Pelagius's Commentary on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Oxford Early Christian Studies) [Paperback]

Pelagius (Author), Theodore De Bruyn (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198269803 | ISBN-13: 978-0198269809 | Publication Date: July 16, 1998

The Pelagian controversy has secured an enduring place for Pelagius in the history of Western Christian thought. Few of Pelagius' writings, however, have been preserved, and until recently none was available in English translation. This volume presents Pelagius' commentary on Romans for the first time in English. The commentary, one of thirteen on the Pauline epistles, dates from the time when Pelagius was active in Rome, before he became embroiled in controversy, but already there are adumbrations of the later debate and signs of different currents of thought in Italy and beyond. In his introduction Theodore de Bruyn discusses the context in which Pelagius wrote the commentary and the issues which shaped his interpretation of Romans. He also takes up questions about the edition of the commentary. The translation is annotated with references to Pelagius' contemporaries, and a new recension of Pelagius' text of Romans is presented in an appendix.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"de Bruyn's volume does much to illumine the world of late antique Rome and to reveal the thought of one of its most prominent teachers."--Theological Studies

"Students of early Christian literature...welcome the publication of this work....[This work] serves as an excellent resource for students of late antiquity, including those interested in ecclesiastical history, theological anthropology, Manichaean religion, Augustinian studies, or the intellectual history of fourth-century Italy."--Comptes Rendus

"This slim volume provides a useful resource for those interested in either the thought of the early Church or the history of the interpretation of Paul's epistle to the Romans."--Journal for the Study of the Old Testament

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)
Original Language: Latin --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198269803
• ISBN-13: 978-0198269809
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for non-Calvinists and Calvinists alike, October 5, 2008

By 

Will J - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pelagius's Commentary on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Oxford Early Christian Studies) (Paperback)

Pelagius is probably the most lied about individual in church history. You can go anywhere on the Internet and find a site claiming that Pelagius said men can save themselves by their works and don't need God's grace at all, but if you read his actual commentary on the book of Romans you will find that he taught grace much moreso than Augustine (who is widely credited with saving the doctrine of grace from Pelagius the "heretic" who was supposedly hell-bent on destroying it). What you will find in reading Pelagius' own words (which is the only honest thing to do if you are going to be commenting on Pelagius in any capacity) is that Pelagius teaches a form of salvation by faith alone that is wide enough to include baptism and obedience to the teachings of the New Testament as parts of faith (probably by viewing faith more as trust than mere head belief), and that Pelagius very frequently speaks of the necessity of grace to salvation. He never once says that men can save themselves without grace. Read it for yourself and see how the famous Calvinist writers have been lying to you. The real disagreement between Augustine and Pelagius is on whether men are condemned to hell at the point of conception by inheriting Adam's sin (as Augustine teaches) or whether Adam's sin condemns only the body and the soul is not condemned until one personally sins (as Pelagius teaches), and on whether men are puppets and their salvation or damnation depends on predetermined deterministic fate (as in Augustine) or election is based on foreseen faith (as in Pelagius' view). Read it for yourself, and if you aren't willing to put in the time to read it, then never dare say "Pelagius was a man that taught...." because if you've never read what he wrote, you are just regurgitating lies that someone made up about him.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to understand Pelagianism? Read Pelagius!, May 9, 2001

By 

GeekPriest (Central Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pelagius's Commentary on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Oxford Early Christian Studies) (Paperback)

This book is very helpful for students of theology (amateurs or those pursuing a theological degree) in understanding what Pelagianism is all about. It is quite popular for some Western Christians to attack any form of synergism as "Pelagian". Reading this book opened my own eyes to Pelagius's teaching and what was wrong with it. With careful reading, Pelagius's subtle error -- that man is a completely neutral being, independent of the Triune God, looking out over a range of equally possible moral options -- becomes apparent. After reading this, I decided that no one should call anything "Pelagian" without reading any Pelagius.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pelagius was Not a Heretic!, September 2, 2009

By 

Michael Desario "MD" (Stow, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pelagius's Commentary on St Paul's Epistle to the Romans (Oxford Early Christian Studies) (Paperback)

Pelagius was NOT a Heretic!

At last the evidence is revealed. In this Commentary you will find that Pelagius affirmed the Pure Doctrine of the Apostles, handed down to them by the Lord. Not only did he teach the free will of man; that he was not born a sinner. (infirmed by nature and incapable of Obeying God) He also upheld the Death of Christ as a Restoration of favor in reconciliation through Repentance and faith Proven by Deeds. He understood clearly that Real Faith works by love, Purges and Purifies the heart from the corrupting influence of sin and that the Old man is Crucified `once and for all' in Repentance. NOT as a life long process of sinning less and constantly failing.

