The Nicene Creed is a statement of Christian faith established in 325 AD by the bishops of the church. It was brought to light in order to settle the Arian controversy between members of the church over the nature, essence, substance equal to that of the Father, person, and eternal attributes of Christ.[1] This document is extremely important for Christians to, not only know about, but to learn and understand. This document contains key information about Christ, which are foundational to faith in Christ.
Constantine, the Roman emperor in 325 AD, called for a council in order to settle the Arian controversy. Arius and his followers believed that, “There was once when Christ was not.”[2] He said that when scripture speaks of Christ as the “begotten son” it implies that Christ was created by the Father at some time. Arians claimed that because of this fact, Christ was not the same substance as the Father, but was the highest of all God’s creations. Bishop Alexander and St. Athanasius were convinced that this belief was complete heresy and would lead to the destruction of Christianities salvific message. Ferguson says “An overwhelming majority of the bishops did not agree with Arius, but it was harder for them to agree on a positive statement of doctrine.”[3] The most important addition to the creed was the Greek word homoousios, meaning “of the same substance”. This affirmed that the Son of God was like the Father “in every way,” and did not derive from any other substance than that of the Father Himself, as explained by a man named Eusebius. The adoption of this word eliminated the Arian teaching. The members of the council found it necessary to use this word, homoousios which was not found in scripture, in order to stop the Arians from interpreting Biblical ideas falsely. The main theological errors of the Arians that the Nicene Creed refuted were (1) that “There was once when he was not” or “He came to be from nothing” and (2) that the Son of God is “created,” or “alterable,” or “mutable.” [4]
The council at Nicaea was significant because it was the first universal council. Nearly three hundred bishops gathered to discuss this controversy and establish a creed to bring unity and agreement in the church.[5] This council was different than most because the emperor, Constantine, was involved. The age of persecution was over and now the head of political affairs wanted to be involved in Christian religion. The alliance between church and state was set when Constantine stepped in and would remain for twelve to fourteen centuries. The creed of Nicaea was not only a confession of faith but was also a test of fellowship.
In our modern times we still struggle with disagreement in our churches over the nature of Christ as well. Many religions of the present age call themselves “Christian” as they did back then; yet do not believe in the teachings of Christ. Christians need to stand up for the convictions they hold instead of “tolerating” many different beliefs. Our nation has come to believe that we should accept contrasting views regardless of their validity. The more tolerant we become, the further away we get from the truth. We begin to shy away from controversial theologies and philosophies because we don’t want to quarrel. Because of this Christians don’t even know what to believe, or why they believe anything. We may be fighting slightly different battles today, but a lot of the battles we face hold just as much importance in the salvific message of the Bible as the Arian controversy. Some of the scariest beliefs today are that truth is relative and there is no standard; there are many ways to heaven; we should not push our religion on anyone else; and also that each person is a “priesthood” and can interpret scripture in their own way without regard to the church fathers or history. We need to save the souls of the people who are falling into the trap of this myth. We need to stand against the world and not worry about the persecutions we might come into contact with because of our stance. Our church fathers have shown us that it is possible to stand for our values and get results. The battle over Arianism was not easy to win, but it was possible with the help of God.[6] The most important thing is that we save souls from the furies of Hell.
It is important to learn about and understand events such as the Council of Nicaea. Christians should learn the Nicene Creed. It is foundational to the Christian religion. It brought out the theological concepts found in the Bible of who Christ said he was in a more understandable and definite way than ever before. The wording used in the creed could not easily be twisted to mean anything other than what it was intended to mean. These beliefs established in the creed are foundational to the salvific message. Without believing in Christ as God, of the same essence as the Father, eternal, and creator, along with other characteristics mentioned in the creed, one cannot be saved. The statements in the Creed are derived from the theologies found in the Bible.
The reason the creed was established was bring agreement in the church as to what exactly the nature of Christ was. It was extremely important to word it so that one could not misinterpret the nature of Christ. Christ is the center point of salvation. Without understanding who he was, Christians have no foundation for their beliefs and, more importantly, no salvation. This is why it is important for Christians to know the creed, understand where it came from and why it is correct theology. This battle has been fought before. Others have already determined the reason this is important and we must learn from their study of this subject.
[1] Kevin Knight, “Arianism,” New Advent, 2008, www.newadvent.org/cathen/01707c.htm. (accessed June 3, 2008).
[2] Everett Ferguson, Church History Volume One (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 193.
[3] Ibid, 194.
[4] Ibid, 195-196.
[5] Rusch, William G, The Trinitarian Covtroversy, trans. William G. Rusch (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980), 49.
[6] Taken from my answers on Dr. Phillip Calvert’s Take Home Exam 1, Spring 2008
THE NICENE CREED
Boethius – One of the most influencing people for the Middle Age
The time from about A.D. 500 to 1400, which is known as the Middle Age, was influenced by some important men. Boethius, an Italian statesman, philosopher, and theologian, was one of those. Although the name of Boethius is not very popular today, he was very well known in the Middle Age. The Consolation of Philosophy and the Theological Tractates as well as his commentaries and translations of logical writings by Aristotle, are Boethius’ most significant contributions to the initiation and development of thought in the Middle Age.
Boethius was born in the year 480 in Rome, Italy. Actually, his real name is Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius. The last name indicates that he belonged to the great Anicii family. His father, a consul in Italy, died when Boethius was still very young. That, however, brought him into an even better family, as Symmachus adopted him. This family was considered as one of the richest and most illustrious families in the Roman Empire. Symmachus was the head of the Senate and a pillar of the Catholic Church at that time. He became the personal guard of Boethius. Later Boethius even became his son in law, when he married the daughter of Symmachus. Growing up in the household of Symmachus he gained an excellent education. He was taught in Greek, in Latin, philosophy, and theology. The Greek studies had a big impact on Boethius. Later in his life he had one of the biggest private libraries of that time. He had a passion for learning. As his father was the Roman consul in 487, he also became consul in 510 at the age of 30. His sons became consuls as well, when they were still children, seen as a reward for Boethius.
