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Father, Son, and Spirit are each a distinct hypostasis 789aff

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The “divided kingdom” is a fragmentation of the fourth empire

The “divided kingdom” is a fragmentation of the fourth empire

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This article is relatively complex because it requires understanding several parts of the Book of Revelation. The green blocks provide summaries of sections. To reduce complexity further, more detailed explanations are hidden in ‘read more’ blocks.

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Articles in this series

Other Articles

The Seven Seals

Other

  • I recommend Jon Paulien’s commentary on Revelation for further reading. For general theological discussions, I recommend Graham Maxwell, who you will find on the Pineknoll website.

Articles on Revelation 12

Other Articles

There is but one God,
the Father,
from whom are all things,
and we exist for Him;
And one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
By whom are all things,
And we exist through Him.

KORT S3 Authors Quoted

The fourth-century Arian Controversy resulted in the Church accepting the Trinity doctrine. However, during the 20th century, scholars have discovered that the traditional account of that Controversy, of how and why the church accepted the Trinity doctrine, is history according to the winner and a complete travestyShow More

This article series is based mostly on the writings of scholars of the last 50 years, reflecting the revised account of that Controversy. Although most quotes are hidden in ‘read more’ sections, given the controversial nature of this subject, these quotes form a crucial part of this article. Show More

, different articles in discuss different errors in the traditional narrative.

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Vier vlakke

      • Opsom – 2 reels – Groen blok
      • Moet lees
      • Quotes se dieselfde – Read more
      • Nice to haves – mfn

I am currently rewriting this article. Sorry for any inconvenience.

I am currently editing this article. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

 

Daniel 2 Gold (Babylon) Silver Brass Iron
Daniel 7 Lion Bear Leopard Dreadful beast
Daniel 8 Ram
(Medo-Persia)
Goat (Greece)

 

The Nicene Council

Traditional Account True History

Purpose

The fourth-century ‘Arian’ Controversy produced the Trinity doctrine. However, recently scholars have discovered that the traditional account of that Controversy – of how and why the Church accepted that doctrine – is a complete travesty, casting doubt on its legitimacy. Different articles in this series discuss different aspects of the traditional account. Show More

The current article addresses the false belief that ‘homoousios’ was the key term in the Nicene Creed. It shows that the term was not mentioned by anybody for decades after the Council of Nicaea. It wasn’t until the 350s, some 30 years later, that it became an important part of the controversy. This article discusses why the term homoousios was not mentioned during the decades after Nicaea, and how and why it became part of the Controversy 30 years later.

LANG AUTHORS QUOTED LAQ1

AUTHORS QUOTED

Scholars explain the fourth-century Arian Controversy today very differently compared to 100 years ago.

A main barrier to understanding the fourth-century ‘Arian’ Controversy is the fragmentary nature of the ancient sources. However, a store of ancient documents has become available over the last 100 years.

Show Quotes

Due to this new information and research, scholars today conclude that the traditional account of the Controversy – of how and why the church accepted the Trinity doctrine – is history written by the winner and fundamentally flawed. In some instances, it is the opposite of the true history. (Read More)

Show Quotes

Older books and authors who do not specialize in the Arian Controversy often still offer the 19th-century version. 

For example, in the traditional but flawed account, the Trinity doctrine was established orthodoxy but Arius caused the Controversy by developing a novel heresy, winning many supporters. While despotic emperors supported the Arians, Athanasius bravely defended orthodoxy, which ultimately triumphed at the Council of Constantinople in 381.

Unfortunately, many still accept the false account of the Arian Controversy because rejecting it would raise questions about the Trinity doctrine, which many regard as the mark of true Christianity, as opposed to the Mark of the Beast.

Show examples of the Traditional Account

This article series is based on books by world-class Trinitarian scholars of the last 100 years. 

Following the book by Gwatkin at the beginning of the 20th century, only a limited number of full-scale books on the fourth-century Arian Controversy were published, of which R.P.C. Hanson’s book published in 1988 is perhaps the most influential. This was followed in 2004 by a book by Lewis Ayres, which built on Hanson’s book. This series also quotes from the 2002 book by Rowan Williams, which focuses more specifically on Arius.

Show details of the books quoted

 

 

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No Arians

Arius did not have followers. Athanasius invented the ‘Arian’ concept as a polemical device. 

Arius was already dead when Athanasius wrote. However, he used Arius as a stick to beat his opponents with. He called his opponents ‘Arians’, meaning followers of Arius, and then selectively quoted Arius as an attack on his opponents.

But his opponents were not followers of Arius. Arius did not leave behind a school of disciples. He had very few real followers. Nobody regarded his writings worth copying. His theology played no part in the Controversy after Nicaea. The term ‘Arian’, therefore, is a serious misnomer. The only reason so many Christians believe Arius was important is because they accept Athanasius’ distortions. (Read more)

In reality, Arius was part of a group we may call the ‘Eusebians’; followers of Eusebius of Caesarea and Eusebius of Nicomedia. (Read more) Consequently, this article series often refers to the anti-Nicenes as the Eusebians rather than ‘Arians’.

 

4

The green blocks are summaries.

The articles in this series quote extensively from leading scholars. Since not all readers are interested in the technical details, the green blocks provide summaries. The reader might prefer to first only read these summaries.

This article series quotes extensively from leading scholars. Since not all readers are interested in detail, the green blocks summarize the longer sections. 

