Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar 1/58

Contributor - D.J. Geerling

Title - Christianity Goes Into Action

Topic - Church History

ATHANASIUS

In our previous letters we have dealt with some of the outstanding missionaries, who not only contributed to the spread of Christianity in the West, but by their very efforts became the co-founders of the Church.

In order to understand the dynamic force that moved them and thus to understand them better, we will now turn to an other hero of the faith, Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, and take a lesson in theology from him. Today we live in the machine age and even small children talk about rival makes of motor cars. "'Our hundred years ago a different mood prevailed and men and women, and even boys and girls talked about art and music, so, that a new play was an important event in the talk of the day. Much earlier still in Alexandria it was the fashion to. talk about theology, the study of religion, and even boys and girls argued about the doctrine of the Trinity - God in three persons. And just as children to-day sometimes play at Sunday Schools and boys dress up and preach sermons to imaginary congregations, so the children of Alexandria played at religious ceremonies.

One day in the fourth century some children were, playing on the sands at Alexandria, and the game they chose to play was "baptism". One of the spectators was none other than the bishop, himself, who was watching the scene from a tower overlooking the sea. His observant eye noticed in particular the leader of the group, a boy named Athanasius. The bishop was so much impressed by him that he took the lad into his household for training and in due course ordained him, and appointed him to be his secretary. His confidence was justified. Athanasius proved to be gifted with exceptional qualities both of mind and heart and soon rose to a position of influence in the Christian Church in Alexandria.

After watching the scene in Alexandria, one might have met a tall priest going about his duties. His name was Arius, a man of sad appearance, strict habits and with a singularly attractive manner of speech. This tall priest and the youth in the archbishop's home hold were destined to play the leading parts in one of the most important debates in which . the Christian Church has ever Deen engaged.

Arius, in his desire to win pagans for Christ, had yielded to the temptation which always besets missionaries - to adapt the Gospel to suit the needs and interests of his hearers. So he presented Christ to them as a Divine leader, a form in which, being fond of hero-worship, they found it easy to accept Him. Arius declared that Christ's divinity was different in quality from that of God. Put into simple form, the Arian teaching was "God is infinite; Christ is finite; therefore God and Christ are really different".

Athanasius saw that this teaching, because it reduced Christ to the level of a demi-god, without power to s ve the world, was aiming a death-blow at the very heart of the Christian faith. He therefore boldly attacked Arius as a dangerous heretic. He needed a slogan, or battle cry, behind which to rally his forces, and found this in the Greek word homoousion, meaning "of the same essence or substance", just as the English word homogeneous means "of the same kind or nature". Atihanasius claimed that Christ was of one substance or of the same essence as the Father. He saw that by this word he could shut out Arianism forever. In support of his position he quoted passages from the New Testament like the opening verse of the fourth Gospel (the Word was God) and Col. 2: 9 (In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily) and I 'Em. 3:16 (God manifest in the flesh).

Arius, however, was prepared to accept another word - homoiousion - meaning "of like substance". But that would not satisfy Athanasius. Only one letter difference between the two words, but for him Christ was in that letter, for him Christ was not merely like God, He was God.

About this time Constantine became master of the Roman Empire. He wanted peace in the empire, but he found no peace in the Church for it was divided by this dispute between Arius and Athanasius about the relation of God and Jesus. Consitantine saw that only through a united Church he could secure a united empire. He therefore gathered all the bishops at Nicea, in Asia Minor, for a Council to settle once and for all this knotty problem. When the Council assembled, many of the bishops thought that the emperor would listen to all their bickering. Instead, Constantine gathered all their petitions together and burned them unopened. He then asked for peace and clarity in the discussions which were to follow.

Prominent in the debate was Athanasius. What he said is not recorded, but from the day of the Council he (became famous admired by some and hated by others, notably Arius. The statement of belief agreed upon at the Council is now called the Nicene Creed. Henceforward Athanasius was the champion of the creed.

Always a center of controversy, Athansius was banished several times by successive emperors and died in 377. He has been called one of the greatest characters in early Church history, in the best sense of the term a great ecclesiastic, whose aim in life was the highest welfare of the Church.

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