Even though Boethius’ main writing deals with philosophy, his writings can be divided into four major groups: the mathematic writings, whereas music, astronomy, arithmetic, and also geometry were included in this group (Quadrivium), translations from Greek into Latin and commentaries on logic, theological works, and the earlier mentioned Consolation of Philosophy. Through his early studies Boethius became a magister oficiorum, which was one of the highest state offices in the ancient west. The politics brought Boethius big success in a very short time. However, they made him fall as well in a very short time, as he was involved in the Roman Senate.
The Roman senator Albinus was accused of treason against the ruling east Gothic king Theodoric. As a consequence, the entire senate was charged of treason. Apparently, Boethius tried to protect the senate and put himself in charge of this accuse. During the trial he lost the support from the senate and got in charge of the Gothic King Theodoric.
Finally, Boethius was put to death charged of treason in a trial, which was not worthy to be called one, for he did not have the chance to defend himself. Before he received his penalty he was imprisoned for a long time. Obviously, he had the time and the material to write, because it was in his imprisonment time that he penned his greatest work; the Consolatio Philosophiae (Consolation of Philosophy). This work had a huge influence in the following years and decades and became one of the most read writings in the Middle Ages. Eventually, Boethius had to die. There are not a lot of details known about his death. Symmachus was executed with Boethius at the same time. Their deaths were seen as martyrdom for Christendom and consequently Boethius was recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church later. After his death he became more and more famous.
Rightly, Boethius was acknowledged as the first scholar, since he also wrote on doctrines of the Catholic Church. He was also considered to be the founder of the Middle Age, for his influence was growing incredible during this time. Boethius authored a number of works, which explains why he had such a huge influence. Together with Aristotle and Augustine, Boethius was probably most influencing in Europe. The majority of the people did not know Greek in that time. Thus, even his translations of Greek works written by Aristotle and Porphyry were very significant for scholasticism. However, the most influencing writing is the Consolation of Philosophy. A lot of scholars referred to this work and used it for their own works.
Even though other writings of Boethius became less and less important in the beginning of the second millennium, they were still studied and regarded very well in the earlier Middle Age. They helped establishing twelfth-century thinking. The Consolation, however, enjoyed a longer acceptance in universities and schools even after 1200. This work was to read and study carefully for every scholar. The influence of it was evident throughout the Renaissance and early modernity.
Especially in England and Great Britain Boethius Consolation of Philosophy seemed to have a good reputation among the nation. King Alfred, Queen Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Chaucer translated the Consolation into English, because they were convinced of the significance of this work for everyone. They wanted the English nation to profit from this great work.
Helen M. Barrett tried to explain why his works had such a huge influence especially in the Middle Ages and clarified it best with this statement: “In those troubled centuries, the Dark and Middle Ages, during which the Consolation was most widely read, there were often periods when over great areas chaos and brute force prevailed rather than the ordered ways of civilized life. There must have been, many then to whom the questions which Boethius raised and tried to answer were of no mere academic interest, but came home with the poignancy of direct personal application.” (Barrett, Boethius – Some Aspects of his Times and Work)
The name and person of Boethius underwent great popularity and admiration throughout the Middle Age. However, he lost a lot of his popularity. There is just a minority of people today, who would know about him and his contribution to the process of humanity.
A Bit of Early Scholasticism
A great period of change sometimes alluded to as the intellectual revival swept through Europe beginning in the 11th century. This change would greatly effect and impact the way that people thought and taught in regard to scripture. Unprecedented or new ideas and techniques were utilized in a way that challenged young students to grow like never before. This movement or shift was known as Scholasticism and had a tremendous impact on the critically thinking believers.
Scholasticism refers to the movement that attempted to harmonize faith and reasoning. It was ultimately created to show that faith in God and His inerrant and authoritative Word was a rational and logical belief. Also, Scholasticism sought to reconcile the ideas of the ancient classical philosophers with that of medieval Christian theology. So what exactly is scholasticism though? To properly define what exactly scholasticism was, it is important to look at several important constituents of it as mentioned in the “Church History” book. The fundamental components of Scholasticism are attitude, method, content, and form. To elaborate some, the attitude commonly associated with Scholastic thinkers was that of a faith and an assurance in reasoning and its immense power. Scholastics were positive of the fact that faith and reason were in no way at odds with each other. They firmly believed that any problems between the two could be reconciled or that faith and reason could coexist within a believers mind. The method associated with Scholasticism was generally dialectal reasoning. This approach involved selecting a text, which was generally the Bible. Before proceeding, it is important to note that although this method was primarily used for interpreting biblical passages that is it is not limited or restricted to the Bible. After selection of the text, then came the thorough examination. They would explore the text probing it in search of just about any apparently contradictory points that could be debated or argued about. Typically a passage was chosen and presented by the facilitator and then a problem was posed. Next, the person expounding upon the text would argue not only his/her side but would also present information that would seem to oppose their case. They would always weigh both sides of the argument before formulating their verdict concerning the “controversy”. An expert opinion was also to be factored into the equation, and then arguments were to be reconciled and resolved.
