tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27046650.post5984396380649581477..comments2024-01-03T05:26:38.706-06:00Comments on Journey To orthodoxy: The Early Church CouncilsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27046650.post-35028019094215211972007-05-27T16:27:00.000-05:002007-05-27T16:27:00.000-05:00Debbie,That there were several versions of Christi...Debbie,<BR/>That there were several versions of Christianity that co-existed is true only in that there were several heretical movements that strayed from Orthodoxy (right teaching.) The word "heretic" can be translated, "One who holds and opinion." All of the Church counsels were called to combat those who strayed from the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church as a whole always won out and defeated the heretical, non-apostolic teachings. To suggest that there were three equal branches of Christianity and that Orthodoxy was simply "one of them" is a skewed view of history. But for the grace of God and His promise that the "gates of hell" would not prevail aginst THE CHURCH, the very nature of Christ would have been hidden. Thank God for the martyrs of the faith and the Early Church Fathers who shed their blood against all assaults of the truth.JTO Editor Nathan Lee Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01508044089049795771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27046650.post-58938063475453540652007-05-12T20:37:00.000-05:002007-05-12T20:37:00.000-05:00Regarding early church history, that era is> one o...Regarding early church history, that era is<BR/>> one of my favorite to study. It is my understanding<BR/>> that several versions of Christianity co-existed<BR/>> simultaneously for the first few centuries, what<BR/>> became orthodoxy being one of them, primarily being<BR/>> championed by Tertullian and especially Athanasius.<BR/>> Clement of Alexandria was eventually posthumously<BR/>> declared a heretic by the church. Paul of Samosata,<BR/>> bishop of Antioch in the 2nd century, believed in<BR/>> Adoptionism, that Jesus was born a natural man who<BR/>> through merit became worthy to be adopted as Son of<BR/>> God to be the Savior. He was also Monarchian,<BR/>> believing One ruler, one God, not the Trinity. I am<BR/>> not trying to infer that your orthodoxy did not<BR/>> exist early on, just that it was not quite that<BR/>> "neat", that there existed a variety of ideas<BR/>> (Adoptionism, Modalism etc), that theology of<BR/>> orthodoxy had to develop, hence the Councils. But I<BR/>> really enjoy reading your history articles, and<BR/>> especially quoting the Church Fathers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com