Church History-4th Century

St. Athanasius the Apostolic-20thPope,St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople,

The Council of Nicea

St. Athanasius the Apostolic-20th Pope of Alexandria

Short Biography:

+ Born c. 297 AD (13 AM)+ Appointed a reader in 312 AD+ Ordained a deacon in 318 AD and became

secretary to Pope Alexander (19th Pope of Alexandria)

+ In 325 AD he accompanied Pope Alexander the Council of Nicea

+ In 328 AD became successor to Pope Alexander+ In 338 AD St. Anthony visited him to assure his

admiration and respect+ in 369 AD summoned a council in Alexandria to

discuss the Orthodox faith+ In 373 AD reposed in the Lord

St. Athanasius, cont.

God’s Purpose in St. Athanasius’ Life:+ Story of him as a child acting as Pope

baptising children at the beach+ Studied at the School of Alexandria,

and ca. 318 AD became a disciple of St. Antony

+ The main figure at the council of Nicea + All his theological arguments were

concerning “man’s salvation”+ Never despaired even during the

darkest hour of strife

St. Athanasius, cont.

St. Athanasius’ Achievements:+ His role with Arius and Arianism+ His Theological and Spiritual Writings+ In 330 AD ordained Frementius as 1st Bishop

to Ethiopia (Abbot Salama the First)+ His Ecumenical Stature : One of the four Great Doctors of Eastern

Orthodox Churches Doctor of the Church in the Catholic Church Called “The Apostolic” Venerated in Lutheranism, Anglican

Communion

St. Athanasius, cont.

Events during St. Athanasius’ Life:+ Council of Nicea which condemned Arius as

heretic+ Wrote St. Anthony’s Biography while in Exile in

France+ His Bishopric lasted 46 years, about 17 of

them spent in exile: In Constantine’s era (335-337) in Treves In Constantius’ era (339-346), visited Rome In Constantius’ era (356-362) in Eg. wilderness In Julian’s era (362-363) in Egyptian wilderness In Valen’s era (365-366) in Egyptian wilderness

St. Athanasius, cont.

◦ Around the Council of Nicaea

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

◦ Statement of Anathema

◦ Other Outcome of the Council

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD)

1) Place, time, and attendees• Nicaea (on the Black Sea)• June 325 AD• 318 bishops

2) Defense against the heresy

3) The Creed• Written by Pope Alexander, St. Athanasius,

and bishop Leontius of Caesarea • The Son is coeternal and of the same

essence with the Father (Oomoosios)

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

Arius: “The Lord possessed me at the

beginning of His way” Proverb 8:22

St. Athanasius: + In the Hebrew version “The Lord

begot Me” + “I have been established from

everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth” Proverb 8:23

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

Arius: “My Father is greater than I” John 14:28

St. Athanasius: + The Son in the flesh is less than the

Father as He is carrying the human nature in a mission to redeem the human being but He is always in the bosom of the Father.

+ “I am in My Father and My Father is in Me” John 14:10

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

Arius: “All authority has been given to Me in

heaven and on earth” Matthew 28:18

St. Athanasius: + The Son, as He is born from the Father

before all ages, has gained all authority because He said “Go and baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19.

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

Arius: “But of that day and hour, no one knows,

not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” Matthew 24:36

St. Athanasius: + Our Lord said this as He was in the

flesh; the Son of Man. However, St. Peter said to Him: “Lord you know all things” John 21:17

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Arius vs. Athanasius

Arius: “I do not seek My own will but the will

of the Father who sent Me” John 5:30

St. Athanasius: + “He who has seen Me has seen My

Father” John 14:9 + “I am in My Father and My Father is

in Me” John 14:10

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Statement of anathema

“As for them who say concerning the Son of God,

- there was a time when He was not, - OR He was not before He was produced, - OR He was produced from things that are

not - OR He is of another substance or essence, or

created, or subject to conversion or mutation, the Universal-Apostolic Church says let

them be anathema”

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ Other outcome of the Council

a) Easter date: The head of the church of Alexandria would

write an annual Paschal letter to all churches advising with the date of the Easter

b) Re-baptism: Baptism is administered ONCE in a life time.

c) 20 Canons: Related to clergy and church orders; among

them the marriage of the clergy.

The 1st Ecumenical Council(Nicaea at 325 AD), cont.

◦ The Council

◦ Macedonian Heresy

◦ Apollinarius Heresy

◦ Sabellius Heresy

◦ The Outcome of the Council

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD)

1) Called by Emperor Theodosius I at 381 AD

2) Attended by 150 bishops; the main figures:

• Pope Timothy of Alexandria (from 378 AD)• Pope Meletius of Antioch (from 360 AD)• St. Gregory of Nazzianzus (theologian);

Archbishop of Constantinople (379 AD)• St. Nectarius Archbishop of Constantinople

(397 AD)• St. Gregory of Nyssa bishop of Nyssa in

Turkey (372 AD)

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD), cont.

◦ Macedonian Heresy

1) By Macedonius I bishop of Constantinople

2) The Heresy:• The Holy Spirit was a creation of the Son and a

servant of the Father and the Son• God the Son was of “similar substance” to the God

the Father, but not of the “same essence”

3) The Defense:• St. Athanasius => Letters to Serapion• St. Basil the Great => On the Holy Spirit • The council added to the creed from Nicaea starting

from “Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit”

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD),con.

◦ Apollinarius Heresy

1) By Apollinarius bishop of Laodicea (Syria)

2) The Heresy:• Christ had a human body and soul but the Divine

Lagos replaced the human mind => crucifixion of Divinity!!!

• Thus Christ was considered not a perfect Man and hence not a complete Redeemer

• The heresy, also, believed of difference among the Hypostasis of the Trinity

3) The Defense:• The incarnation of Christ means the assumption of

the “entire” human nature w/o the sin

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD),con.

◦ Sabellius Heresy

1) By Sabellius; a theologian and priest from Libya and taught in Rome

2) The Heresy:• States that the Father, the Son, and the Holy

Spirit are different “modes” or “aspects” of one God

3) The Defense:• God is one with a distinction between the

Hypostasis (Person) and nature => 3 distinct Hypostasis (Persons) who share one Godhead (Divinity)

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD),con.

◦ Outcome of the Council

a) The Holy Spirit is God

b) Christ God Incarnate assumed the entire human nature w/o the sin

c) The Hypostasis of the Trinity are equal and distinct but share the same Godhead

d) Seven canons, four are doctrinal and three are disciplinary

The 2nd Ecumenical Council(Constantinople at 381 AD),con.

St. John Chrysostom, Patriarch of Constantinople