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Not much, actually

I'm at a friend's (ahem) house right now down in Michigan, but since she has a 30-page senior seminar paper to finish by tomorrow, and only has 10 pages done, so I can only occasionally bother her. Which is sort of annoying, because she's sitting on a couch just opposite me right now, studying, and the temptation to pester her is immense. But I'm resisting. Sort of. Did I mention that my friend is really quite an extraordinary person? Because she is... You should see her worldview lectures.

Anyway, um, well, what would you like to hear about? Something interesting happened to me while I was gone – I became an uncle to a new person. Which is good, but it also means I will have had to wait an entire month before I get to see him.

My ministry placement is going ok. So far. In that, I hope the actual week of the camp will be more interesting than the week of preparations at the office. Mainly because I got the sort of jobs that are usually mentioned along with the phrase, “Well, someone's got to do it!” Such as stuffing letters. It's good though for me to realize that ministry relies on that sort of thing, so that the teaching can be done. I just don't want to take up a full-time career designing promotional material.

The actual camp (it's called a camp only because they can't think of a better word) is at a College campus in Lansing, which is the Capital of Michigan. It's not a tremendously large city, but it is a pretty place. It is also home of Michigan State University, which is a very large campus indeed. Something I knew about Americans but didn't really realize was how seriously they take their collegiate sports. When I saw the College football stadium that held over 70,000 people, I think it sort of sunk in. Anywhoo, the camp is designed to teach kids how the legislative process works, and to encourage them to understand government from a Christian perspective, with a view to increase Christian influence in the way our countries are run. As I've been preparing, I've realized that the American system really is remarkably inefficient. It was designed to be inefficient, I think, and by gum, it has succeeded.

I'll have a more complete update for you... later. Or not. But mostly, I wouldn't want to traumatize you with the details of all the really interesting things going on. Which, are in fact only interesting to me anyway. So I'll spare you the details...

Yeah, I actually don't have much to say. Why was I writing this again? Oh, yeah, to keep myself occupied. But I DO miss you all. Just not enough to come back

So, here's the Arminian dating site...

More Church History!

Church History Lesson # 3–Athanasius, Arius & Constantine

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God.

The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

[Athanasius] stood for the Trinitarian doctrine, "whole and undefiled," when it looked as if all the civilised world was slipping back from Christianity into the religion of Arius—into one of those "sensible" synthetic religions which are so strongly recommended today and which, then as now, included among their devotees many highly cultivated clergymen. It is his glory that he did not move with the times; it is his reward that he now remains when those times, as all times do, have moved away. - CS Lewis

Wherever a man turns his gaze he sees the Godhead of the Word and is smitten with awe.

-Athanasius

Introduction

When studying history and the different false teachings that arose, it becomes apparent that every false teaching can be divided into at least one of two categories: false teaching concerning the identity and nature of God, and false teaching concerning the identity and nature of mankind. While these false teachings arose in various forms throughout the persecution period, it was not until after Christianity was legalized that they formed a formidable problem to the very existence of the Church. These two categories reached their highest expressions in Arianism and Pelagianism, respectively. The Arian controversy involved the question concerning the nature of Christ; Was he like God, or was he God? The key player in this decades long theological battle was the Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius. It is nigh well impossible to separate his name from the Orthodox understanding of Christ's nature.

History of Athanasius and the Arian Controversy. 298-378

298 Athanasius is born

311 Emporer Galerius dies

312 Constantine defeats Maxentius at the Bridge of Milvian
Issues the Edict of Milan, declaring Christianity to be a legal religion
Licinius defeats Maximin

319 Arius accuses Alexander, the Bishop of Alexander, of teaching Sabellianism.

321 Arius is stripped of his position by an Egyptian Synod

324 Constantine defeats Licinius; becomes sole emperor
Constantine writes to Alexander and Arius

325 Constantine calls the Council of Nicea

328 Alexander dies; Athanasius is Bishop in his stead.

335 Athanasius at Tyre to answer accusations against him; beginning of first exile

336 Arius dies

337 Constantine dies; Constantine II, Constans, and Constantius II
Constantius allows Athanasius to return to Alexandria.

339 Athanasius flees Alexandria

346 Athanasius Returns to Alexandria

350 Constans is murdered

353 Council of Arles condemns Athanasius

355 Council at Milan condemns Athanasius

356 Athanasius' church is stormed; Athanasius flees to the desert
George is proclaimed Bishop of Alexander

361 Constantius dies
George is lynched

362 Julian the Apostate allows Athanasius to return
Julian the Apostate has Athanasius exiled

363 Julian dies
Athanasius returns to Alexandria

365 Athanasius is deposed again
Arian persecutions renewed

366 Athanasius restored

373 Athanasius dies

381 Council of Constantinople

What is the difference between Arianism and Christianity?