There are many elements to the question of what prompted the arrival of Scholasticism as defined in the previous paragraph. Some of the main factors included the “expansion of trade and commerce” which subsequently sparked the increase of urban life, “political stabilization” which resulted in increased peace and simpler communication, and “increased prosperity” which enabled the proper copying and translating of manuscripts. Monastic schools, which were formerly restricted to those entering the monastery, were opened to the public which provided people with skills to read and write in Latin. With this came the arrival of the Cathedral Schools. Around A.D. 1000 Cathedral schools, designed specifically for clerics, began stressing the importance of logic and philosophy. The Bishop asserted that they were essential components of religion. Around A.D. 1100 Universities began popping up. The Universities had slowly evolved from the Cathedral schools. The University of Oxford was created around 1200 A.D. which taught primarily theology. The old approach to teaching, before the existence of these schools, was largely based on the “personal moral authority” of the educator and was generally orally transmitted to the pupils. The new method of teaching put an enormous emphasis on the student’s capacity or ability to reason as the lessons were usually based in text. The primary text used, which was considered vital to the proper education of the students, was the Bible. Courses on correct exposition and expounding of the Bible were labeled imperative and frequently taught in these schools. The Bible was not the only book labeled as divinely inspired in these circles however. Significance was also given to commentaries, the words from Aristotle, and the writings of the great church fathers as they were considered authoritative.
One of the most, if not the most, noteworthy and prominent figures of the early Scholasticism period was St. Anselm. St. Anselm or Anselm of Canterbury did some superb and outstanding things during the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. St. Anselm, commonly referred to as the “Father of Scholasticism”, provided the slogan for the era which was “faith seeking understanding”. St. Anselm, in his reasoning, asserted that for life to begin, there first had to be a figure of independent existence. Also, our life, as humans are dependent, is a result of the self-existent figure first creating us. This theory is consistent with Aristotle’s concept of a prime mover which caused the initiation of the process of life. St. Anselm equipped defenders of the faith with a number of arguments. The most popular and still wide known one today is the ontological argument. This argument, for the existence of God, states that the highest, most perfect being of which our minds can conceive has to exist in reality. This argument basically presupposes or assumes a belief in a creator God is innately wired within humans. It is also a little deep for me to fully grasp if I am being honest. Other esteemed men such as John Erigena, Peter Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas were noted as important Scholastic philosophers and theologians of the Scholastic period.
The era of Scholasticism marks a time in history when education was highly supported and advocated. It became a coveted or desired thing. Reasoning was employed in order to advance the belief in God and became known as an inseparable constituent of believing in God. Men and women began to think critically about faith, scrutinizing dogmas, and seeing what was clearly biblical. This time is proof that belief in our Creator, Savior, and Redeemer God can withstand all the scrutiny and testing that is thrown at it and that a logically, even critically, thinking individual can still hold a belief in Him and the Bible.
Theodicy
In contemplation of the many theologies of Christianity, one prevalent tension lies in the paradox of how evil may exist in light of a good God, namely the study of theodicy. This complex issue may misguide believers and critics alike if not thoroughly analyzed. Thomas Aquinas as well as Augustine address this issue in addition to those of free will in light of the existence of good and evil as well as suffering.
In the view of Christian theism, God is immutable. In relation to evil, it is addressed how God may cause and/or allow evil to exist. It is understood a pre-eminent mover must put everything into effect. It is then concluded God permits evil to exist but He does not set it into motion. Augustine states merely the absence of good defines evil. So where evil exists, good does not. Also in light of Augustine it is pivotal to address his statement, “ The incorruptible is superior to the corruptible.” In dealings of the paradox of good and evil there must be an understanding of the soul, which could change for the worse through free choice or could be corrupted by sin. It is neither a part of God nor of the same nature as God, but is created by Him, and is far inferior to its Creator.
In regards to free will in light of the tension of good and evil, Thomas Aquinas addresses the issue elegantly. First the actuality of free will is to be addressed. It may be argued that man has no free will at all, but Aquinas points out that if free will were not in existence, exhortations, commands, prohibitions, rewards and punishment would be in vain. As humans we are created as rational beings; in order to be rational we must have free will. In light of salvation, free will is still in existence but not in total effect unless moved and assisted by God. Romans 9:16 states, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” We see that man has some choice in what he does; therefore, there must be a persistent alternative to God and all that is good for man to truly make a choice to follow. So it may be concluded that man has free will and to choose God it must be moved. By allowing this free will— this choice— God subsequently had to allow evil to enter the world.
In reference to evil, there are many subcategories of wrong. The two most basic are those that are caused by natural processes and actions of humans. Earthquakes, hurricanes and other weather related disasters do not result from morally wrong actions, but exist, kill, wound and harm humanity. Whereas free will is a plausible argument for an explanation of human evils it does not directly account for natural evil. The best explanation of natural evil may be traced back to the fall. All processes and attributes of the universe were in perfection, and in the fall all were perverted in some way. Generally evil is found as necessary because it is the optimal way for God to display His love to His creation. This is true because the world was foundationally formed to display the glory of God in physical form; likewise, all occurrences within it exhibit the glory of God.
Aside from evil in and of itself also there presides the problem of the effects of things evil, namely suffering. William Lane Craig aims to tackle the issues of suffering and evil and explains it as such: “God may permit suffering in our lives to build us or test us, or to build and test others, or to achieve some other overriding end.” In assessing suffering and attempting to pin down a definite cause we begin to put limits on God as to why we are suffering as we are. Romans 8:28 states that all things work together for the good for those that love the Lord and in 1 Peter 4:12 we are told not to be surprised at the ordeal we are suffering, but to know in those sufferings that they produce perseverance and ultimately brings glory to God.
Yet, still to be expounded upon is how God permits evil in human actions. It is understood man has a choice in choosing to act morally, in choosing good or immorally choosing evil. It is possible to state that God may value free will enough to allow humans to commit horrendous acts rather than to prevent them and take away their allowance of free will. Most mainstream Christians believe that in an instance such as this that God will have His justice in the end and punish those who have done evil and show mercy and compassion upon those who have been victimized by evil. This philosophy accepts that God allows evil and free will and although all may not comprehend the evils that occur, one may rest in knowing there will be justice for all in the end.
