Christianity Restored
(Additional)
The previous comments were on the part of the tome by Michael Servetus that related mainly to God and Christ. Since the comments were written a further section of Christianity Restored has been translated into English and it is on this section it is proposed to now comment. The section is headed:
Treatise on Faith and Justice
of Christ’s Kingdom
The treatise has a Preface and three books which are themselves split up into a number of chapters. Book I has four chapters, Book II has three chapters and Book III has five chapters.
Before we go into the detail of the Books written by Servetus it is proposed to comment on the Introduction written by the translators. In it they describe the Religious Program of Michael Servetus.
XV Servetus writings influenced the Socinians so that they rightly held the need for the complete separation of church and state.
XVII “The Servetus purpose for writing Restoration of Christianity was to advocate a return to the original Christianity, such as he understood it, and not only to promote the reform of Christian practices in order to eliminate abuses and corruption.” This was a right thought and was largely behind the movement in the 19th century given the name of Plymouth Brethren.
XVIII Servetus did not intend to be an innovator, but rather to restore Christianity to its original simplicity and integrity. His program was somewhat similar to that of Erasmus. Servetus went back to the Scriptures rather than the Roman traditional teaching.
XIX Servetus demonstrated that there was no basis for the traditional Trinitarian doctrine.
XXII “Servetus ... remained convinced that nothing should be considered essential for the Christian faith what (?which) was not in the scriptures.” One would say Amen to that.
XXVI In his doctrine of Faith and Justification Servetus follows Paul.
XXVII “Thus faith is connected to knowledge, enters through hearing, is a gift of God, and resides in the heart.” This is clearly the teaching of Scripture.
XXVIII“But faith carries with itself penitence, rejection of sin and should be accompanied by love and good works.” Certainly faith should be accompanied by repentance: “Repent therefore and be converted” (Acts 3:19). All this is inward. Good works are also needed: “Doing works worthy of repentance” (Acts 26:20). Love must be involved or else we are nothing and profit nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2 and 3 ). See also 1 Corinthians 16:22. Faith is essential and the root, but if the root is there the other things will be evident in some degree.
XXIX Servetus denied the eternal condemnation of children who are not baptised. Clearly he was right here. Need one prove it ?
XXXIVServetus was not happy with the idea of sola fide (faith only). He wanted faith working through love (Galatians 5:6) , or as we have it elsewhere “love with faith” (Ephesians 6:23). As Peter tells us we are to have love in our faith (2 Peter 1:5-7). See also 1 Timothy 1:5, and J. N. D note to the verse.
XXXV Servetus held the priesthood of all believers. Again he was right and his thought in accord with Scripture (1 Peter 2:5 and 9).
XXXVIServetus rightly considered the adoration of the bread practised by the Catholic church idolatrous.
We now come to consider the actual writings of Servetus.
The heading to his Preface tells us that the Faith and Justice of Christ’s Kingdom Surpasses the justice of the Law, and on Love. It is this side of the truth the treatise covers.
Servetus tells us that in his first book he will proclaim justifying faith and Christ’s kingdom, in the second that he will compare the Law with the Gospel and distinguish the Christian from the Jew. In the third book he says he will recommend good works and the power of love as compared with faith.
Book I, Chapter II
Page 16 Servetus points out that “faith in itself means belief” and also that it is in a person: “faith goes straight to Christ like a target”. He also says: “because of faith our sins have truly been remitted.”
Page 19 Regarding faith Servetus says: “Its primary and true object is Jesus of Nazareth”.
Page 22 Servetus also says: “Faith exists in the heart”.
Regarding the above points there is clear Scriptural support. Consider Acts 16:31; 10:43; Romans10:9. No evangelical Christian would, I think, disagree with Servetus on the matter of faith.
Book I, Chapter III.
Page 23 Servetus held “that we are justified by grace alone” He effectively says that this is the teaching of Scripture, especially that of Paul.
Page 25 As to baptism Servetus refers to Galatians 3:27 where baptised persons are said to “have dressed themselves in Christ” or have put on Christ (J. N. D).
Page 26 He also tells us rightly that the images and ceremonies in the Law have been fulfilled in Christ.
Page 27 He also compares the faith that resulted in persons being healed of bodily sickness in the gospels with the healing of those who have soul sickness. Further he mentions future glory probably having in mind Romans 8:23 et seq.
Book I, Chapter IV
Page 29 Servetus is perhaps not so clear on this page and the next, but he undoubtedly had a thought as to the saints sitting in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 2:5/6). There is no doubt that Servetus was seeking to follow Scripture even if in some places his understanding of it may be imperfect.
Page 32 Servetus attaches a good deal of importance to God’s kingdom. This is right, because Paul spoke of it (Acts 28:31).
Page 34 He also maintains that the kingdom is not just a future thing but exists now. As a present thing Christians are said to have been translated into it (Colossians 1:13). However , since Christ left this scene there has been no display of it, though there will be in a coming day (Revelation 11:15).
Page 35 Servetus refers to Hell, though it is not clear whether he is referring to Hades or Gehenna. Certainly persons who died in Old Testament times went to Sheol (Hades), but no one was in the Lake of Fire: that judgment is still future (Revelation 20:15).
Book II, Chapter I
Page 39 Servetus here shows “The Christian’s Superiority to the Jew”, in fact it is the heading to this chapter. He contrasts Law and Grace. He is definitely right in this and as he says many people do not understand that there is a difference. Because they do not understand the difference Christianity is dragged down to the level of Judaism.
Page 46 He refers to Matthew 11:11 to support his thought that Christianity is superior to Judaism. This is the passage where Christ speaks of the greatness of John the baptist, at the same time showing that a little one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.