Christianity (Jesus is God)	Arianism (Jesus is like God)
- The Son has always existed. - The Son is of the same essence as the Father; they are one and the same substance. - The Son is very God. - Is one with the Father in perfect communion and knowledge. There is nothing hid from the Son. - Three persons, one God	- There was a time when the Son was not. He is God's creation. - The Son is like the Father; they are of like substance and essence. - The Son is called God, by virtue of his interaction with the divine nature. - Does not know the Father perfectly; is not exhaustively acquainted with him - One person, one God

What are the lessons we can learn from the life of Athanasius?

Doctrine worth defending is doctrine worth rejoicing over.

• Right doctrine causes joy – Athanasius understood that right doctrine was life-giving and precious. For him, it was not an 'Ivory-towers' exercise. Athanasius did not stand up for the truth on account of intellectual stubbornness, but out of a delight in the very doctines which were under attack. He said,

“Let us be courageous and rejoice always. . . . Let us consider and lay to heart that while the Lord is with us, our foes can do us no hurt. . . . But if they see us rejoicing in the Lord, contemplating the bliss of the future, mindful of the Lord, deeming all things in His hand . . . —they are discomfited and turned backwards.”

If we are fighting for truth, ours ought to be one of joy in spite of hardship. If we are sour and hateful in controversy, we do not have a true grasp of truth. The Apostle Paul is an excellent example of this; there are many examples in his epistles where, as he is teaching, he is moved to raptures of worship. (Eph 3:14-20)

Bible language can hide un-Biblical lies.

• Bible words do not ensure truth – The Arians were experts in disguising their beliefs in Bible words. They would affirm Bible verses, to the utter frustration of the orthodox party at Nicea. One of Satan's tactics is to come disguised as an angel of light (2Co 11:14), and he dresses up lies in true sounding language. This is the tactics of many cults and false religions today, including Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses

• Bible words cannot be defined merely by Bible words – The Arians would attempt to take the moral high ground, by protesting against the introduction of any non-biblical terms (such as homoousion) that sought to clarify and define exactly what words such as 'begotten', 'firstborn' etc... meant. When the question is the very meaning of Bible words themselves, it is necessary at times to introduce non-biblical language to defend the Biblical meaning.

Loving Christ includes loving true propositions about Christ.

• Christ has definite qualities – In today's world (as it was back then), it is a popular notion that “Christ unites, doctrine divides”. Athanasius would have been distraught to hear such ideas. Without doctrine concerning Christ and concerning salvation, we do not have a savior, but an empty word. It is only Christ as God who is sufficient to save; there is no other.

Truth must affect our lives if we hope to defend it.

• True doctrine affects our lives – Put yourself in Athanasius' place for a moment. Would you have the courage to stand contra mundum, against the world? What was it that caused his willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel? His dedication had a twofold root:

  • He realized the worth of doctrine – In his letter to the Bishop's in which he defends the Nicene faith, Athanasius comments, “We are contending for our all”. Athanasius was keenly aware that this doctrine concerning the person of Christ was central. If Jesus was not God incarnate, there was no salvation, no resurrection, no hope. This was not a pedantic debate wrangling over how many angles could dance on the head of a pin; this was a matter of salcation. Wrong belief in this area had the potential for sending souls to hell. Athanasius soldiered on for the same reason Paul did in II Tim 2:10: So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.

• It came from his knowledge of the word of God. - Do not underestimate the work of the Holy Spirit in discerning right doctrine. However, we often think the Holy Spirit acts by 'magic'. He does not. Instead, he enlivens the word of God so as to make the truth evident. Athanasius was not concerned with man's philosophy; His arguments were based on a solid understanding and grounding in the word of God. To be sure, he made logical, clear arguments, but they rested in a dedication to what God himself had revealed to men, not from what man deduced God should be like.

• Truth must become our own – What does your faith rest on? Is it in the people around you and their acceptance of certain ideas? Is your faith solid enough that you would, against all opposition, continue steadfast in the things you have learned? Is our faith of the kind that we would stand up for it contra mundum?
  

  
  

For further study:

“On the Incarnation”- By Athanasius, w/ an introduction by CS Lewis. http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/ath-inc.htm

Four discourses against the Arians - http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2816.htm

“Contending for our all” - By John Piper http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1532_Contending_for_Our_All/