“SIMPLE DEFINITIONS AND REMEMBERING TECHNIQUES
FOR THE SECTS OF THE EARLY CENTURIES”
“SIMPLE DEFINITIONS AND REMEMBERING TECHNIQUES
FOR THE SECTS OF THE EARLY
CENTURIES”
Heresies about Christ’s nature have always
centred around the make-up between his deity and his manhood …
that is how much of God was Christ versus how much of man was he
… what percentage as the Son of God compared to his being the Son of
man and so on.
There were basically
six main sects
as follows …
1. Ebionites
2. Docetists
3. Arians
4. Apollinarians
5. Nestorians
6. Eutychians
Now to remember these six, use a mnemonic … the
SILLIER the better.
“Each Dog
Angrily Attacks New Eagles”
See how it works?
Now having done that, how do we remember
what each sect stands for … the following may help … if not make up your own
way of remembering what they stand for.
1. EBIONITES believed that …
Christ was totally man not God with
the Holy Spirit only resting on him.
An early sect of Gnostics who stayed with and
practised the law of Moses.
How to remember the EBionites?
Like the ocean tide, they never reached the ‘New
Testament beach’ … they EBBED away.
2. DOCETISTS (2nd century) believed that …
Christ was totally God … but a phantom
… only appearing to be human.
How to remember the Docetists?
A DOCENT is an academic lecturer
but not on the regular faculty … he ‘appears’ to be a regular … like a phantom
… only ‘appears’ to be on staff.
3. ARIANS (4th century) … today’s UNITARIANS
Jesus being created by God was not God
and therefore not eternally self-existent.
Jesus was simply a flesh man.
There is only one God … and that’s why
they are called UNI-tarians (‘uni’ standing for one)
There is no triune God of three
persons.
The Holy Spirit is not God either.
How to remember the Arians?
Hitler set about creating an ARYAN
race of men of Hitler’s … flesh.
4. APOLLINARIANS (4th century)
Christ had a man’s body but was inhabited
by God … therefore not fully human … therefore not fully tried and tempted
as a man
How to remember the Apollinarians?
Like APOLLOS in the Bible ... overtly
a man but habited by God (by the way, he was not an Apollinarian … we
simply use his name to remember the association)
5. NESTORIANS 5th century
Christ had two distinct natures … he
was two distinct persons … instead of two natures being melded in one
person.
How to remember the Nestorians?
Like a bird’s nest with two separate little
chicks in the NEST
6. EUTYCHIANS 5th century
The two natures God … the Son of God and the
Son of man … joined together to produced a third nature … man’s nature being
absorbed into the divine nature
How to remember the EUTychians?
The first two letters of “E” and “U”
which turn into the third letter “T”
E+U = Turn-chians.
Now, granted, the above is very silly but it
helps to remember things.
As stated, you can work out your own way of
remembering of course.
Anyhow, have fun!
Now
the Athanasian Creed was compiled by the Christian church fathers
in the early centuries … and clearly and once and for all … settled that Jesus
Christ is God.
Dear Reader, wrap your head, if you can, around the following:
by Athanasius 373AD
“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 coeternal.
Such as the Father is: such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost.
The
Father uncreated: the Son uncreated: and the Holy Ghost uncreated.
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 uncreated: nor three
incomprehensibles, 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 (truth): to acknowledge every
Person by himself to be God and Lord: So we are forbidden to say, There are
three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten. The Son
is of the Father alone: not made, not 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 another: none is greater, or less than the another.
But the whole three Persons are coeternal and coequal. So that in all things as 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 the 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.”
Harley Hitchcock
October 2024
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