Virginia Christian University

Class: TH 503 Trinitariasm

Professor: Dr Thomas Rhee

Student: Sainzaya Jargalsaokhan

2023 year
 About Main Heresy of Triune God; 1 Arianism, 2 Siberiansm

An ancient heresy regarding the Trinity known as Arianism caused much discussion
about the nature of God in the fourth century. Arius, a bishop from Alexandria, Egypt, taught
that Jesus was the first creation of God and not God Himself. According to Arius Jesus was the
first and highest of all the created beings. Arius said, "There was a time when the Son was not."
Jesus was then given powers to create. He then created the Holy Spirit as His greatest creative
act. Therefore, Arianism teaches that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are created beings and not God.
Arianism is another heresy that is Unitarian in its belief about God in that it does not accept the
three distinctive Persons of the Trinity.

The heresy of Arianism originated in Alexandria in Egypt where Arius was an elder of the
church. Arius' heretical teaching caused Alexander, the bishop of the church, to excluded him
from the fellowship. However, the false teachings of Arius spread immediately spread
throughout all the churches of the Roman Empire.

A council was called at Nicea in A.D. 325 to discuss the relationship between Jesus Christ and
God the Father. The teachings of Arius were condemned. From it resulted the Nicene Creed. The
Nicene Creed confessed that Jesus Christ was fully God and not a created being as the Arians
taught.

Arianism was closer to the biblical truth concerning the nature of Jesus than there heresy of
Adoptionism. Adoptionism taught that Jesus was a mere man who was adopted by God as His
Son in a special way at His baptism. In Arianism Jesus was more than a mere man while
adaptationists see Him as no more than human. However, Arianism is unbiblical in that it makes
Jesus a created being instead of the Creator.

In neither Arianism nor Adoptionism is there any participation of God with humankind. The
Savior of these two heretical beliefs is not God who became a human being but either the first
creation of God or a special man that God adopted as His Son.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is equal in nature to God the Father. Jesus is the Creator of
everything - not everything but Himself. The Bible says.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
For by him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him.

Summary

Arius of Alexandria, a fourth century church leader, attempted to make Jesus Christ a lesser
person than God the Father though greater than humans. According to Arius Jesus was the
highest of all of the created beings. He also taught that the Holy Spirit was part of Jesus' creation.
In doing so he contradicted the biblical evidence that Jesus is the Creator of all things. Scripture
also teaches that the Holy Spirit was involved in the creation process of the universe. Arianism
thus denies the Deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Arianism was condemned for the
heresy that it is at the council of father.