It is resulted that evil may exist in light of a good God, and that He may use evil as well as good to work together ultimately to the glory of His Name. It is often lost sight of that all that is, has been and will be works together to the chief end of His glory. Because of various utilities such as councils and commands in addition to rewards it may be understood man has free will. In light of free will man is able to choose between good and evil. God allows evil to exist, and it has existed due to the fact evil in and of it itself is merely the absence of good.
Athanasius Essay
In Cicero’s work entitled On Duties, he names four cardinal virtues that he believes are to be kept above all others. These virtues are: wisdom, justice, courage, and seemliness. He defines wisdom as the learning of truth. He says that it is the “knowledge of everything divine and human.” He holds it in such high regard as to say that there is nothing more “desirable,” “distinguished,” or “worthy of a man.” He believes that everyone should pursue it. Justice, he believes, is the most important of all the virtues. Under this virtue, he speaks of social justice. This, to him, means that no man should harm another unless he has been provoked by injustice. He then goes on to describe justice as the keeping of faith and liberality. He adds that justice defies national boundaries, meaning justice must be extended to aliens and passing travelers in one’s country and not just the citizens of the country. Justice should be practiced by all of mankind toward one another. Courage is defined as greatness of spirit, and seemliness is also known as temperance or moderation.
The early church fathers exemplified Cicero’s four virtues in their lives and their deaths. They were committed to the spread of the Gospel and to stopping heresy. They were very knowledgable of Christian truths and the words spoken by Jesus Christ and the apostles. They meditated on these truths daily to the point where the Gospel was ingrained in their very being. Every breath they took was to the glory of God, and they never backed down from His Word, especially in the face of opposition. They were committed to excellent Christian living, which included justice and moderation. Courage was definitely easy to find in their lives as many of them were martyred for their faith. They stood bold in defense of Jesus Christ and willingly lost their lives for what they knew was the truth. Even those who were not martyred underwent severe persecution. Some were tortured, and others, such as Athanasius, were excommunicated a number of times.
Athanasius lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which at the time was the chief center of learning in the Roman Empire. He was noticed as a young boy by his bishop to have great potential in the Church. One day, the bishop looked out and noticed boys playing together. They were playing “church,” and Athanasius was performing baptisms. When Alexander asked him what exactly he said, it was decided that the young boy had actually performed legitimate baptisms! He grew up under the wing of Bishop Alexander, and when he died, Athanasius took over as Bishop of Alexandria. He went to school in Alexandria, which, as previously stated, had the best education in the empire. He learned not only the fundamental truths of Christianity but also all the other arts that were held in high esteem at the time. In other words, he was well-rounded in his education.
In his youth, a man named Arius broke off from the orthodox church and started preaching Jesus as a created being. Athanasius vehemently opposed this idea and fought long and hard against it. Emperor Constantine ordered a Council to come together at Nicaea to work out some sort of understanding among the Christians. Athanasius was the chief spokesman, and ultimately, the majority of attendants at the council agreed with his view. Thus, they wrote the Nicaean Creed, stating that Jesus Christ was not a created being but was in fact God come in the flesh. Some years later, after Rome acquired a new emperor, there was still unrest among the Arians and the rest of the Christians. The Arians still held to the belief that Jesus was created. Unfortunately for Athanasius, the new emperor sided with the Arians, and because of the former’s neverending arguments against this idea, he was banished from Alexandria. In fact, through the course of his life, Athanasius was banished five times, being called a “trouble-maker.” Nevertheless, he continued to voice his disagreement with this skewed version of Christianity.
As the Bishop of Alexandria, he was to send out an Easter letter every year, telling all the bishops when the exact date for Easter was that year. In these letters he was sure to include his arguments for Christ’s divinity. Because of his unwavering faith and relentless criticism of Arianism and other incorrect ideologies, the phrase “Athanasius contra mundum” or “Athanasius against the world” was coined. Certainly Athanasius was a man of great courage. He stood firm in his beliefs even when it meant being excommunicated for a fifth time. The persecution against him could have been much worse, considering what the earlier Church fathers went through. Even if he had been persecuted in a more violent way, we can be sure that he still would have stood his ground, and that would have given him even more confidence to stand up for the truth.
As stated, Arianism was not the only thing Athanasius openly fought against. His many writings include: On the Incarnation, Against the Heathen, Life of St. Anthony, Love and Self-Control, and On Sickness and Health, to name a few. On the Incarnation basically refutes the arguments of all of the various sects and religions of his time regarding Christ’s divinity, death, and resurrection. He explains how Jesus, as God, had to come in the flesh and literally die to save us sinful humans. There was no other way for our salvation. He refutes the Jews who are still waiting for the Messiah, saying that “no longer…is prophet raised up nor vision revealed among them” because Jesus Christ fulfilled the previous prophecies, thus ending the need for any more. In his other works, he writes on the high virtue of Christian living, the extreme courage of the martyrs, and God’s grace.Athanasius and the rest of the Church fathers really exemplified Cicero’s four virtues of wisdom, justice, courage, and moderation. Cicero held wisdom in high regard, as it is also held high in the Bible. The book of Proverbs begins with thoughts on the subject of wisdom. It says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7, NKJV). The Church fathers were highly educated, especially in the Biblical texts and words of Jesus and the apostles. They lived their lives dedicated to the spread of the Gospel. They were strong and courageous in the face of death and all danger. They stood their ground and never once backed down from what they knew to be the truth. They knew that the Word is lifesaving, and shying away from it just once could cost an unbelieving listener his life. Athanasius especially stood out among these brave men and women as he fought hard against Arianism. Though he was exiled, he continued to preach the Gospel to everyone who would hear.
