Monday, February 22, 2021

Early Church Evidence For Sola Fide

"Victorinus separates them [justification and sanctification] when he writes, "A man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith and the faith of Jesus Christ...It is faith alone that gives justification and sanctification."

Nathan Busenitz, Long Before Luther, p. 82

1 comment:

Searching for Truth said...

I would add that Immediately after distinguishing between justification and sanctification [Ipsa enim fides sola iustificationem dat et sanctificationem (Minge, PL 8:1164).] Victorinus goes on to distinguish between moral and ceremonial "works" [non ex operibus, neque observatione legis judæorum (PL 8:1165).].

For faith itself alone grants justification and sanctification. Thus any flesh whatsoever—Jews or those from the Gentiles—is justified on the basis of faith, not works or observance of the Jewish Law.
(Marius Victorious, Marius Victorinus' Commentary on Galatians, trans. Stephen Andrew Cooper, [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005], Commenting on Galatians 2:15-16, p. 282).