Page 47/48 Here Servetus shows that Jews have their inheritance on earth, but Christians theirs in heaven. A Jehovah’s witness would accept that there is a heavenly company as well as an earthly one, but makes the two companies exist at the present time on earth. The Jews are ignored and for them the two companies are taken from the Gentiles. This is not the teaching of Scripture nor Servetus.
Book II, Chapter II
Page 50 Servetus here speaks of the Old Testament and points out that the punishments meted out in the Old Testament were carnal (physical) and temporal. We do not get eternal damnation spoken of. It was not till Christ came that we get eternal punishment revealed (Matthew 25:46, Romans 1:18).
Page 54 His terminology is not always that in our Bibles, so that he speaks of justice where we would more likely speak of righteousness (see for example Romans 4:3).
Book II, Chapter III
Page 57 Servetus heads this chapter “In the Law it was a Justice of Deeds, While in the Gospel it is a Justice of Faith”. This may sound strange to some of us, but if we substitute Righteousness for Justice and Works for Deeds the strangeness disappears. The statements are in accord with Scripture.
Page 60 He points out that there were those who benefited here on earth from doing what is right, such as Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:6) and those spoken of in the Psalms
e. g. Psalm 15. However he also points out that David found that the righteousness which was in the law was insufficient, but that this did not set aside that there was a righteousness according to the Law.
Page 67 He goes on to stress the inadequacy of the righteousness which is in the Law and that it “removed neither Adam’s sin nor hell, nor opened paradise for the dead, nor brought the living into heaven’s kingdom”. The work of Christ was necessary for this. He goes on to say that “Law highlighted sin” and that though people may seem righteous before men they are not so before God. No doubt Servetus had in mind Romans 3:20 and 4:2.
Page 68 He points out that Abraham was subsequently justified by works (James 2:21). It is faith first, then works. Not faith only, as the defective teaching of Luther would lead us to think.
Book III, Chapter I
Page 71 Servetus goes on to compare Love with Faith and Good Works. In Chapter I he writes “On Reward and the Distinction of Glory”.
Page 72 Rewards will not be the same for all; neither will punishments be the same for all. Scripture is clear as to this as Servetus points out, quoting various passages such as Luke 14:12-14 and 12:47/48.
Page 73/74 He points out a number of things including the fact that those who have true faith will be judges in the coming day (1 Corinthians 6:3). Christ Himself has a reward (Philippians 2:9). The wicked will be punished according to their deeds (Revelation 20:13).
Book III, Chapter II
Page 75 The heading to this chapter is: “On the Illustrious Attributes of Love”. This is, as Servetus says, the greatest thing of all (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love will abide, but not faith.
Book III, Chapter III
Page 79 This chapter tells us “What Faith, What Love, and What Works Accomplish”. It must be noted that whereas Servetus uses the word penance, the correct word to use is repentance. Maybe the defect was due to the translation that Servetus used.
Page 80 Servetus held, as many do, that Christ performed the Law’s good works on our behalf. There is no solid Scriptural basis for this doctrine.
Page 81 He speaks of the works (fruit) of the Spirit as does Scripture; they being in contrast to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-23).
Page 82 He speaks here of love and good works as does Scripture (Hebrews 10:24) and the rewards that they engender. What he is opposed to is the idea that if we have faith we are to stop at that rather than to continue with what Scripture speaks of elsewhere as the work of faith, and labour of love, and enduring constancy of hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
Page 83 I think Servetus misunderstands what Christ says as to the woman in Luke 7:47 His point was that she loved much because she had been forgiven much; not that she was forgiven much because she loved much.
Book III, Chapter IV
Page 85 This chapter is concerned with “The Source and Power of Deeds”.
Page 87 In what Servetus says on this page he may well have had in mind Romans 7: the conflict between flesh and Spirit. However he tells us that faith is an aid to deeds, that is works, as we find in Hebrews 11.
Book III, Chapter V
Page 89 This chapter is “A Comparison of Love and Faith, and a Discourse on the Excellence of Love Itself”. As Servetus says, faith comes first, but clearly love must follow else we come under the condemnation of Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22. However, we know that the love of God is shed abroad in the heart of the true believer (Romans 5:5)
Page 90 Faith begins; love completes. We must start with faith but the end is love (1 Timothy 1:5). Servetus is therefore undoubtedly right here.
Page 91 As Servetus says God is love; not faith. We also have “the love of the Spirit” (Romans 15:30). Maybe Servetus had this passage in mind when he said the Spirit is love.
Page 93 The Law enjoined love (Matthew 22:36-40) for without it the Works performed under the Law were defective. However in Christianity Faith is required and leads to the fulfilment of the Law. Consider Galatians 5:6 and Romans 13:10.
The above comments are not intended as a definitive critique of the writings of Servetus on the subjects of faith, love and good works. Though some of the detail may be questionable, one doubts that his general drift can be said to be out of accord with Scripture. There are profuse quotations from Scripture in his writings and, as one has read elsewhere, his thought is marked by intense Biblicism. One has to make allowance for possible inaccuracies in the translations he may have used.
One has to appreciate also the milleau in which he lived. In the Protestant world the great cry it appears was sola fide (faith only). Taken to an extreme it can lead to dissoluteness (Jude 4). There is the matter of repentance as well as faith (Acts 20:21 & 26:20) Servetus is right that faith is the gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:13/14; Acts 15:8/9), but the Christian’s life is to go on to much more than that as Bunyan’s Pilgrims did. When we believe we turn to face in the right direction, but we are to move on from there. As I recently read some do not appear to get beyond the brazen altar - Christ’s death for our sins. However Scripture is concerned that we should go on to full growth (Hebrews 6:1; Ephesians 4). Servetus was I believe concerned as to this.
August 2009
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