S’Mores and Heretics
St. Athanasius was a prominent Church Father in the Early Church who is credited with the preservation of Orthodox Doctrine. He was a leader and guardian of the Christian faith during the era of the Early Church. The war that occurred between the father of Arianism, Arius and the Orthodox Bishops of the Early Church has forever shaped the Doctrine of Christianity. St. Athanasius was a great protector of the young Church and defended her doctrines from being corrupted by the influence of the Gnostics. Christians have been indebted to the perseverance that St. Athanasius portrayed during the war on Arianism and his aid with the penning of the Nicene Creed.
St. Athanasius was born in Alexandria around 296 AD during the great persecution of the Church. He showed signs of Christian leadership from an early age and was under the instruction of the Bishop of Alexandria, Alexander. Athanasius applied himself to the intense study of Holy Scripture and grew in knowledge of the truth which would be his guide through the spiritual warfare that he would wage throughout his life.
His greatest theological enemy were the Arians, a sect of Gnosticism that was started in Alexandria during the early years of Athanasius’ life. The Arians believed that the first and second persons of the trinity were made of different substances. They also believed that the second person of the trinity, Jesus Christ, was a created being that was totally different and set apart from God the Father. The catholic church (Universal Church) dismissed these teachings as false and heretical. And at the town of Nicaea in 325 AD the final battle for the doctrine of the Trinity would be fought.
All of the bishops from all over the Roman Empire, including the Bishop of Alexandria, Alexander and his young apprentice, Athanasius, came to Nicaea (now modern day Turkey) to decide once and for all what the doctrine of the universal Church should entail. This was at the request of the newly converted Emperor Constantine who wanted unity within his empire. The Counsel of Bishops at Nicaea along with the Emperor formed the Nicene Creed, which stated the unified doctrine of the Church. And in it they condemned the heresies of the Arians by stating that God the Father and Christ the Son are both coeternal and of the same substance and equal. Arius, the leader of the Arians was banished by Emperor Constantine and excommunicated from the Church. (It is legend that St. Nicolas punched the Heretic Arius in the face after his ex-communication!) The troubles of the Church were supposedly resolved, for the present.
Three years after the Counsel of Nicaea, Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria died and was succeeded by Athanasius. During this time Emperor Constantine had succumb to the Arians in order to “keep the peace”. The Emperor commanded Bishop Athanasius to readmit Arius, the leader of the Arians, into the Church. When Athanasius refused, the Emperor called for another counsel to convene and discuss the Nicene Trinitarianism. Athanasius went but quickly discerned from the attendees that it was an unfair fight and fled the city. He was able to gain an audience with the Emperor and when he refused to readmit Arius to the Church he was exiled, which would be the first of many exiles for St. Athanasius.
For the remainder of his life Athanasius would combat the teachings of the Arians verbally and through his writings. As a result, Athanasius was exiled, run out of town, verbally assaulted by the government and made to live a very difficult life. Because of his declaration of war against everyone who held to the teachings of the Arians, Athanasius received a tag at the end of his name to solidify his campaign: Athanasius Contra Mundum, or Athanasius against the world. He lived his life to defend the true doctrine and refused to give in to heresy, no matter the cost. Sadly, Athanasius was never able to see the final defeat of the Arians that he had worked so hard to accomplish. Just eight years after his death the new Emperor Theodosius, a firm believer of orthodox Christianity, called for another counsel, the Counsel of Constantinople, to once and for all lay the heresy of the Arians to rest and proclaim the true Trinitarian Nicene Creed. Even though Athanasius was not physically present at the time when the Nicene Creed was given its final form, his contribution to the Creed that is still used today was exemplified in his life and his war against heresy.
St. Athanasius was a firm believer in orthodox Christianity; he protected and defended the purity of doctrine in the early Church. He, in his work On the Incarnation, made some very important points that refute the Arian heresies concerning the deity of Christ. He was absolutely adamant on the point that Christ was fully God and fully man at the same point in history. While He was born into flesh early in the first century AD, He was also with the Father in eternity past and not a created being. Athanasius insisted that Christ was of the same substance as the Father and equal with Him. Athanasius showed that Christ’s incarnation, miracles, resurrection, and ascension proved His deity; while Christ’s birth, life and death proved His humanity. Athanasius revealed the need for Christ’s incarnation, such as: In order to atone for sinners, He had to become like man and die. Athanasius showed through his work on the Incarnation that Christ is the Creator, Author and Finisher of the Christian faith. These teachings in every way usurped the beliefs of the Gnostic Arians and played a substantial role in Athanasius’ war against heresy.
St. Athanasius believed that his war with the Arian Gnostics to protect the Church was ultimately bringing glory to God. He set an example of steadfastness and an unwillingness to recant doctrine for the sake of unity or cultural relevance. The church today, although it has existed in a totally different society should have the same undying loyalty to sound doctrine. The Post-Modern movement that has been spreading through the church is trying to change the message to fit the culture, just as the Arians were trying to do in the second century. The Church should take the example that Athanasius has given her, and relentlessly defend Biblical Doctrine at all cost. The life of St. Athanasius has given the example that the Church needs to go and combat heresy, protect the doctrine of the church and bring glory to God.
