Nicene Christology
The Councils
The Council of Nicaea convened in 325. The Council of Constantinople followed in 381. The Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon were convened in 431 and 451 respectively. At all of these councils, the main issues were around the nature and personhood of Christ. His relationship to the Father, the relationship of the Holy Spirit to both, the meaning of the Trinity, the humanity and divinity of Christ—all of this was discussed and argued in different ways. The arguments went on for more than one hundred years as new ways of thinking about Jesus and God arose. People like Arius and Nestorius were trying to apply logic and reason to an issue that had to largely be taken on faith. In other words, they were trying to rationalize the God-Man so that it made sense, but the Church wanted them to accept the mystery of God Christ as both deity and man at one and the same time.
The main issue at the Council of Nicaea was the Arian heresy. Arius had raised questions about the nature of Christ—was he wholly god or wholly man? What was his nature? Arius held an essentially anti-Trinitarian view of God and believed the Christ was begotten by the Father but not pre-existing like the Father from all time. Thus, Arius maintained Christ had a different nature. The Council proclaimed that Christ had two natures—a human and a divine, both existing simultaneously in His One Person, which was equal to the other Two Persons of the Holy Trinity. The Nicene Creed was codified, in which Christ was defined as being consubstantial with the Father.
Emperor Theodosius called the Council of Constantinople to order. The Nicene Creed had to be confirmed and the Macedonian heresy had to be addressed. Arianism was also still an issue, and a new pope needed to be selected who was not an Arian. Athanasius was exiled for being an opponent of Arianism, as many church members leaned towards the heresy. At the same time, the Macedonian heresy attacked the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The outcome was that the Creed was confirmed and the heresies condemned.
Emperor Theodosius II called the Council of Ephesus to order. The heresies of Nestorius and Pelagius were addressed and the idea that Mary only conceived the man Jesus and not God the Christ was also addressed. Cyril of Alexandria opposed Nestorius, who advocated for the position of...
Orthodox Position of the Person of Christ Jesus Christ is at the center of the Christian doctrine as every theological thought in Christianity revolves around his personality as one of the Holy Trinity. Christ's divine and human nature on one side and his mission of savior of the world, on the other, have provided endless sources for discussion and debates over the decades. Theologians, historians and philosophers have tried to reconcile
In the second edition to Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chapell provides a guide to expository preaching based on the fundamental principle that the purpose of preaching is to promote union with Christ. According to Chapell, union with Christ has personal, community, and theological or cosmological implications. The second edition to the Chapell text includes several amendments and additions, encouraging libraries to stock both copies. Moreover, the author
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Tracing the development of Christianity thousands of years ago demonstrates a journey that was as varied and as rife with controversy, confusion and integrity as developing democracy in America. In examining this multi-faceted and a times nebulous process, greater insight into modern-day Christianity can more easily be gained. The seven ecumenical councils of the early Church had clear positions regarding Jesus Christ within the evolving Trinitarian theology of the era.
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