Reading only the green blocks should provide a sufficient overview of this article.

Reading only the green blocks should provide an adequate overview of this article.

The green blocks in the sections below are summaries. 

This email is sent to you as a subscriber of ‘From Daniel to Revelation’. The fourth-century Arian Controversy led to the formulation of the Trinity doctrine. Over the past few years, I have made an in-depth study of that Controversy to understand who made what decisions and why. Consequently, I have focused on revising many of my existing articles instead of publishing new content.

This email serves to notify you that I have thoroughly revised the article concerning the meaning of ‘homoousios’. The Nicene Creed employs this term to say that the Son is of the same substance as the Father, a central issue in the Arian Controversy. It is traditionally interpreted as meaning ‘one substance,’ asserting that the Father and the Son are a single Being. However, recent scholarship seem to agree that was not the meaning. This article explains what the term meant in the centuries before Nicaea, why it was included in the Nicene Creed, and the post-Nicaea repercussions.

This is a very long article (38 page) but begins with a 3-page summary.

To UNSUBSCRIBE from similar emails, please return this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the header. 

 

SABELLIANS

This email is sent to you as a subscriber of ‘From Daniel to Revelation’. The fourth-century Arian Controversy led to the formulation of the Trinity doctrine. Over the past few years, I have made an in-depth study of that Controversy to understand who made what decisions and why. Consequently, I have focused on improving my existing articles instead of publishing new content.

This email serves to notify you that I have thoroughly revised the article on the fourth-century Sabellians. Sabellians taught a single divine Person with a single divine mind. Jesus is merely an inspired human being. This mere man suffered, died, was resurrected, and now sits at God’s right hand. The Sabellians significantly influenced the Nicene Creed, were rejected by the anti-Nicene East but were embraced as orthodox by the pro-Nicene West.

To unsubscribe from similar emails, please return this email, saying UNSUBSCRIBE. 

 

ORTHODOXY

This email is sent to you as a subscriber of ‘From Daniel to Revelation’. The fourth-century Arian Controversy led to the formulation of the Trinity doctrine. Over the past few years, I have made an in-depth study of that Controversy to understand who made what decisions and why. Consequently, I have focused on improving my existing articles instead of publishing new content.

This email serves to notify you that I have thoroughly revised the article on the orthodox view at the beginning of the Arian Controversy. In the traditional account, today’s Trinity doctrine was accepted orthodoxy when the Controversy began. However, before and during the fourth-century Controversy, until Basil of Caesarea, all theologians regarded the Son as subordinate. That was the orthodoxy.

To unsubscribe from similar emails, please return this email, saying UNSUBSCRIBE. 

 

DANIEL 7

To present an overview of world history, from the Babylonian Empire until Christ’s return, Daniel 7 uses four animals to symbolize four successive empires. From the fourth and last animal, 10 horns grew. After them, an 11th horn grew up by uprooting three of the previous horns. It was small at first but grew and eventually dominated the other horns. It is different from the others because it blasphemes God and persecutes His people. It will only be destroyed when Christ returns. This 11th horn is the main character in Daniel 7. The only reason that Daniel 7 mentions the preceding four empires and ten kingdoms is to enable the reader to identify the 11th horn.

COMPARE ANIMALS

Daniel 8 uses two animals as symbols, explicitly identified as the Medo-Persian and Greek empires. Daniel 7 uses four animals but does not identify them. Another article identifies them by comparing them to the animals in Daniel 8. It concludes that the main character in Daniel 7 and 8, symbolized as an evil horn-king, grew out of the Roman Empire.

THE DRAGON

The Beast, whose Mark in the time of the end will be put on the foreheads of people (Rev 13:15-16), receives its authority from the Dragon. The Dragon is one of three seven-headed beasts in Revelation. Another article shows first that these beasts are more detailed explanations of Daniel’s animals. It then shows that the Dragon and Daniel’s fourth animal are two symbols of the same power. Therefore, since a previous article already identified Daniel’s fourth animal as the Roman Empire, the Dragon symbolizes the Roman Empire. 

THRONE OF THE BEAST

The fifth plague angel pours his bowl out on the Throne of the Beast (Rev 16:10). A throne symbolizes the authority to rule. The Beast received its throne from the Roman Empire (Rev 13:2), but it was not military might. Neither was it the power of money. Another article provides evidence that the Throne of the Beast symbolizes Christian religious authority. This conclusion is based on the flow of thought in the plagues, the general nature of conflict in Revelation as a war of worship, the description of the persecuting powers as a woman, as lamb-like and as a false prophet performing wonders and signs, and the fact that it always is False Religion that persecutes true religion.

FOOTNOTES

  • 1
    Trevor Hart wrote about this book: “While contributions have not been wanting, nothing comparable in either scale or erudition exists in the English language … treating in considerable detail … the so-called ‘Arian controversy’ which dominated the fourth century theological agenda.”
  • 2
    Kermit Zarley described Hanson as “the preeminent authority on the development of the church doctrine of God in the 4th century.”
  • 3
    Lewis Ayres, Emory University, wrote that this book “has been the standard English scholarly treatment of the trinitarian controversies of the fourth century and the triumph of Nicene theology.
  • 4
    Lewis Ayres wrote that Williams’ book “offers one of the best recent discussions of the way scholarship on this controversy has developed. (Ayres, 12)

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