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Home , 5th century, Ebionites, Synod

Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University

Faculty Publications

2021

Historical Christological

Trevor O'Reggio

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Part of the History of Commons Historical Christological Heresies Dr. Trevor O’Reggio Viewpoints of the Ebionites Docetists Arians Basilides Arius, Presbyter of Valentinus Proponents Alexandria Patripassians (?) Sabellians Time 2nd Late

Denial Genuine deity Genuine humanity Genuine deity Christ was the first Christ had the Spirit appeared and highest created Explanation after his ; he human but was being, homoiousia, was not preexistent really divine not homoousia No No official Council of Nicea, Condemned condemnation condemnation A.D. 325 Evil of the material world and oussian Associated with Legalism of man as generation=creation taught by Marcion and Gnostics Viewpoints of the Ebionites Docetists Arians They teach that They are They affirm Christ’s Argument for Christ is subordinate monotheistic deity to the Father Only a divine Christ is If Christ were not worthy of worship; Only a divine Christ human He could not this view tends is worthy of worship Argument against redeem humanity toward polytheism. (John 1:1; 20:28 (Heb. 2:4; 1 John 4:1- Only a divine Christ Heb. 13:8) 3) can save (Phil. 2:6; Rev. 1:8) Hippolytus Irenaeus Athanasius Major Opponents Origen Hippolytus Ossius Viewpoints of the Appollinarians Nestorians Eutychians Represented by Appollinarius, Represented by Nestorius, 5th-century Proponents of Laodicea Eutychius bishop of Theodosius II Constantinople Time 4th century 5th century 5th century Completeness of Denial Unity of person Distinction of natures humanity Union was moral, not Monophysitist; the organic-thus two human nature was The divine too persons. The human swallowed by the Explanation the place of the was completely divine to create a human mind controlled by the new third nature- divine tertium quid

Council of Antioch, A.D. 405; defended by A.D. 378, 379 Synod of Ephesus, “Robber Synod” of Condemned Council of A.D. 731 Ephesus, A.D. 449; Constantinople Condemned by A.D. 381 Chalcedon, A.D. 451 Viewpoints of the Appollinarians Nestorians Eutychians “Word-man” (Antiochene) not Concern for the unity “word-flesh” Logos=reason in all and divinity of Christ; Associated with (Alexandrian) people Alexandrian ; opposed (minimized humanity) to using of Mary If the death of Jesus If Christ did not have If Christ were neither was the act of a a human mind, he a man or God, he human person, not of Argument against would not be truly could not redeem as God, it could not be human (Heb. 2:14; 1 man or as God (Phil. efficacious (Rev. John 4:1-3) 2:6) 1:12-18) Vitalis Flavian of Pope Damascus Constantinople Basil, Theodosius Pope Leo Major Opponents Gregory of Nazianzen Eusebius of Dorylaeum

Gnosticism

 Gnosis=knowledge  Services in Jewish Alexandrian Philosophy-Philo ◦ Influenced by and Zoroastrianism  Aim of ◦ Intellectual enlightenment not moral ◦ Freedom from bondage of matter rather than from corruption of sin Gnosticism

 Main characteristic ◦ Syncretism combined with mystical, magical, and philosophical  Three main types ◦ Earliest In Syria   Menander  Saturninus Alexandrian Tradition

 Basilides ◦ Godhead- non-existence  Valentinus ◦ Greatest Gnostic  Aim ◦ Attain superior knowledge of invisible world ◦ Cosmic return to God ◦ Assert freedom of soul deny power of the flesh Marcion

 Main idea ◦ and incompatible ◦ God of O.T. inferior ◦ God of N.T superior  Influence in Christian thought and life ◦ Widely defused throughout Christian churches during the 2nd and 3rd ◦ Led to amalgamation of Christian and pagan thought