Viewpoints of the

Ebionites

Docetists

Arians

Appollinarians

Nestorians

Eutychians

Proponents

Judaizers

Basilides,       Valentinus, Patripassians, Sabellians

Arius, presbyter of Alexandria, Origen (?)

Appollinarius, bishop of Laodicea,                    Justin Martyr

Represented by Nestorius, 5th-century bishop of Constantinople

Represented by Eutychius,     Theodosius II

Time

2nd century

Late 1st century

4th century

4th century

5th century

5th century

Denial

Genuine deity

Genuine humanity

Genuine deity

Completeness of humanity

Unity of person

Distinction of natures

Explanation

Christ had the Spirit after his baptism; he was not preexistent.

Jesus appeared human but was really divine.

Christ was the first and highest created being, homoiousia, not homoousia.

The divine Logos took the place of the human mind.

Union was moral, not organic-thus two persons. The human was completely controlled by the divine.

Monophysitist; the human nature was swallowed by the divine to create a new third nature-a tertium quid.

Condemned

No official condemnation

No official condemnation

Council of Nicea, A.D. 325

Council of Antioch, A.D. 378, 379

Council of Constantinople, A.D. 381

Synod of Ephesus, A.D. 431

Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 405; defended by “Robber Synod” of Ephesus, A.D. 449; Condemned by Chalcedon, A.D. 451

Associated with

Legalism

Evil of the material world and the spiritual nature of man as taught by Marcion and Gnostics

Generation = creation

Logos=reason in all people

“Word-flesh” (Antiochene) not “word-man” (Alexandrian) Christology; opposed to using theotokos of Mary.

Concern for the unity and divinity of Christ; Alexandrian (minimized humanity)

Argument for

They are monotheistic.

They affirm Christ’s deity

They teach that Christ is subordinate to the Father.

Affirmed Christ’s deity and real humanness.

Distinguished human Jesus, who died, from Divine Son, who cannot die.

Maintained the unity of Christ’s person.

Argument against

Only a divine Christ is worthy of worship (John 1:1; 20:28 Heb. 13:8).

If Christ were not human He could not redeem humanity (Heb. 2:14; I John 4:1-3).

Only a divine Christ is worthy of worship; this view tends toward polytheism. Only a divine Christ can save (Phil. 2:6; Rev. 1:8).

If Christ did not have a human mind, he would not be truly human (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 4:1-3).

If the death of Jesus was the act of a human person, not of God, it could not be efficacious (Rev. 1:12-18).

If Christ were neither a man nor God, he could not redeem as man or as God (Phil. 2:6).

Major Opponents

Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Origen, Eusebius

Irenaeus, Hippolytus

Athanasius, Ossius

Vitalis, Pope Damascus, Basil, Theodosius, Gregory of Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa

Cyril of Alexandria

Flavian of Constantinople, Pope Leo, Theodoret, Eusebius of Dorylaeum