II. Early Church Fathers and Creedal Development (responding to the issues raised above)
When Constantine became emperor in 313, several "flavors" of Christian philosophies were in existence. Some of these are described below. The Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 451, respectively, took place in order to define what orthodox Christianity meant.
Manichaeism.
Probably the most well known of the Gnostic sects was Manichaeism. It was founded by Mani (216-276) in about 240. One of the most well known early adherents of Manichaeism was St. Augustine, who, although an adherent of Mani, later rejected the teachings of Gnosticism. Mani was uncompromisingly dualistic in his thinking, and Manichaeism reflected this. Mani believed that there had been a primeval conflict between light and darkness. Satan had stolen particles of light from the World of the Light, and imprisoned them in the brains of human beings. Jesus, Buddha, the Prophets, and Mani has been sent to help in the task of releasing those particles of light so that they could return to the World of the Light. Acetical practices were seen as essential to the process of release of the light. The sect was well established in Egypt by the 3rd century and in Rome by the 4th century.
Ebionism.
Ebionism was one of several Gnostic sects that was interested in defining the person of Christ (see the tables below). The Ebionites were a sect of Jewish Christians that fluorished in the early centuries of the Christian era. Ebionites believed in the humanity of Jesus. Jesus was, according to the Ebionites, the human son of Joseph and Mary, and that the Holy Spirit lighted on Jesus at his baptism. They rejected the Pauline epistles, and were said to have used only one gospel, the Gospel of the Ebionites, and there is controvery as to whether this was the Gospel of Matthew or some other text.
Montanism.
Montanism began as an apocalyptic movement in the latter half of the second century, and was begun by Montanus in Phrygia. The Montanists believed that the Holy Spirit would quickly pour out over the whole church. Montanus believed that the heavenly Jerusalem (see the Revelation of John) would descend near Pepuza in Phyrigia. Asceticism was also a feature of Montanism, especially in Roman Africa. It was condemned by the Pope in about 200.
Docetism.
Docetists believed that since it was impossible to kill God, Jesus, who was God incarnate, did not die at the crucifixion. Instead, he "jumped off the cross" just before death. In other forms, it was believed that Judas Iscariot or Somon of Cyrene changed places with Jesus. In any event, the Docetic view denied the humanity of Jesus.
Arianism.
Arius (d. 336) was a well respected preacher and priest. He was a well known ascetic who founded the Arian movement. Arius believed that Christ was not as divine as God, in other words, Jesus was subordinate to God. The Arian view was that Jesus and God were separate entities. God was the ultimate transcendent Being, and teh Son was a product of the Father's will. The major difference between God the Father and Jesus the Son was that Jesus had a beginning (he was begotten) whereas God was timeless and eternal. It was this teaching that was the primary rason for the calling of the first ecumenical council at Nicaea. The key words in the Nicene creed aimed directly at refuting Arian claims are "True God from true god" and "of one substance with the Father" (substance being the homoousios in Greek).Athanasius was the chief proponent of orthodoxy who spoke against Arius.
Nestorianism.
Nestorius (ca. 351-451), or at least his followers, taught that there were two separate, distinct persons in Christ, one human and one divine. Nestorius firmly rejected the term "Theodokos" (God bearer) as applied to Mary the mother of Jesus. Nestorius was opposed by Eutyches.
Eutychianism.
Eutyches (378-454) held that the human and divine characteristics of Jesus were separate. Further, Eutyches held that Jesus' humanness was not the same as the humanness of ordinary human beings. The Council of Constantinople (451) held that the incarnate Christ was one person in two natures. Eutyches held that Christ was one person with one nature. Note that this new is exactly opposite of Nestorianism.
Apollinariasm.
Apollanarius (310-390) was a Bishop and close friend of Athanasius. Like Athanasius, Apollanarius believed that Christ, in order to save humankind, had to be infallible and unchangeable. But this presented a problem, because if Jesus was human, then be would be fallible. Apollanarius believed that for Jesus to be infallible, Jesus could not be fully human. Jesus, therefore, lacked a human spirit, and was therefore driven only by the divine soul of God.
Some of Pre-Nicene Christian
Heresies (Reprinted from Robert C. Walton.
Charts of New Church History.Grand Rapids,
Some False
Views of the Christ. (Reprinted
from H. Wayne House.
Charts of CHrsitian Theology & Doctrine.
Publishing House, 1992. Chart 28.)
There are three creeds in the Book of Common Prayer:
(1) The Apostles Creed, which predates the Nicene creed (see
below)
(2) The Nicene creed, which reached its final form at the Council of Constantinople
in 451. (see below)
(3) The Athanasian Creed, which was not written to Athanasius, but later attributed
to him. It was written about or perhaps after 428 in response to the heresies
of Apollinarius, Nestorian, and Eutyches. (see below)
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Creed of Saint Athanasius
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the
Catholic Faith.
Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he
shall perish everlastingly.
And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity
in Unity,
neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of
the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one,
the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost
incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one
uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every
Person by himself to be both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods,
or three Lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created,
nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy
Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less
than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity
in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe
rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, is God and Man;
God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man,
of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;
Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;
Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father,
as touching his Manhood.
Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood
into God;
One altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third
day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,
from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies and shall give
account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that
have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot
be saved.