Ecumenical Councils

(Originally written March 17, 2006 in 3 Subject)

Christological Controversies (100-325 AD)

Ebonites (Jewish Sect)

Modalism - anti-Trinitarian doctrine

Praxeas - identifies Father and Son as one (patripassianism)

Tertullian's response to patripassianism: "Praxeas has put to flight the Paraclete and crucified the Father!"

Paul of Samosata: Christ has homoousion (same substance) as God, but not is not a second person, an anti-Trinitarian doctrine

The First Four Ecumenical Councils (325 - 451 AD)

1. Council of Nicea (325 AD)

Arius (Arianism)
- "There was a time when Christ was not"
-Jesus the first of God's creation
-"Like" substance, but not the same as the Father
-Homoiousion with the father, not homoousion

Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria)
-Christ has homoousion with the father
-This is where the phrase "one iota of difference" comes from

2. Council of Constantinople (381 AD)
-Appollinarius (Apollinarianism)
-supports homoousion, but denies that Christ has a human mind/spirit

Athanasius and Apolinarius were allies against Arianism, but Athanasius opposed Apollinarius

Gregory of Nazianzus- "What Christ has not assumed he has not healed; it is what is united to His Deity that is saved"

The verdict of the Council of Constantinople is that Christ is both divine and human

3a. Council of Ephesus (431 AD)
-Monophysite & Nestorian Heresies
- mono = one, physis = nature
-Monophysite Christology - Christ is one person with one nature
-Key issue is salvation
-Resolution - one person, two natures
-Mary is hailed theotokos "mother of God", contrary to the Nestorian claim of "mother of Christ"

3b. Robber Synod at Ephesus (449 AD)
-Monophysites out maneuvered by Leo I, bishop of Rome & other orthodox bishops
-Emperor Theodosius II then convenes 135 bishops who  excommunicate Pope Leo I
-A year after Theodosius II is dead and the new emperor sides with Pope Leo I

4. Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)
-Council was moved to Chalcedon for security reasons
-More than 600 bishops in attendance
-Pope Leo I emissaries state "vere deus, vere homo"
-Eastern Bishops agree
-Result: Doctrine of hypostatic union becomes the orthodox view of the Person of Christ (Nicene Creed, article 2)