He strongly refuted and opposed inbred depravity of the flesh as a Gnostic heresy. Sin is not inbred into the nature or inherited from Adam, but a Moral Choice. Adam passed down an example or pattern of sin that is learned through practice and then becomes habit. Man can escape slavery to sin by Crucifying the Passions and Desires of the flesh in Christ. Not in some Magic Moral Transfer called `imputed Righteousness'. Faith is imputed as righteousness, Pelagius affirmed, because true faith upholds the law of God, Keeps His Commandments and walks in the Spirit!

Christ Death provided a means to reconcile man back to God through repentance and faith and restore him to obedience by Stopping his sin. Therefore the blood of Christ offered without Blame (He did not become sin!) can Purge man's heart from the corruption of sin. Pelagius said, "If we Stop sinning, then indeed will our redemption be profitable!' This was the theme of the early church. They believed that the teaching of Sound Doctrine translated into right living. In Repentance the heart was scrubbed and cleaned of all defilement and ignorance so the Holy Spirit could indwell a pure vessel. No one got saved in their sins.

Pelagius constantly stressed the Apostolic Doctrine of Free will and man's ability to stop sinning. Although his critics continually accused of teaching a `Works' Salvation, he believed firmly that it was Grace through faith that redeemed man from sin. "God Justifies by faith alone, not for the good works he did not have!" he said. Of Course this faith is accompanied by the Works of Righteousness, DOING the Right thing! "Since the fullness of the law is love!" God's Commandments are then upheld in faith, as the Apostle confirmed.

To the inquiring mind you will find that the teaching of Pelagius is radically opposed to present day church Doctrine. Such Doctrines as eternal security and Pre-forgiveness of sin were unheard of in his timeframe. The real heretics are in today's churches, manning the platforms and controlling the media! Pelagius was a Sound Bible Teacher in direct line with the Apostles and early church. Take a fair and honest look at his writings and TRY to release your mind from the fallacy of Original sin as taught by Augustine. Man is not born a sinner and is fully capable of obeying God from his heart! According to Pelagius the teaching and example of Christ teaches us to not only eliminate sin, but the occasion to sin. ONLY a person possessed with a free and independent will to choose freely could do this. The Passions and Desires of your flesh are your responsibility to crucify, not God's. His Divine assistance is available to those who believe, but as Pelagius affirmed, you Must `Add to your faith and make your calling Sure!'

The Controversy between Pelagius and Augustine is also alluded to in this book, in the foot notes and forward. The author clearly shows that Augustine was deeply influenced by the pagan doctrine of the Manichaeism, which taught that sin was in the flesh. In other words, part of man's nature he was born with! This Doctrine was prevalent in ancient times in Rome expounded by the Gnostics. It was Augustine who blended it into Christian teaching upon his `conversion' in 387AD when the sitting Roman Emperor outlawed Manichaeism. Due to his influence in Roman society Augustine was able to have Pelagius and his followers repudiated and deemed as heretics. The sigma has remained to this day and much of Pelagius teaching have been hidden from modern readers until now. Thankfully this author, Mr. De Bruyn, has given us an English translation of Pelagius commentary and thereby unraveled the lies and misrepresentations heaped on him for centuries.

This Commentary will not be readily accepted in our modern seminaries or by our present day pastors; for they are deeply entrenched in Augustine's fallacy of Original sin. But it now stands as viable alternative to those seeking after the Truth and I highly recommend digging into it and finding out for yourself that much of what you are being taught in your churches is NOT found in the Bible. There is a strong possibility that Pelagius was murdered by his opponents in Rome to stamp out his teaching of Free will and the stopping of sin. History certainly reveals that the Professing Christian Church did become very corrupted in the later part of the fourth century and continued to add doctrinal fallacies right up through the Reformation. Unfortunately during the Great Awakenings rather than returning to Apostolic roots of early teaching, the reformers merely re-stated Catholic Doctrine and adopted Augustine's fallacy of Original Sin! Pelagius continued to be considered a heretic by the mainstream church and his teaching remained lost to the people, hidden in foreign languages unknown to the public.

This author covers the controversy in Rome between the Manicheans and Christians and shows Pelagius as a major player in exposing their Doctrines. He shows that the Free will of man was a given in early Christian teaching and that even Augustine affirmed it for a while. It was clearly the influence of Manichean teaching that asserted a `Nature' of sin in the flesh. Which made sin a necessity for man or foregone conclusion rather than a free choice he could rule over by faith. All in all this book is extremely enlightening to our present generation of professing Christians who are constantly told they are the `Chief' of Sinners and Romans Wretch. You will finally discover that the Apostles taught no such Doctrines as Original Sin, Moral Transfer of Righteousness, Pre-forgiveness of sin or Eternal Security. That makes this Book contraband in most Churches and especially the seminaries! But if you are Ready to Dig down and find the truth about these things, it is the Book for you. Ignore the price and purchase one!