Early Christian Writings Essay

In the beginning of IV century Arius announced that the Father is the only one veritable God, and the Son is His creation. Son was created from nothing, but He has an advantage over the other people, because He was created before time and centuries. Arius teaching is one of the forms of subordination, – a teaching about subordination of the Son to the Father, and the Saint Spirit to the Son. Arius has the following positions: 1. Logos had the beginning of his being ( , erat, quando non erat), because in other case there wouldn’t be any monarchy. In such case could be possible a diarchy (two principles), because He wouldn’t be the Son, – the Son is not the Father. 2. Logos started his existence not from the essence of Father – this could lead to division or partition of Divine Creature, or to sensual concepts, which could bring down the God to human world, – but He was created from nothing by his Father’s will ; 3. He has existence before-time and before-world, but it is not eternal existence; so He is not the veritable God, but he is different from God-Father by his essence, he is a creature ( , ) and Testament uses such expressions about Him; 4. Although the Son is a creature by essence, he has advantage over other people, because he have supreme qualities after the God. The God created everything through Him. First of all God created Him, as the beginning of all paths; 5. In case they call the Son equal to the God you should understand that He is equal by His Father’s will. 6. His will, as it was created, primarily was changeable – equally inclined both for good and to evil. Alexander tried to convince Arius that he was wrong by admonitions, although without success. After fruitless attempts Alexander invited bishops from Egypt and Lebanon and by will of Council expels Arius from Alexandria as well as his followers. There was found ‘The Synodal Letter of the Council of Antioch’, which condemns principles of Arius, but not strictly. Almost all bishops signed this letter (except of three bishops). Alexander tries also to warn other bishops about danger of heresy and, finally, writes a letter to Emperor Constantine the Great. The emperor regrets about quarrels in the Church and asks to make peace. It was impossible, and a little bit later the Church calls Nicaea Council, where after long debates the Church wrote ‘Symbol of belief’ and adopted it. Arius didn’t agree (his followers also protested to symbol of belief and pretending that they agree, changed a letter in word ‘omousius’ (‘similar’, ‘like’ instead of mono-, uni-) and signed the document. The Church discovered falsification, condemned teaching of Arius and expelled him. .