Developing the Churchs Understanding of Jesus - Research Paper Example

Ways in Which the Early Christian Ecumenical Councils Developed the Church’s Understanding of Jesus Various early Christian doctrines developed and were shaped over time. The early Ecumenical Councils were pivotal in the development of such doctrines which served as a foundation for the church and Christianity. When Christianity became a legal religion in the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine I, leaders of various Christian communities throughout the Mediterranean could easily meet to discuss important issues and clearly define their faith. These large meetings of Bishops were called Ecumenical Councils. More importantly, the first Ecumenical Councils produced some of the earliest and most concise statements of belief that enabled the church to understand Jesus (Mueller, 17). The first Ecumenical Council known as Nicea, dates 325 AD. It was summoned by Emperor Constantine the great. This meeting was called to resolve the Arian controversy. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, held that Jesus Christ was created by God and was denying Christ’s divinity. He argued that if Jesus was born, then there was a time he did not exist. However, during this meeting, the Nicene Creed which formulated that Jesus is divine, as the father, and was with the father from the very first moment of creation was adopted. Sunday was fixed as the date for celebration of Easter. This first part of the creed enabled the church and the entire Christian fraternity understand the divinity of Jesus as the Son of God. The Constantinople I Ecumenical Council which dates 381 AD was called by Emperor Theodosius who sought to establish teachings on the unity of the holy Trinity and the complete Manhood in Christ. This meeting confirmed the teachings of Nicea and expanded the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is also fully divine; thus the trinity has one divine nature but three distinct “persons”. The Council condemned Macedonius’ teaching that the Holy Spirit was not a person, but simply a power of God. This second part of the creed defined the divinity of the Holy Spirit and the concept of holy trinity. This became the base of Christian faith (Thomas, 92). During the third Ecumenical Council convened at Ephesus in 431 AD, the Council condemned the doctrines of Nestorios, Archbishop of Constantiple, who over-emphasized the human nature of Christ at the expense of his divine nature. He taught that the Virgin Mary gave birth to a man and not God. On the contrary, the Ecumenical Council adopted that Mary is the mother of God and Jesus has both divine and human nature, but in his one person. The Council also proclaimed that Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is perfect God and perfect man with rational soul and body (Tanner, 26). The fourth Council was conveyed at Chalcedon, by Emperor Marcian in 451 AD. During this meeting, the Council had to deal with another controversy about the person of Christ. Eutyches, an Archmandrite in Constantinople, held that the human nature of Christ had completely been absorbed by his divine nature and thus the two had been compounded into one. The Council rejected this teaching and affirmed that the earthly Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. In addition, they clarified that his two natures and wills were perfectly united in his one person. The fifth Ecumenical Council known as Constantinople II in 553 AD was summoned by Emperor Justinian I. The Council confirmed the teachings of the first four Councils on the dual Nature of Christ and reaffirmed that he is truly God and Truly Man. In the period preceding this meeting, personal quarrels among bishops and the interference of the palace in theological matters led to divisions in the church that Justinian authority failed to correct. After the resolutions of the Council on the teachings of the dual nature of Christ, Emperor Justinian confessed his orthodox faith (Albi, 22). During the sixth meeting in Constanople in 680 AD, the Council proclaimed that Christ has both a human and divine will. This was after Monothelism continued to be a disturbance in spite of the repressive laws against it by previous emperors. Monothelism was a new doctrine that emerged among the Armenians and Abyssinians. It taught that there is only one will in God-man Christ. However, the Ecumenical Council condemned Monotheism and its adherents. The Council held that Christ had two natures with two activities: as God working miracles, rising from the dead and ascending into heaven and as Man, performing the ordinary acts of daily life (Thomas, 97). In 692 AD, the Quinesext or Trullan Council was summoned by Justinian II. It was considered a supplement to the fifth and sixth Ecumenical Council as it issued no canons pertaining to ecclesiastical government and order. Also, it is viewed as a continuation of all the preceding Ecumenical Councils as it received and ratified all of their canons and decisions. In addition, it ratified the eighty five apostolic canons, the canons of local synods, and the most important of the canons of the principal fathers of the church, thus empowering all of them with Ecumenical authority (Tanner, 53). Finally, this Council dealt mostly with controversy regarding use of icons and there place in the Orthodox worship. It was held in Nacea in 787 AD. Some members of the society gave religious icons excess respect to the point it amounted to worship and idolatry. This instigated excesses at the other extreme by which icons were taken out of liturgical life of the church by the Iconoclast. In view of this controversy, the Council decided on a doctrine by which icons should be venerated but not worshiped (Mueller, 29). The decree of the Council for restoring icons to churches was an important clause which still stands at the foundation of the rationale for using and venerating icons in the Orthodox Church to this very day. In conclusion, the early Ecumenical Councils played a major role in helping the church and Christians have a deeper spiritual knowledge about Jesus in more ways than one. The declarations of the Council over time formed the foundations of the Christian religion. Moreover, the Ecumenical Council was able to unite the church when there were divisions and misunderstandings about Christ by adopting various creeds that are still the pillars for the church. Works Cited Albi, C Martin. Reasons, Faith, and Tradition: Explorations in Catholic Theology. Winowa: Anselm Academic, 2009. Page 22 Mueller, J J. Theological Foundations, Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith. Winona: Anselm Academic, 2011. Page 17-29 Tanner, Norman P. Decrees of The Ecumenical Councils. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990. Page 26-53 Thomas Bokenkotter. A Concise History of The Catholic Church. New york: Doubleday, 1977. Page 92-97 Read More