Skip to main content
Before Chalcedon
Resources
Early Ideas about the Son of God
Some referred to the Son as one intimately related in dependence on the eternal God
Some to God himself in his relation to the world of nature
Some to a man like us who had the spirit of God working pre-eminently in him
Some to a perfect creature whom God brought into being before everyone else
Paul of Samosata (200-275 AD)
Pre-Nicaea
Patriarch of Antioch
Possibly the earliest origin of dyophysitism
Taught that Jesus was adopted to be God's son in the baptism - the Holy Spirit came on Him and then the Father said "Today you are My Son" - adopting Him
Lucian of Antioch (240-312 AD)
Priest
Nephew of Paul of Samosata
Teacher of Arius, Diodorus of Tarsus, Eusebius of Nicomedia
Arius (256-336 AD)
Priest in Alexandria
Main heretic of the Council of Nicaea
Diodorus of Tarsus (?-390AD)
Bishop
Supporter of the Council of Nicaea
One of the 150 at Constantinople who opposes Apollinaris
Friend of St Basil, St Meletius of Antioch - they are all united against Arianism.
Like Paul of Samosata, Jesus and the Logos are uniting - but it's at conception, not at the baptism. It is not God becoming Man, but rather God adopting the man.
Gregory writes 8 statements/anathemas towards Diodorus (not-named). Word Theotokos is used in one. St Cyril's 12 anathemas will later be based on these.
Teachings, taken to an extreme, lead to Nestorianism
Started a school in Antioch
Theodore of Mopsuestia
St John Chrysostom
Apollinaris (?-382 AD)
Bishop of Laodicea
Opponent of Arianism
In his eagerness to emphasize the divinity of Jesus, he denies the existence of a rational human soul in Christ. He believes that Christ is fully human but instead of a soul, it's the Divinity. His Divinity united with His Body (not with His Humanity).
Eusebius of Nicomedia (?-341 AD)
Arian Priest & Bishop
One of the 318 at Nicaea - it is said he "signed by hand, but not by heart" against Arianism
Exiled St Athanasius
Baptized Constantine the Great on his deathbed
Theodore of Mopsuestia (350-428 AD)
Bishop of Mopsuestia
The teacher of Nestorius, Theodoret of Cyrus, Ibas of Edessa, John of Antioch, Domnus II of Antioch
Was the most popular student of the School of Antioch - even as a contemporary of John Chrysostom
Teaching: There is One Person in Christ, in Two Natures
In order for humanity to have salvation, God needs to restore Adam. How? By putting Adam on and leaping back into Paradise
If He merely unites Himself to a man, then He does not become man. He only saves Jesus of Nazareth. How am I saved? How are you saved?
St Cyril says that what is described here is no more than what happens in the Prophets... "The Spirit of the Lord came upon me."
Nestorius of Constantinople (386-451 AD)
Patriarch of Constantinople
Theodoret of Cyrus (393-458 AD)
Bishop of Cyrus
Successor of Theodore of Mopsuestia
Ibas of Edessa (?-457 AD)
Bishop of Edessa
Edessa is the Syriac See of the Church bridging the Church of the East with the Church of Antioch
John I of Antioch
Domnus II of Antioch
Nephew of John I of Antioch
Student of Theodore of Mopsuestia and friend of Theodoret of Cyrus
St Cyril & Nestorius
Visiting Bishop (student of the School in Antioch) gives a sermon (in the presence of Nestorius) cautioning the use of the word Theotokos.
The people of Antioch write to St Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria.
In those days, Alexandria has primacy in the East...
There are conflicts & rivalry with Constantinople
Alexandria deposed patriarch of Constantinople 7 times (Athanasius: 3 times?, Timothy deposed Macedonius, Theophilus deposed St John Chrysostom, Cyril deposes Nestorius, Dioscorus will depose Flavian
Cyril's First Letter to Nestorius
Nestorius' First Letter to Cyril
Cyril's Second Letter to Nestorius
Relevant Context from the Council of Ephesus
Home Synod of Constantinople (448 AD)
Second Council at Ephesus (449 AD)
Death of Emperor Theodosius
