The Early Christian View of Justification

The doctrine of justification by faith alone, known as solafide, is a key point of contention between Catholics and Protestants. While many Protestants argue that this doctrine is central to Christianity, scholars emphasize that there is no evidence of this belief among early Christians. Protestant scholars like Tony Lane, Alistair McGrath, and Philip Shaff have all concluded that the Reformation understanding of justification is a theological novelty without historical precedent. They argue that early Christian writers such as Clement of Rome, Origen, and John Chrysostom, while using some language that may seem like solafide, also emphasized the necessity of good works for salvation. These scholars' conclusions align with the historical consensus that solafide is not part of the early Christian tradition and cannot be considered the gospel or the doctrine on which the church stands.