...the “real St. Nicholas” was said to be at the Council of Nicaea, where a major theme of the debate was whether Christ was “homoousios”–meaning “one substance”–with the Father, or “homoioousios”–of similar substance with the Father. In other words, is Christ truly God, as St. Nicholas and the other orthodox bishops believed, or is He just similar to God, a very special creation, but just Man and not God, as Arius and his faction believed.
St. Nicholas was so zealous for the deity of Christ that he actually is said to have assaulted Arius. Advent, St. Nicholas, & the Deity of Christ
Almost-arrested tin-foil Bob has had another yearly meltdown over the original St. Nicholas and how he is tied to the Christmas tradition. Since Armstrongism was considered at times to be Arian in its beliefs, Tinfoil Bob was none too happy to discover Nicholas assaulted Arius.
Notice the following from the St. Nicholas Center:
In 325 Emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, which was the first ecumenical council ever held. More than 300 bishops from all over the Christian world came to debate the nature of the Holy Trinity, one of the early church’s most intense theological questions. Arias, from Egypt, taught that the Son Jesus was not equal to God the Father. This was the Arian controversy which shook Christianity’s very foundations. According to one account, when confronted by the unyielding Arias, Nicholas slapped him in the face. For such a breach of decorum, Nicholas was brought before Constantine, who stripped him of his office and had him thrown into prison. During the night, Jesus with his Mother Mary appeared to Nicholas: Jesus bringing the book of the Gospels, and Mary, the bishop’s stole which had been taken from him. In this way Nicholas was reinstated. (Bishop of Myra. St. Nicholas Center. http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-of-myra/viewed 12/05/14)
While Jesus is God, since Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I” (John 14:28), this should help prove that Nicholas was wrong to punch somebody who claimed to believe something like that–plus Christians are not to be violent.
That picture is great! 99% of COG members have no idea what it is talking about. This is why I love this blog!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSimon Peter cut off a guards ear when they came to arrest Jesus. That does not make one, "not Christian", in fact, these are both similar stories. Both men defending Christ. I don't condone their actions, but they are human and react in a human way. Also how do you explain Thomas coming Jesus "my Lord and my God"? How do you account for in the old testament, God, first person, unambiguous, says "I am the only savior". But the new testament says Jesus is the savior.... So you either have to believe in either two Gods, the new testament is false or the two are one. For fun I suggest, searching "arm of God" throughout the entire Bible. It's interesting to me at least how through the lens of Christ you can see types of Christ in nearly most verses that mention the arm of God. I haven't done enough to validate each verse, but it is interesting.
DeleteI love the picture as anyone could imagine!
ReplyDeleteIt also tranports me back to the time when the Visigoths (Arians) thundered South of France after the raids on the defeated Roman Heartland on their way to Spain and North Africa. Spawning so many apocryphical stories in that area on the Embarkment of the Marias in the pay dóc, after they left the Holy Land, accompanying apostles on their journey to the ends of the earth. Also the origins of a supressed and different understanding of the nature of God than offered by the bishop of the church of rome causing the first crusades within Europe.
I was close to Myra some time ago staying at the port where apostle Paul embarked to preach along the postal route. Did not travel further than a "burning mountain" that sparked the imagination of the Ancients in their understanding of the world and its deities. As Paul said, I'm here to talk about the other one.
nck
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ReplyDeletehttps://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook2.asp#conc2
ReplyDeleteCHURCH COUNCILS
The texts at this site here are public domain English translations from the Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers series for the first Seven ecumenical councils and from H.J. Schroeder, Disciplinary Decrees of the General Councils,
Wait--- did I read that right??--- Santa Claus is homo?
ReplyDeleteYes! Now let's all son our gay apparel!
DeleteOddly, HWA referred to Arius as "Dr. Arius" in writing. He's the only writer I've ever seen do that, at least that I can recall. Did he do so in accordance with an earlier source or was he just fluffing up Arius' profile?
ReplyDelete