not believe God to be “all powerful.” They taught that there was an even battle taking place between good and evil. Although Augustine embraced Manicheanism for a time, he would soon become dissatisfied with this system of belief.
Augustine's life soon changed after he gave in to his mothers request to go and hear from a popular preacher named Ambrose. After hearing him preach, Augustine was convinced that God’s word was true. He was at first hesitant to become a Christian because he knew the decision to be life changing. Because of sins conviction and the clear call of God on his life, however, Augustine eventually relented and surrendered his life to the Lord.
A CHAMPION OF ORTHODOXY
Augustine’s works deal primarily with issues concerning the authority of Scripture, the origin of evil and free will. According to historian Justo Gonzalez,
“Augustine insisted that there is only one God, whose goodness is infinite. He simply affirm(ed) that the will is created by God, and is therefore good; but that the will is capable of making its own decisions. It is good for the will to be free, even though this means that such a free will can produce evil. The origin of evil, then, is to be found in the bad decisions made by both human and angelic wills—those of the demons, who are fallen angels. Thus, Augustine was able to affirm both the reality of evil and the creation of all things by a good God” (213).
His beliefs made him popular with orthodox Christians, but put him at odds with many rival belief systems—one being the Manicheans. Of all the debates that took place between Augustine and false teachers, none was more significant than his debate with Pelagius.
DEBATE WITH PELAGIUS
Pelagius was a monk from Britain who agreed with Augustine that God had given us a free will, but concluded that man had the ability to overcome sin by his own power. He believed that man has the ability to sin or not to sin. This doctrine, when carried out consistently, leads to what many call sinless perfection, which is the belief that one can live a sinless life by his own power.
Augustine reasoned that although man is free, he always freely chooses sin. After salvation, however, Augustine believed that one becomes a new creature and again has the ability to sin or not to sin.
He also taught that there would come a time when sin would be removed. When this occurs, God’s people will always freely refrain from sin. Augustine also believed that none of this happens apart from God. He frequently taught that we are in need of God's grace. We need it to be made right with God and for growth in godliness.
Pelagius' view was rejected as heretical and Augustine's was accepted as orthodox.
CONCLUSION
There are several lessons learned from Augustine’s life and ministry. The first lesson learned is that unbelief is primarily a moral issue. Augustine's early rejection of the Christian faith was not simply a matter of honest skepticism. Even after being convinced of its truthfulness, Augustine did not want to embrace the Christian faith because he did not want to abandon his sinful lifestyle.
Second is that the Christian faith is reasonable. Augustine came to faith in Christ because he was convinced of its truthfulness. We should not ultimately embrace the Christian faith because it makes us feel good or because we believe it might help our status in this life, but because we believe it to be true.
The Christian faith settled Augustine’s restless spirit because it provided him answers to troubling questions--the main one being the problem of evil. Augustine rightly realized that the Scriptures teach both the goodness of God and the existence of evil. He also understood that although man is responsible for the evils in the world, he is also incapable of living a life that is pleasing to God by his own power. This truth is what led Augustine to conclude that all people are in need of God’s grace.
Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity: The Early Church and the Dawn of the Reformation. San Fransico: Harper Collins. 1984. 213.