Essay
Essay on the Byzantium Empire. There is a debt we and all of history really owe to Byzantium. Why? Because, they may have not changed the world as much as other empires, like the Roman, and Arab empires, it can be easy to think they did nothing for it. Rather their contribution to the world was that they protected it. Though when I say world I of course mean our European civilization, Byzantium was the protective shield for Europe for a thousand years. Well if that is so why don’t we hear about it more often? I mean think about it, growing up how much did you learn about these peoples? If you were an acute student you might remember that the city was built on Constantine. If you know any more names it would probably be Justinian the Great. Beside that you would probably have to have studied it on your own or have taken the church and empires class to learn any thing more. The reason we don’t remember it as much is one; they didn’t change the world and two; they really don’t have anything to do with our history. Think the Chinese dynasties though they changed their world there so far away we forget about them. Then there’s the Aztec’s though they are very close to us they didn’t change the world so we also forget about them. What I mean by change is do any accomplishments of those civilizations last to affect us to day. In science, art, philosophy, new discoveries, famous rulers, and warfare for greatness in any of these areas or others not named the Byzantium Greeks can’t take credit. They did not change world in that sense, but you might say they changed by persevering it, but I think it describes them better if you say that they protected Europe. Protect Europe, how can you say that when Europe was overrun by barbarians? Yes, and the word barbarians is the key, The Franks may have conquered France, or the Goths Spain, but think who really conquered whom? The languages Europeans speak come from Latin, The God they worshiped wasn’t theirs, but one that was in Europe when they got there. In short though Europe was overrun the ideas of the Roman Empire were able to live on because they were bigger then those of the barbarians. Then who were the Byzantines fighting. To list the major ones; first the Persian, then the Arabs, and last the Turks. These were peoples that had culture and a God, and a way of life that swallowed up all other s that they overran. The closest Western Europe came to facing such a people was when the beat a Mongols who were far from home and tired, and the moors at Tours who also had some of the same problems. The rest were stopped by Byzantium. It was said by some historians that the reason the eastern empire remained in tact was that unlike the western their recourses were protected behind their capitol. Such a statement is hardly historical. In the third century the Persian empire a rose again to fight the Romans and in some cases beat them. From day one of the existence of Byzantium they had to fight these sophisticated peoples. Who had direct access to Anatolia, which was the main supplier of money for the empire. I would say men, except that in the early days of Byzantium thy made the mistake of relying on mercenaries to fight their wars. Later empires would correct this. The people who populated this empire called themselves Romans, but after the first two hundred years the were really Greeks, in language, law, culture, and religion. They also upheld what the Greeks how had come before them had done. That is protected the continent from eastern invaders. The Persians, traditional rivals of the Greeks, came very close came to conquering one of the strongest military cities this world has ever seen, Constantinople. This city had no weakness, if given the right a mount of men, and very had to break into in any situation. Anyway the Persians were beaten, only to be replaced by a foe just as dangerous. The Muslim, Arabs. Quickly they arose but long and strong they remained for two hundred years they were a thorn in the side of the empire. People always act as if were the superior empire. Well in much area’s they were except as far as military goes. Yes they were able to get to the gates of Constantinople several times, but they never breached the walls. In time the Arabs would begin to come apart, but Byzantium remained strong, and once again became the most powerful empire on the earth. Then came the Turks, it is quite easy to blame poor leadership for the rise of the Ottomans, but there had always been weak emperors, who nearly lost the empire. Rather full credit must be given to the Turks for their endurance to be able to survive a near wipe out by Tamerlane. Byzantium would also barley survive being knifed in the back, but they remained just strong enough to hold off the Turks a little longer. In one of the defining moments of history, with only the city left under their control the Byzantium empire fell, and the gate that had protected Europe for a thousand years had been broken. All empires fall, some quickly, a few last for many years. I mentioned only a few of the foes of Byzantium, but they were many, more perhaps then any other empire, had they fallen to any one of these a weak Europe would have been extremely vulnerable to being conquered, and changing our lives today dramatically. They held on however, when everything was against them they would always manage to find a way to prevail. When as last they did fall, it was a stronger and growing Europe that the Turks now had to face, one that though it lost the Balkans, was able to defeat them at Lapanto and Vienna, twice. The Ottoman Empire had two hundred years of Glory, and then began to fall, Byzantium had a thousand. We today are the recipients of their blood that they shed. Christendom and all of western civilization owe a dept to the men and woman Byzantium.
1000 Word Essay
Throughout the history of the church there have been many controversies. When Christianity was basically still a new thing it was not accepted as a true religion by the people and ruling powers of the day. These were the times shortly after Christ had come to earth and had been crucified for the sins of men. During this time the church was coming under severe persecutions from the outside world. Christians were being attacked for what they believed and for the practice of their religion. Not only were the Christians being attacked for what they believed but what they believed was coming under attack as well. The influence that the Church Fathers had, and still have, upon Christianity and upon the time in which they lived was of the utmost importance to the culture and the church. In a time when many things were unknown and misinterpreted the Church Fathers stood for what they believed and what was ultimately right Biblically. The Apostolic Fathers had fought to keep the true theology of the Christian Faith and interpreted it further. “They wrote for those inside the church with a twofold purpose: to refute false teachers and to strengthen believers in their faith.” [Page 123 of Church History]. During the time that the Church Fathers were living and writing their apologetics, the church was coming under attack by others preaching false doctrine trying to destroy the true message of the faith and also attacking the church. We will take a look at some of the Church Fathers that are truly looked at as saints of the faith and see how they are relevant in church history. Irenaeus is one of the Church Fathers whose works are still today seen as unclouded by the times in which he lived. Throughout his entire life he mediated the church and the false teaching of others of the time. “Irenaeus’s theology is based on unity.” He fought a battle against Gnostic and Marcionite dualism. Gnosticism is the belief of salvation by knowledge. “At a critical juncture in church history, he offered his book Against Heresies as the Christian answer.” [Getting to Know the Church Fathers pg 85]. During this time many people were being sucked into the lie of Gnosticism and were not finding the truth