Heresies Confronted By The Early Church Series

After Arius was excommunicated, he wrote jingles and set them to music to teach his doctrine and he launched a letter campaign to persuade others to his point of view. Arius’ friend Eusibius was also a friend of Constantine, Emperor of Rome. He persuaded Constantine defend Arius. Constantine sent letters to Athanasius, the advisor to Alexander, the bishop who excommunicated Arius urging for harmony on this issue. Because the deity of Christ is a foundational issue to historical Christianity, harmony was not achieved. Constantine then called for the first officially sanctioned council of Churches in Rome. Arianism was not a popular teaching in the western churches in Rome, therefore only 10 bishops responded and attended the council. In the east, where Arius was gaining popularity, this heresy was a big concern, therefore over 300 eastern bishops attended.

After a heated debate, the vote was almost unanimous against this heresy and the church officially adopted a creed to state its belief on the deity of Christ. Included were the word ‘homoousios’, affirming that Jesus was of the same substance as the Father, yet separate in personhood. Only two bishops voted in favor of Arius. One was his friend Eusibius. Contrary to popular misconception, Constantine did not have a vote, nor did he participate in the arguments for or against the Trinity.

The almost unanimous vote was soon overturned when Constantine used his political power within the church. After the council of Nicaea, Constantine converted to Arianism. Soon after, anyone who opposed the Arian doctrine was exiled. One of the exiles was the bishop Alexander who excommunicated Arius. It is commonly taught that Constantine instituted the Trinity doctrine into the church. History reveals that the opposite is true. Constantine was baptized as an Arian. The Arians were anti-Trinitarians. The change in the church was not as the result of the Council of Nicaea. At the council, the historic position of the church was affirmed and written into a creed. It was after this council that historic Christianity was exiled and replaced with the Arian heresy.

There were many other heresies and schisms that plagued the church. Many of these gave birth to religious beliefs that continue today. In the last part of this section I want to address a few of those who hold these beliefs.

Watch Tower Saints

The Watch Tower Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses find their roots in a mixture of early church heresies. They deny the deity of Christ. This religion teaches that Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave but was raised as Michael the Archangel. This is similar to several sects of Gnostic beliefs. Some Gnostics believe that Jesus existed as a spirit before the incarnation and he was released from the body after his death. Of course there are many variations to the Gnostic beliefs, but the ‘spirit being Jesus’ of the JW’s is related to Gnosticism.

Like the Arians, JW’s believe that Jesus was a created being and is not equal with the Father. If you listen to their missionaries or read their literature, you find that they claim that the church was corrupted at the council of Nicaea and they have restored it. Historic Christianity tells a different story. Hundreds of years before this council, the church fathers (some of whom were taught directly by the apostles) said: