Many centuries, since the birth of the Christian faith, people tried to accept the revelation of the Lord in all its purity, and false followers distorted it with human conjectures. For their denunciation, discussion of canonical and dogmatic problems in the early Christian Church, Ecumenical Councils were convened. They united adherents of the faith of Christ from all corners of the Greco-Roman empire, pastors and teachers from barbarian countries. The period from the 4th to the 8th centuries in church history is usually called the era of strengthening the true faith, the years of the Ecumenical Councils contributed to this in all their strength.
Historical digression
For living Christians, the first Ecumenical Councils are very important, and their significance is revealed in a special way. All Orthodox and Catholics should know and understand what they believed in, what the early Christian church was heading towards. In history, one can see the lies of modern cults and sects that claim to be similar to dogmatic teachings.
From the very beginnings of the Christian Church, there was already an unshakable and coherent theology based on the basic doctrines of faith - in the form of dogmas about the Divinity of Christ, the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. In addition, there are certain rulesintra-church way of life, time and order of services. The first Ecumenical Councils were created specifically to keep the dogmas of faith in their true form.
First Holy Meeting
The First Ecumenical Council was held in 325. Among the fathers present at the holy meeting, the most famous were Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, Archbishop Nicholas of Myra, Bishop of Nisibis, Athanasius the Great and others.
The council condemned and anathematized the teachings of Arius, who denied the divinity of Christ. The unchanging truth about the Person of the Son of God, his equality with the Father God, and the very Divine essence were affirmed. Church historians note that at the council the definition of the very concept of faith was announced after lengthy trials and studies, so that no opinions would arise that would give rise to a split in the thoughts of the Christians themselves. The Spirit of God brought the bishops into harmony. After the completion of the Council of Nicaea, the heretic Arius suffered a difficult and unexpected death, but his false teaching is still alive among sectarian preachers.
All the decisions adopted by the Ecumenical Councils were not invented by its participants, but were approved by the church fathers through the participation of the Holy Spirit and solely on the basis of Holy Scripture. In order for all believers to have access to the true teaching that Christianity brings, it was stated clearly and concisely in the first seven members of the Creed. This form is preserved to this day.
Second Holy Meeting
The Second Ecumenical Council was held in 381 inConstantinople. The main reason was the development of the false teachings of Bishop Macedonia and his adherents, the Arian Doukhobors. Heretical statements reckoned the son of God not to the consubstantial God-father. The Holy Spirit was designated by heretics as the service force of the Lord, like angels.
At the second council, the true Christian doctrine was defended by Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, George the Theologian, who were among the 150 bishops present. The Holy Fathers approved the dogma of the consubstantiality and equality of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In addition, the church elders approved the Nicene Creed, which to this day is the guide for the church.
Third Holy Assembly
The Third Ecumenical Council was convened in Ephesus in 431, it was attended by about two hundred bishops. The Fathers decided to recognize the union of two natures in Christ: human and divine. It was decided to preach Christ as a perfect man and perfect God, and the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.
The Fourth Holy Assembly
The Fourth Ecumenical Council, held in Chalcedon, was convened specifically to eliminate all Monophysite disputes that began to spread around the church. The Holy Assembly, consisting of 650 bishops, determined the only true teaching of the Church and rejected all existing false teachings. The Fathers decreed that the Lord Christ is the true, immutable God and true man. According to his deity, he is eternally reborn from his father, according to humanity, he was born into the world from the Virgin Mary, in all the likeness of a man, except for sin. In incarnation, human andthe divine united in the body of Christ unchangeably, inseparably and inseparably.
It is worth noting that the Monophysite heresy brought a lot of evil to the church. The false doctrine was not eradicated to the end by the conciliar condemnation, and for a long time disputes developed between the heretic followers of Eutyches and Nestorius. The main reason for the controversy was the writings of three followers of the church - Fedor of Mopsuetsky, Willow of Edessa, Theodoret of Cyrus. The mentioned bishops were condemned by Emperor Justinian, but his decree was not recognized by the Universal Church. Therefore, there was a dispute about the three chapters.
The Fifth Holy Assembly
To resolve the controversial issue, the fifth council was held in Constantinople. The writings of the bishops were severely condemned. To distinguish the true adherents of the faith, the concept of orthodox Christians and the Catholic Church arose. The Fifth Council failed to produce the desired results. Monophysites formed into societies that completely separated from the Catholic Church and continued to instill heresy, give rise to disputes within Christians.
The Sixth Holy Assembly
The history of the Ecumenical Councils says that the struggle of orthodox Christians with heretics continued for a long time. In Constantinople, the sixth council (Trulla) was convened, at which the truth was finally to be affirmed. At a meeting attended by 170 bishops, the teachings of the Monothelites and Monophysites were condemned and rejected. In Jesus Christ, two natures were recognized - divine and human, and, accordingly, two wills - divine and human. AfterFrom this cathedral, Monotherianism fell, and for about fifty years the Christian church lived relatively quietly. New troubled currents emerged later over the iconoclastic heresy.
The Seventh Holy Assembly
The last 7th Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea in 787. It was attended by 367 bishops. The holy elders rejected and condemned the iconoclastic heresy and decreed that icons should not be worshiped, which befits only God alone, but reverence and reverent worship. Those believers who worshiped icons as God himself were excommunicated from the church. After the 7th Ecumenical Council was held, iconoclasm troubled the church for more than 25 years.
Meaning of holy gatherings
The Seven Ecumenical Councils are of paramount importance in the development of the basic tenets of the Christian faith, on which all modern faith is based.
- First - affirmed the divinity of Christ, his equality with Father God.
- Second - condemned the heresy of Macedonia, which rejects the divine essence of the Holy Spirit.
- Third - eliminated the heresy of Nestorius, who preached about the bifurcation of the faces of the God-man.
- The fourth one de alt the final blow to the false teaching of Monophysitism.
- Fifth - completed the defeat of heresy and confirmed the confession in Jesus of two natures - human and divine.
- Sixth - condemned the Monothelites and decided to confess two wills in Christ.
- Seventh - cast down the iconoclastic heresy.
The years of the Ecumenical Councils made it possible to introduce certainty andfullness into orthodox Christian teaching.
Eighth Ecumenical Council
Relatively recently, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople announced that preparations are underway for the Pan-Orthodox Eighth Ecumenical Council. The Patriarch called on all leaders of the Orthodox faith to gather in Istanbul to determine the final date for the event. It was noted that the 8th Ecumenical Council should become an occasion to strengthen the unity of the Orthodox world. However, its convocation caused the representatives of the Christian faith to split.
It is assumed that the Pan-Orthodox Eighth Ecumenical Council will be reformatory, not denunciatory. The seven previous councils defined and expounded the articles of faith in all their purity. Concerning the new Holy Assembly, opinions were divided. Some representatives of the Orthodox Church believe that the patriarch forgot not only about the rules of convocation, but also about multiple prophecies. They tell that the holy 8th Ecumenical Council will become heretical.
Fathers of Ecumenical Councils
In the Russian Orthodox Church, May 31 is the day of remembrance of the Holy Fathers, who held seven Ecumenical Councils. It was the bishops who participated in the meetings that became the symbol of the conciliar mind of the church itself. The opinion of one person has never become the highest authority in dogmatic, legislative and secret matters of faith. The fathers of the Ecumenical Councils are still revered, some of them are recognized as saints.
Rules of true faith
Holy Fathersleft behind the canons or, in other words, the rules of the Ecumenical Councils, which should guide the entire church hierarchy and the believers themselves in their church and personal life.
Basic rules of the first holy meeting:
- People who have castrated themselves are not admitted to the clergy.
- Newly converted believers cannot be made to sacred degrees.
- A priest cannot have a woman in the house who is not his close relative.
- Bishops must be elected bishops and approved by the metropolitan.
- A bishop should not receive into communion persons who have been excommunicated by another bishop. The canon dictates that episcopal assemblies be called twice a year.
- The supreme power of some dignitaries over others is confirmed. It is forbidden to appoint a bishop without a general meeting and the permission of the metropolitan.
- A bishop of Jerusalem is similar in degree to a metropolitan.
- There cannot be two bishops in the same city.
- Wicked persons may not be allowed to worship.
- The Fallen are erupting from the Sacred Order.
- Methods of repentance for apostates are being decided.
- Every dying person should be given the holy mysteries.
- Bishops and clerics cannot arbitrarily move from city to city.
- Clerics cannot engage in usury.
- It is forbidden to kneel on Pentecost and Sunday.
Basic Rules of the Second Holy Assembly:
- All heresy must be anathema.
- Bishops should not extend their power beyondoutside of your area.
- The canons of the acceptance of penitent heretics are established.
- All accusations against church rulers must be investigated.
- The Church accepts those who profess the one God.
Basic rule of the third holy assembly: the main canon forbids the composition of a new creed.
Basic Rules of the Fourth Holy Assembly:
- All believers must abide by everything that was decreed at previous councils.
- Regulation to a church degree for money is punished severely.
- Bishops, clerics and monks should not engage in worldly affairs for profit.
- Monks should not lead a disorderly life.
- Monks and clerics should not enter military service or lay rank.
- Clerics should not sue in secular courts.
- Bishops should not have recourse to civil authorities in ecclesiastical affairs.
- Singers and reciters should not marry non-Christian wives.
- Monastics and virgins should not marry.
- Monasteries should not be used by lay dwellings.
In total, seven Ecumenical Councils produced a whole set of rules that are now available to all believers in special spiritual literature.
Instead of a conclusion
Ecumenical councils were able to preserve the true purity of the Christian faith in its entirety. The higher clergy to this day leads their flock along the path to the Kingdom of God, justice and understanding of the canons and dogmas of faith.
