Augustines Mistake

One mistake by Augustine that was upheld by apologists such as Prosper of Aquitaine was the use of Israel and the Gentiles in the old testament.

They saw one being chosen for grace while the other was left to natural will without grace. Israel was chosen for grace while the Gentiles were not. Prosper in defending Augustine wrote:

It is written that when the Most High divided the

nations, as He dispersed the sons of Adam, He appointed

the bounds of the nations according to the number of the

angels of God, and His people became the Lord's portion

Jacob, the lot of His inheritance Israel. 23 It is also written

that the Lord spoke to Israel: You will be holy before me,

because I am holy the Lord your God, who separated you

from all nations to be mine. 2 * It is further written in the

Book of Esther, Mardochai speaking: / give Thee thanks,

Lord, because Thou hast wrought new signs and wonders,

as have not happened among the nations, dividing the

whole world into two parts; one didst Thou choose as

Thy own people, leaving the other for the Gentiles

The idea God chose Israel is true but this was a temporary arrangement, most of Israel would eventually fall. Augustine and Prosper built their theology off of a temporary facet of history that God used to bring all nations to salvation.

Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

God used temporary steps, graces and hardness, to bring salvation to the whole world. Augustine incorrectly used temporary steps to formulate lasting doctrine.

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

God used temporary blindness, a temporary condition. Then he directed Grace to be extended to every nation.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Prosper's arguments were short sighted. They claimed grace was given to the elect only,

Our treatise examines the problem of the salvation of

all men from a double aspect. If God's salvific will is uni-

versaland of this there can be no doubthow is it that

many are not saved, or, as the author prefers to view it,

how is it that many do not receive the grace that saves

(Book One)?

Thus catholics teach you must receive the grace that saves, not just of hearing the gospel, and a grace not all men are given to continue in the Gospel.

Augustine believed in mystical grace beyond the Gospel.

 but God commanded grace to be extended to all for their acceptance.

Prosper argued all men did not receive the grace that saves, but Paul says the grace that saves appeared to all.

Paul would write:

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Prosper and Augustine ignored the Gospel as the grace of God, in favor of a direct grace.

Rom 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

The grace received for obedience was the grace supplied to the Apostles for preaching.

Of course much of Augustines arguments were based upon the grace given to Paul as an apostle.