of Jesus Christ. The beliefs of Gnosticism were even appealing to people inside of the Church. Irenaeus wrote to the pope in Rome on this matter many times and his willingness to stand up and fight for the faith helped shape church history. In his book Against Heresies he said that “The Word of God became man; he who is Son of God was made Son of Man in order the humanity, by being taken into the Word and receiving adoption, might become the child of God”. Irenaeus showed the Catholic Church what a picture of the universal church was in this statement. He made it very clear that God came to earth in the form of man, which was Jesus Christ, and by doing this He fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament. When Christ came He came as the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. By becoming this sacrifice God made it possible to have an adoption between him and mankind if a person chose to believe that Christ was fully God and that everything that was said and taught by Christ was straight from the Father in Heaven. Irenaeus showed that there is no other way to the Father other than the Son. He left his legacy on the church and so did others that we now look to as Church Fathers. Augustine is another Church Father that impacted church history with his beliefs and his writings. Augustine was raised by a pagan father and a mother that was a devoted Christian. This would heavily influence Augustine later in his life and help him in his battle for the church. During his younger years Augustine looked to the pagan religions to justify his chosen lifestyle. He writes that he had a burning desire for the flesh and everything worldly. He was a follower of a religion that was based on dualism. It was very popular among the people of the day because it allowed them to feel that the way they were was alright because it was the evil in all of them and that evil was stronger than the good. He would use all of his experiences in life to help him to write one of the greatest books that the church has as a resource: Confessions. Augustine eventually reached the position of the bishop of Hippo and while he was there he would write another great series of books called the City of God. During this time Christianity had been recognized as a religion and the powers of the empire were trying to unite all of the empire with it. Something happened that no Roman citizen ever would have thought possible: the city of Rome fell to an outside force. Many people accused Christianity of being the sole problem of the empire. The people of the pagan faith were accusing Christians of making the empire weak and said that their beliefs were the reason that the city had fallen. Augustine would quickly fight against these assumptions that were being placed upon the Christians. He would blame the pagans and their religion. His writings would help the Christians and the church stay out of the whirlwind of these false accusations. So it can be seen what a powerful influence the Church Fathers had on history and are still having to this very day. These are just two of many that stood unwavering for the faith, always doing what God had led them to do. Their writings are still very important today and can still be used for the problems that we all face in today’s church and the outside world.
Essay – Reason and Faith: Jesus, The Divine Truth
1000 Word Essay – “Reason and Faith—Jesus, The Divine Truth” by Zoey Kim
God is generous enough to embrace all human histories into “His Story.” Throughout history, people have been searching for truth within their reason, and they have failed due to their lack of faith. Many philosophers and scholars from the ancient time to the present have been persuading a divine wisdom and knowledge; however, without faith, they could not reach the divine knowledge and even have rejected the Divine Truth. The divine wisdom has been given to those who ask, look, and knock with faith (Matt 7:7), and Jesus Christ, the Divine Truth, has been revealing Himself to those who seek Him with eyes of faith. With our reason and faith, we would be able to see that Jesus is the Divine Truth and the true model of what the human history has been looking for. The life of Jesus Christ, His teaching, the Scripture, our reason, and faith are the evidence.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, NIV). John stated the Word (Logos) was God. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Scripture clearly gives evidence that Jesus was the Word, and was full of grace and truth. Truth came from Jesus (John 1:17). The search for wisdom, however, was never separated from faith in the Lord, and those who put their faith in God experienced the conviction of the Lord throughout history. God alone is perfect Wisdom to be found.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov 9:10). This can be regarded as the principle of true wisdom. The author of Corinthians mentioned that the world through its wisdom did not know God and His wisdom (1 Cor 1:21). Many philosophers had been seeking true wisdom, yet they did not know God’s wisdom due to their own pride. In addition, Peter wrote a letter to faithful disciples that Jesus’ divine power gave those who trust in Him everything they need for life and godliness through their knowledge of Him (2 Pet 1:3). In other words, if one believes and trusts in the Lord, wisdom that directs worldly knowledge for life will be given to the person. Divine Wisdom is not a conceptual principle but rather a person who came from God, was with God from the beginning (John 1:1), and was filled with delight day after day rejoicing in the presence of God, the Creator (Prov 8:30). The Apostle Paul affirmed Jesus’ wisdom with remarkable insight: God has made Christ to be wisdom itself. He made Christ also justice, our sanctification, and our redemption (1 Cor 1:30). The Wisdom of God, Jesus, guides to a full knowledge of the divine will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9). When Jesus was only twelve years old, all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding (Luke 2:47), and during the years of His ministry, many were astonished at Jesus’ teaching and asked, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom that has been given him?” (Mark 6:2)
“Come, now, let us reason together” (Isa 1:18). Charles Jefferson stated about Jesus, “His attitude from first to last is the attitude of God as pictured by Isaiah.” His ability to teach seems like Jesus’ natural or God given talent. He fulfilled the purpose of teaching, led His listeners to the deeper level of human mind, and helped them to think. Although He knew everything, Jesus habitually asked, “What do you think?” His expectation for people was to let them think. His teaching gave clear understanding of the messages, which reflect only truth; He touched the spirits of His hearers. Jesus was different from the virtuous pagans or the sophists, who brought arguments for the sake of quarrel or for fame and fortune. He knew His listeners very well, so that He was able to identify and understand each one of them. His message, which directly connected to His hearers’ daily experiences, easily caught everybody’s attention. He answered every request immediately and spontaneously, and appreciated and listened when He was challenged. His wisdom and knowledge was beyond people’s expectation, and His insight was too high for those who tried to trap Him with their questions. Not only was Jesus the supreme teacher, but in general, He was the best. Charles Jefferson well describes the greatness of Jesus:
“He never chiseled a statue or painted a picture or wrote a poem or composed a piece of music. . . . He did absolutely nothing in art, literature, science, philosophy, invention, statesmanship or war, the seven kingdoms in which the world’s great men have won their crowns. And yet everybody calls Jesus great. . . . Not only is he counted great, but in a large part of the world he is counted greatest—so great that no one else can be compared with him.”
