Early Church History 32

Arius: History's Greatest Heretic

Bishop Melitus, Decian Persecution

Bishop Peter of Alexandria

311, student of Lucian of Antioch, Arius

Achillas

Bishop Alexander of Alexandria

pastor of The Church of Baucalis, site of martyrdom of Saint Mark

Collucianist: Antiochene School

Samosota

martyred by Emperor Maximin Daia, Galerius' nephew

against school of Alexandria and Origin of Caesarea

Bishop Paul of Samosota, Queen Zenobia: modalism/ adoptionism

"The Father and the Son are One: the Son only the "mode" of the Father."

Arianism: overly ambitious about presenting the Oneness of God.  Anything less is tri-theims or polytheism.

"The dregs of the impiety of those heretics have been absorbed by these men who have risen from nothing ... Arius, Achillas, and the whole band of their companions in malice."

Who is Christ?  The Logos of God.  The First Born of All Creation.  A demiurge, a go-between between God-Creator and Creation.  The Logos is created!

The Logos is given a sarx-body and animates it.  John 1:14 "and the Word became flesh."

Content within the context!

Arius: Jesus is a human body occupied by the soul of the Logos.  So Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) sent by god the Father to save mankind.

"sensus ecclesia"

Saint Augustine: "I would not believe in the Gospel if I was not moved thereto by the authority of the Catholic Church."

If the Father begot the Son, the begotten had a beginning.  Thus, there was a time when there was not the Son."

Have you had sons before they were begotten? Certainly not! so neither God could have a Son before he had begotten him.

Not biological, but relational

323. Synod of One Hundred Bishops. Deposed six priests, six deacons and two bishops

Athanasius. ordained in 319.  Oratio Contra Gentes, Treatise on the Incarnation

"Then, by offering to death the body which He Himself takes, as a sacrifice and offering free of every stain, he forthwith removed death from His fellow men, by that sentencing of a substitute."

KEY: The Logos is free of every stain; He assumes flesh to die; He is the Only Worthy Substitute for us; His death destroys death and frees us from our just punishment.

Arius and the Collucianists supported by Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, friend of Constantia

Thalia (the Banquet)

Hosius of Cordóva

"a part of a certain unprofitable question."

"a small and useless contest of words."

"vulgar things and expected of foolish children, but not suited to the good sense of priests and prudent men."

an ecumenical council

cursus publicus for travel expenses

Nicea palace

May 20, 325

250 to "318" bishops from Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, Balkans, Persia, Caucasus, Caecilian of Carthage, Hosius of Cardóva, Gaul, Pannonia, Italy, two priests as legates from Pope Sylvester I (Vitus and Vincentius).

Papnutius of Egypt

Paul of Neocaesarea, Mesopotamia

Ricotti, Age of Martyrs

Eusibus of Caesarea

"consubstantial"

substantial = óυσίά

Modelism

Arianists: God is One.  He is the Father.  Everything else is creation, including the Logos.

Tri-theists: There are Three Gods, but one Triumvirate.

orthodox Cathoics: the sensus ecclesiae.  homoousion

Saint Athanasius