When the Church Was Young by Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Author:Marcellino D'Ambrosio [D'Ambrosio, Marcellino]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Theology / REL067080 - History, RELIGION / Christianity / REL010000 - Catholic
ISBN: 9781616367787
Publisher: Franciscan Media
Published: 2014-06-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Nicaea, the First Ecumenical Council

Contemporaries described Arius as sophisticated, austere, and serious, even grim. The description fit with his past; he had been part of a rigorist Egyptian sect that refused to associate with sinners or any Christians who associated with them. The bishop of Alexandria had bent over backward to heal the schism. Perhaps the kind old bishop was a bit too gracious. He had not only accepted the somber cleric back into communion, but even gave him care of one of the most prestigious churches in the bustling port district of the city. There, beginning in A.D. 313, Arius built quite a following for himself. It was said that over seven hundred consecrated virgins and many wealthy widows hung on his every word.

To many others, however, his words were disturbing. “God is one,” he said. So far, so good. But then he went on to argue that if God is one and unique, then Jesus can’t also be God. Certainly, Jesus is the incarnation of the Word213; that is plainly taught in Scripture (see John 1:1–4). However, the Word is distinct from God. He is the only-begotten one, the firstborn Son. That means that he is the only one that God created directly. In other words, God made the Word first, out of nothing, so that he could use him to make everything else. This was necessary because the finite creatures God intended to create could not possibly endure the awesome power they would encounter should God create them directly. Almighty God, then, needed an instrument, an intermediary. So God created the Word, the first of his creatures. This Word was to be the brush in the hand of the Divine Artist.

Of course, taught Arius, since the Son was created out of nothing like everything else, there obviously was a time when he was not. The Son is wonderful, most assuredly. But if a line were to be drawn separating the infinite, uncreated God from finite, created nature, God the Father alone would be on the divine, “supernatural” side of the line, and the Word would be on the other side with us and the rest of the created universe.

An additional corollary to this teaching was also alarming: God the Father is so utterly transcendent that the Word really can’t know him as he truly is. Therefore, he can’t fully reveal the Father to us. But perhaps that is just as well. For if even the Word himself can’t know God, neither can we. Moreover, the Word, being a creature, can change. That means he could have possibly sinned, as Lucifer did. But God, foreseeing his merits, granted him the grace needed to protect him from falling. So yes, he is called “Son.” But only by virtue of adoption, thanks to the grace of God, which he needs as much as we do. For Arius and his disciples, this adopted Son is utterly unlike and inferior to God the Father.

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