Many people have been searching for a prominent teacher, justice, peace, moral characters for a perfect society, deeper knowledge, and above all, heavenly truth. People, indeed, have been searching for absolute truth in nature, in art, in character, and in human life. Many scholars wanted to provide people a good education, so that people could have a moral, beneficial, and happy life. Of course, Jesus was not the great artist or well-known composer, but He was full of knowledge, and a lived righteous and holy life. Plato said that knowledge is incapable of being mistaken, but belief can be mistaken. If knowledge cannot be a form of belief, how can one believe what the person knows? Although Plato, later, explored knowledge that can be true belief, he failed to seek the true knowledge. Regardless of Plato’s own conflict of this particular theory, Jesus was unchanging character and is all sources of knowledge and truth. The author of Psalms prayed for God to teach knowledge and good judgment, since he believes in Him (Ps 119:66). His divine wisdom, knowledge, moral behaviors, and character give clear evidence that he was a true Model of what the human history has been in pursuit of.
Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and that if you hold to my teaching, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8: 32). His teaching and preaching reflected divine knowledge, power, authority, and His good character. Jesus’ aspiration in speaking, His manner, and impact as an educator were what most philosophers had pursued. Although many of them thought that no one would really ever know anything real at all, Jesus, full of grace and truth, became flesh, dwelled among people (John 1:14), and shared His divine insight. The Logos had never intended to mislead or to distracting people with His oratory; rather, He poured out His Divine love and wisdom to the bodies. One, with reason and faith that came from the Holy Spirit, can clearly see that Jesus is the Divine Truth.
The Persecuted Church
He was a teacher from Asia who taught multitudes not to sacrifice to the gods nor worship them. Through a vision he had, he said that he must be burned alive. After he was bound to the stake, he prayed and awaited the fire. The flames gave the appearance of an oven around him. He was in the midst, not like burning flesh, but like gold and silver purified in the flames. A fragrant odour, like the fumes of incense, or other precious aromatic drugs, was perceived. When the persecutors saw that his body could not be consumed by fire, they commanded the executor to plunge his sword into him. When this was done, such a quantity of blood gushed forth that the fire was extinguished. His body was later burned according to the custom of the Gentiles, and his bones were buried. (http://www.innvista.com/culture/religion/earlmart.htm) The story of Polycarp is but one of the many tales of persecution and martyrdom throughout the history of Christianity.
Inevitably when faith arises persecution is soon to follow. Persecution is not limited to a single faith, but is universal. New faith rubs raw the traditions of established faith, thus introducing a conflict of ideas. Conflicts of ideology are rarely resolved in a solely a war of words. Words often become threats, and threats lead to action. The strong then predictably persecute the weak. This is no more apparent than in the rise of the Christian Church. From the death of Christ to the martyrs of today, Christianity has endured 2000 years of bloodshed.
From Christ to Constantine:
The Apostles themselves were among the first to experience the kind of persecution and death that become the staple for those who professed a faith in Christ in the early years of their faith. Indeed, all of the Apostles save John died a martyr’s death. Although according the popular history of the faith John was saved from attempts on his life more than once. Peter, the Rock, was crucified upside-down. James was beheaded during the persecutions of Herod Agrippa I. They each suffered a horrendous death all under the same indictment of a relentless stance for their faith in Christ.
The first major persecution of the faith occurred during the reign of Nero. Nero is rumored to have started a fire that burned a large portion of the city of Rome. In his cleverness and due to his disdain for the lack of worship to him that the Christians offered, he blamed Christians for starting the fire. Christians were lead to gladiatorial “games” and force to recant or die. Those who refused were brutally killed. Nero is also reported to have tied Christians onto poles and lit them on fire to provide light for his parties.
Christians fared no better under the rules of such emperors as Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The most stunning thing about these persecutions was that the Christians were not being persecuted because they believed differently from the rest of the Romans, but mainly because they refused to worship the emperor. Their persecution was made legal time and time again, and time and time again Christians were harassed and slaughtered.
It was under the rule of Decius that the first empire wide persecution of Christians took place. This continued under the rule of Diocletian and Galerius. This was known as the great persecution. Christians were forced to open sacrifices in worship of the emperor and told if they did not make the sacrifice they would be killed. This kind of persecution continued off and on under the rise of Constantine and the Edict of Milan. Throughout history though, Christians have willingly endured suffering and death in the name of Christ.
A Different Kind of Persecution:
With such a rich history of persecution one can hardly assume that this no longer happens in the world. In fact, there are documented cases of Christians being put to death everyday around the world. As has been the case of the persecuted church in history, those who find the most persecution find the most growth. However, in the luxury of American culture this is rarely seen. Why then in a pampered society in which Christians are free to worship as they wish does the American Church not flourish even more? It must be said that though Christians do not face the threat of death we face an even deadlier form of persecution.
This persecution is not a threat of death or physical punishment, but is one that attacks the very nature of what it means to live in American culture. Christians in America face the encroachment of a corrupt society on the tenants of their faith. Slowly those rights held by the church are being snuffed away. There is a subversive attack against the faith that is intended to undermine Christian principles. Starting in the late 1960’s with the removal of the Ten Commandments in schools to the abolishment of prayer in schools in the 1970’s. Gradually the things that have held the moral compass of our great nation are being stripped away.
The deliberate attack against Christian morals and values has left the American church stagnant. Christians who stand for their beliefs now face ridicule and loss of face, the consequences that Americans fear more than anything. The very natures of these attacks render most American Christians as ineffective as bandage placed on the wrong finger.
Americans must now make a choice. To be effective one must not fear the ridicule of the ignorant masses, nor should they fear the loss of face that will inevitably come in the eyes of a liberal society. Conservative Bible believing Christians must learn from the example of their spiritual forefathers. Persecution is inevitable, but it is how the Church responds to that persecution that shapes the course of history. Will the American church falter and die in the face of adversity or will it rise from the ashes and bring about a revival in the land?