Refuting the “Novelty” Claim: Augustine, Cyprian, and the Gift of Faith

This may be the final post in my series discussing some of the claims from Dr. Allen’s book. Regarding this specific post, from what I can tell, Dr. Allen has never discussed the verse that may be one of the most used by Augustine to defend God’s gift of election. Augustine very frequently recited 1 Corinthians 4:7: “what do you have that you did not receive?” He took that seriously, especially regarding salvation – no man can say he has faith unless he receives it from God.

Do you have faith? It was received from God.

Claims of Novelty

As a background, there is a reliance upon Ken Wilson’s research (which I have addressed here) surrounding a supposedly major shift by Augustine in the year 412. Dr. Allen even cites Wilson stating this so it would appear that he finds something compelling about Wilson’s argument here. Wilson claimed that this was a 5th Century novelty. But in order not to bury the lede, this post will refute that by showing that Augustine believed that he had received this doctrine from Cyprian’s writings in the 3rd Century.

Overuse or Convincing Proof?

I have counted at least 50 times Augustine directly cited that verse throughout his works. And he often spoke further about whether one could say he didn’t receive this or that (that wasn’t included in the 50 direct citations).

This was not something that he would just mention from time to time. We actually find that in “Confessions” (the work of Augustine most widely read by people who may never read anything else he wrote) near the end of Book 7 that he says the following. Keep in mind that this is right before his conversion story in Book 8 and also that he wrote his “Confessions” in the year 401!

Most eagerly, then, did I seize that venerable writing of Your Spirit, but more especially the Apostle Paul; and those difficulties vanished away, in which he at one time appeared to me to contradict himself, and the text of his discourse not to agree with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets. And the face of that pure speech appeared to me one and the same; and I learned to rejoice with trembling. So I commenced, and found that whatsoever truth I had there read was declared here with the recommendation of Your grace; that he who sees may not so glory as if he had not received not only that which he sees, but also that he can see (for what has he which he has not received?); and that he may not only be admonished to see You, who art ever the same, but also may be healed, to hold You.

Further on in “Confessions”, in Book 13 he tied it directly to the potter (Romans 9):

Between whom and us, in this as yet uncertain state of human knowledge, Thou only dividest, who provest our hearts and callest the light day, and the darkness night. Genesis 1:5 For who discerns us but Thou? But what have we that we have not received of You? 1 Corinthians 4:7 Out of the same lump vessels unto honour, of which others also are made to dishonour. Romans 9:21

Another example can be found In his work “On The Predestination of the Saints”, after 2 chapters of preliminaries written back to Prosper and Hilary, Augustine wrote what he “ought first to show”. And that was that faith is the gift of God. “As if faith were not given to us by him.”

Then in Chapter 7 he mentions that when he found Cyprian’s use of the verse it was highly convincing to him regarding faith being a gift directly from God.

It was not thus that that pious and humble teacher thought — I speak of the most blessed Cyprian — when he said that we must boast in nothing, since nothing is our own. And in order to show this, he appealed to the apostle as a witness, where he said, For what have you that you have not received? And if you have received it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1 Corinthians 4:7 And it was chiefly by this testimony that I myself also was convinced when I was in a similar error, thinking that faith whereby we believe in God is not God’s gift, but that it is in us from ourselves, and that by it we obtain the gifts of God, whereby we may live temperately and righteously and piously in this world. For I did not think that faith was preceded by God’s grace, so that by its means would be given to us what we might profitably ask, except that we could not believe if the proclamation of the truth did not precede; but that we should consent when the gospel was preached to us I thought was our own doing, and came to us from ourselves. And this my error is sufficiently indicated in some small works of mine written before my episcopate. Among these is that which you have mentioned in your letters wherein is an exposition of certain propositions from the Epistle to the Romans.

Conclusion

Take a moment to pause here. This is Augustine citing Cyprian’s usage of this verse and relating it to salvation. Cyprian would have written this around the middle of the 3rd Century. Remember that we are told that Augustine was being novel in how he treated Soteriology after the year 412. But this is his understanding of reading something from Cyprian from 160 years earlier.

This means that Augustine was convinced by a highly influential church father who was writing before the magical date of 412. And Augustine states that, as part of his conversion, this statement by Cyrpian was highly influential in his understanding that faith is given by God and that without us being first given it that we can’t receive it.

Now, finally, let us note what Augustine wrote in letter 218, from the year 426. Here, late in his life, he affirmed man’s will alongside 1 Corinthians 4:7! Augustine did not see a tension between man’s volition and God’s sovereignty. Instead he would tie the fact that God gave us faith to God’s preparing of man’s will and steps.

Wherefore we would not pray that we may not enter into temptation if our own will sufficed for our protection and yet if the will to avoid temptation were wanting to us, we could not so pray. It may, therefore, be present with us to will, Romans 7:18 when we have through his own gift been made wise, but we must pray that we may be able to perform that which we have so willed. In the fact that you have begun to exercise this true wisdom, you have reason to give thanks. For what have you which you have not received? But if you have received it, beware that you boast not as if you had not received it, 1 Corinthians 4:7 that is, as if you could have had it of yourself. Knowing, however, whence you have received it, ask Him by whose gift it was begun to grant that it may be perfected. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God that works in you, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure; Philippians 2:12-13 for the will is prepared by God, and the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Holy meditation on these things will preserve you, so that your wisdom shall be piety, that is, that by God’s gift you shall be good, and not ungrateful for the grace of Christ.

While refuting historical revisionism may be tiresome to many of us, the works of Ken Wilson are having a major impact among those who are fighting against God’s decrees. When one does the research and reading of primary sources such as Augustine, it becomes evident that there was not some cabal to introduce predestination, election, original sin, etc… into Christianity. Augustine and Jerome both held Cyprian in high esteem. Gregory of Nazianzus even referred to him as a shining luminary over the entire church. For 43 years spanning from the time of his conversion (in 387) through the rest of his life, Augustine placed great importance on 1 Corinthians 4:7 and what that meant regarding God’s gifting of faith to unworthy men such as himself. This was something Augustine received from Cyprian – not something he invented in 412!

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