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Trinitarian & Christological Orthodoxy

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A Brief Overview of Christian Orthodoxy: Trinitarian and Christological Controversies By Charles Williams Last revised: August 9, 2009 The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 A.D.) Concerning Against Text God the Father Gnosticism & We believe in one God Marcionism The Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, Valentinianism And of all things visible and invisible; God the Son And in one Lord Jesus Christ The only-begotten Son of God, Adoptionism Begotten of his Father before all time, God of God, Light of Light, Arianism Very God of very God, Begotten, not created, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made; Who for us and our salvation Came down from heaven, Adoptionism And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost Of the virgin Mary, Apollinarianism And was made man; Docetism And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; And the third day he rose again According to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven, And sits at the right hand of the Father; Modalism And he shall come again, with glory, To judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. God the Holy Spirit Macedonianism And we believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord And Giver of Life Who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]*; Who with the Father and the Son Together is worshiped and glorified; Marcionism Who spake by the Prophets. The Church And we believe in one holy Catholic & Last Things And Apostolic Church; Donatism We acknowledge one Baptism For the remission of sins; Gnosticism And we look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen. *The Filioque Clause [Latin for ‘and the Son’] is used only in the Western Churches. Definition of Chalcedon (451) Against (Heresy) Text Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Priscillianism; at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, Docetism; Gnosticism Arianism truly God and truly man, Apollinarianism; consisting also of a reasonable [that is, a human] soul and body; Docetism; Priscillianism Arianism; Semi- of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, Arianism;Anomeanism Docetism; and at the same time of one substance with us Gnosticism as regards his manhood; Apollinarianism; like us in all respects, apart from sin; Docetism Adoptionism as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, Docetism but yet as regards his manhood begotten, Pelagianism for us men and for our salvation, Adoptionism; of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; Nestorianism one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, Monophysitism; recognized in two natures, Eutychianism Monophysitism without confusion, Modalism; without change, Seballianism; Eutychianism Nestorianism without division, Nestorianism without separation; Monophysitism the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, Monophysitism but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved Nestorianism and coming together to form one person and subsistence, Monophysitism not as parted or separated into two persons, Nestorianism but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; Marcionism even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, All other heresies and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us. repudiated in the Constantinopolitan Creed Cultural Trends and the Emergence of Heretical Belief Systems There were five major centers in early Christianity that eventually came to be known as Patriarchates (or ‘sees’). The bishops of these cities were called Patriarchs, and by the 4th century were seen as being the leading rulers of the worldwide (‘ecumenical’) Christian communities. Their joint-rule was known as the Pentarchy, and was seen initially as being a council of elders. Over time, however, some of the Bishops of Rome (who eventually came to be known as the Pope) came to assert their authority as being higher than the other four over time. Ranked in order from highest to lowest importance: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. During the initial centuries of Christian development, Alexandria and Antioch were the predominant theological centers, both cities approaching Scripture and theology from radically different philosophical backgrounds. Though not every theologian who came from these two cities were heretics (quite the contrary, in fact), the theoretical underpinnings of these two cities laid the groundwork for different heretical trends. (Some heresies will sound very Alexandrian, others very Antiochian, as you will soon see.) Alexandrian Tendencies Antiochian Tendencies Docetism Adoptionist Platonic thought - abstract Aristotelian - empirical Greek Judaic Emphasized Unity of Godhead over Emphasized Diversity of Godhead over Diversity Unity Allegorical interpretation of Scripture Literal interpretation of Scripture Philosophical (metaphysical) Ethical Mystical Rational Gnostic Legalistic No real incarnation No real atonement Spiritual Emphasis Historical Heresies – In short, heresies are false teachings and assumptions that distort the gospel and harm the believers who adhere to (many times unwittingly) to these false teachings. The major heresies of the first five centuries can be grouped into three main headings: Trinitarian, Christological, and Other. Misunderstandings regarding the Trinity fall into one of two main categories: Modalist and Subordinationist. Errors regarding one’s view of Christ (i.e., one’s “Christology”) can be broken into four main categories: Docetic, Adoptionist, Arian, and the Non-Hypostatic Union theologies that for the most part came after the Council of Nicaea. Finally, there were blunders that came about regarding the Church, Predestination, and Scripture. These fall into the ‘Other’ Category that characterize church life, faith, and practice. All the major heresies will fall under one of these three categories (Trinity, Christology, Church faith and practice). Note: In many cases, heresies will overlap categorically. Keep in mind that the theological implications of a Christological heresy will ultimately bear down on one’s view of the Trinity as being in some way unorthodox as well, and vice versa. For example, Arianism denies both Jesus’ full incarnation (a Christological problem) as well as his deity (a Trinitarian problem). Regarding its’ Christological category, in many ways Arianism adopts both Docetic and Adoptionist tendencies – hence my reasoning for making Arianism its own separate category. As you read through the following categories and descriptions, discuss the following questions, and reason to see if any of these errors and misunderstandings are ones you yourself have regarding the Godhead. Discussion Questions 1. In what ways are each of these heresies cruel to both God and man? In what ways do these heresies affect one’s view of salvation? 2. Which Scriptural passages could heretics use to support these positions? How do you respond? 3. What are some Scriptural passages that counter these heretical teachings? 4. Are there any contemporary movements and ideas floating around in Christianity today that resemble any of these heresies? In what ways can you as an individual or a local congregation counter these false gospels? List of Ancient Heresies Type Sub-Type Specific Heresy Description Trinitarian Modalist Modalism The most common type of Trinitarian heresy; claims that God is one person who reveals himself in three different forms or modes – like an actor wearing three different masks. Sabellianism Also known as Modal Monarchianism; named after a famous 3rd century Modalist teacher named Sabbellius; a form of Modalism that tried to protect the unity/monotheism of Christianity by saying that God reveals himself in three distinct, though temporary manifestations: the Father in Creation, the Son in Redemption, and the Spirit in Sanctification and Regeneration; also known as ‘Patripassianism’ (Father- suffered-ism) among its critics, because of the claim that if God is one, then it is possible to say that the Father was crucified. Subordinationist - Monarchianism Monarchists attempted to protect group heading for the sovereign rule of one God all Trinitarian over creation. Monarchists can heresies that treat be divvied into two main groups: God the Father as Modal Monarchianism (see being superior to Modalism above) and Dynamic Jesus and the Monarchianism (also known as Holy Spirit, either Adoptionism – see below for in divinity, further info.) power, or glory. (Cf. WSC #2) Arianism See Below. Semi-Arianism See Below. Macedonianis; The 4th century Bishop Macedonious of Constantinople taught that the Holy Spirit was not divine, and that Jesus was only of similar substance (homoiousion) to the Father, not of the same substance (homoousioun); its’ adherents were then known as the Pneumatomachi (“combaters against the Spirit”) and Macedonians in Constantinople, and called the Tropici in Alexandria; Christological Docetic – Docetism One of the earliest heresies to No Real emerge (it seems as though Incarnation 1 John is directed against Docetists), Docetism is the belief that Jesus was not a real human, but only ‘seemed’ (Greek, dokeo) human, but was actually incorporeal; thus, Jesus neither suffered nor was crucified, seeing as how a spirit can neither suffer nor be killed. Marcionism Based off the teachings of the twice-excommunicated Marcion of Sinope, who around 144 AD began teaching that
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