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Deserted Island, Church Fathers Edition: Augustine & Cyril of Alexandria

5 Minutes in Church History with Stephen Nichols

Ligonier Ministries

Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, History

4.81.6K Ratings

🗓️ 21 June 2023

⏱️ 5 minutes

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Summary

Writings by the church fathers could offer hours of enriching study on a desert island. Today, special guest Dr. Michael Reeves shares why he would bring works by Augustine and Cyril of Alexandria to his literary oasis.

Read the transcript: https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/deserted-island-church-fathers-edition-augustine-and-cyril-of-alexandria/

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0:00.0

Welcome back to another episode of Five Minutes in Church History. Again, we're at the National

0:11.0

Conference and this is part two of Deserted Island Church Fathers edition with Dr. Michael

0:16.5

Reeves. Well, Dr. Reeves, you've already got two books. You've got three more. So, go ahead.

0:21.4

Number three. My next book, my third book, will be by Cyril of Alexandria. And I would

0:26.8

pick his commentary on the gospel of John. People often look at the early church and say, well, they

0:33.3

were talking about Christological debates and Trinitarian debates and they never really got on to

0:40.0

things like justification. And what Cyril shows is it's all one in his head. He's saying, get

0:48.8

Christ right and you get the gospel right. And so what Cyril was doing is he was taking out a

0:56.3

theological Nestorianism which imagined that the eternal son comes alongside the man Jesus to

1:05.4

help him out. And so that's what salvation is. It's being helped along to do a better job by grace.

1:12.4

Grace is just like Red Bull for you to just energize you to do better. And what Cyril wanted to

1:19.9

show and he shows so beautifully is no. In scripture, we have one Lord Jesus Christ. God

1:28.8

becomes incarnate and takes flesh. Not merely coming alongside us to help us along a bit. He

1:35.9

accomplishes salvation in himself. And therefore, because we have one Lord Jesus Christ, the word made

1:42.7

flesh, therefore salvation in Christ is completely achieved. He is an all-sufficient savior.

1:53.2

So how about number four? I would move along the African coast now to Augusta. I was wondering

2:00.7

when he would show up. Yeah. And I feel spoiled for choice as to where to go. If I have to pick one

2:09.4

I'm going to pick his anti-Polation writing, particularly on the Spirit and the latter.

2:15.7

And what Augustin does so brilliantly there is show how Pelagianism misunderstands God.

2:24.9

And he says that Pelagius, your problem is that you are using God. So Pelagius by a salvation by

2:35.8

works is seeking to buy God off. So God is not enjoyed as the treasure of the gospel. He's the

2:43.4

gatekeeper who you pay to get the real reward which is paradise for yourself. And Augustin says,

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