Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, ‘If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing’ (1 Cor. 13:2). The Apostle John, in his first epistle, declared: ‘Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and there is no truth in him’ (1 John 2:4).
In light of these teachings from Jesus and their apostolic interpretation, the Orthodox Church acknowledges that sinful humanity cannot attain justification before God solely through faith. Instead, to attain justification and avoid the consequence of our sins, we must present our good deeds, which can balance the weight of our faults in the divine scales of justice. The tenet that faith without works is insufficient to save us and grant us entry into the Kingdom of Heaven is also upheld by the Catholic Church. However, many Protestants, who have diverged from Catholic teachings, contend that faith alone can justify a person, rendering works unnecessary. They support this perspective with references to other sayings of Jesus, notably: ‘Courage, daughter, your faith has saved you, and according to your faith it shall be done for you’ (Matthew 9:22, 29).
While Christ made it abundantly clear through these statements that only those who recognized His miraculous power—and believed in His ability to heal—could receive such healing and not necessarily justification, some Protestants misconstrue this teaching and dismiss the need for good works and adherence to His commandments in the pursuit of forgiveness. This misinterpretation gained traction in 1874 among the elite social circles of St. Petersburg, largely due to the preaching of Lord Redstock from England, and it subsequently spread across Russia through the efforts of his follower, Colonel Vasily Alexandrovich Pashkov, a wealthy individual who invested substantial funds in this cause. Together, they established a sect in Russia known as the Pashkov sect.
The foundation of their doctrine asserts that Christ came to liberate humanity from sin and death; He sacrificed Himself for human sins and rose again for salvation. They claim that through His death and resurrection, He justified all of humanity's sins—both past and future—requiring only faith from individuals for salvation. Therefore, they proclaim: believe, and you will be saved! This belief dismisses works entirely, suggesting that even though good deeds are naturally the fruit of faith, they bear no significance for salvation.
Having deemed good works unnecessary for salvation, the Pashkovites renounced the entirety of conventional church practices, including worship, sacraments, and the veneration of icons and saints. To gain a deeper understanding of the Pashkovian beliefs, I attended a gathering of their followers in the winter of 1908 at 43 Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg. The preacher, after recounting the conversion of Cornelius as described in the tenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, claimed that neither Cornelius's piety, good deeds, nor prayers could secure his salvation; faith alone was the saving factor. He reiterated multiple times that only faith in Jesus Christ, who bore the sins of all and redeemed those who believe in Him by His crucifixion, brings salvation.
The preacher further exclaimed, ‘I see the Cross on which the Lord was crucified; and I see my sins upon that Cross. Since those sins cannot exist in two places simultaneously, they are not upon me! I am saved! Each of you here can also have your sins forgiven and be saved without leaving this hall, provided you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that neither piety, good works, nor prayer can save; faith alone is what saves. Just believe, and you will be saved!’
Although there are many individuals among the sectarians and Pashkovites who lead lives of strict morality and integrity, this does not prevent them from embracing a doctrine that dangerously minimizes the importance of good deeds. They find solace in the belief that Christ suffered for them, providing a blanket justification for their past and future sins. Followers of this doctrine may reason that if their future transgressions are forgiven due to their faith in Christ, they need not trouble themselves with acts of goodness towards others. Why should they refrain from wrongdoing if it serves their interests? Why not exploit others for personal gain, or remove obstacles in pursuit of their objectives? Ultimately, why should they invest in love for others when self-interest and self-love appear to offer greater returns? These are the thoughts that may occupy a Pashkovite’s mind when faith in Jesus’ redemptive work offers them what they perceive as unconditional pardon for both past and future wrongdoings.
THEOSIS