Pelagianism is still around

From Christianity Today's This Week in History:

April 30, 418: Roman Emperor Honorius (395-423) issues a decree against Pelagianism, a heresy teaching that man can take the initial and fundamental steps towards salvation by his own efforts, apart from divine grace.

And yet it is still taught and preached most egregiously by those supposedly in the reformation tradition - nowadays known as "Decision Theology" - first you make a "decision for Christ" THEN God will forgive and save you... or "First you have to repent and THEN God will forgive you". Or worse, the "Four Spiritual Laws" that if you follow, God will have no choice but to forgive you and be your best bud.

All of this is heresy...."I believe that I cannot by my own strength believe in or come to him" - Explanation to the Third Article of the Creed in Martin Luther's Small Catechism

Today in Church History

April 4, 1507 Martin Luther is ordained a priest in Erfurt, Germany


April 4, 1968 Civil rights leader and Baptist minister Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

Today in Church History 1492

Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain sign an edict giving Jewish residents three months to leave the country. An estimated 150,000 Jews fled, the last reportedly leaving August 2, the traditional anniversary of the destruction of the first and second temples. The next day, August 3, Christopher Columbus sailed for America.

Tens of thousands of Jewish refugees died. Many were murdered by when rumours spread that Jews had swallowed gold and silver to take with them in order to open their stomachs to find the gold. They were charged exorbitant fees to take ships away from Spain and then thrown overboard in the middle of the ocean. Many starved in fields and were killed by wild animals.

Sultan Bajazet welcomed Jews to Turkey. "How can you call Ferdinand of Aragon a wise king," he was fond of asking, "the same Ferdinand who impoverished his own land and enriched ours?"

This Day in Christian History

March 15, 1517: Needing money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica, Pope Leo X announces a special sale of indulgences. A Dominican named Johann Tetzel led the way in promoting the sale in Germany and erroneously declared that indulgences would cover future sins (Leo's forgave all past sins). A monk named Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis disputing this teaching among other things. You all should know what happened after that.