Notes from 2/9

Notes 2/9

·      Marcionism

o   Heresy that Jewish and Christian gods are different

·      The Trinity is not equal to the Puppy Monkey Baby

o   Puppymonkeybaby is three things mushed together

o   For the orthodox, the trinity was not a mishmash

§  orthodox- right belief

·      what the councils in 3^rd and 4^th century thought was right

·      heresy- opposed those beliefs, incorrect teachings

o   What is the trinity not? These beliefs were considered heresy.

§  Some parts were not subordinate to other parts

§  Not monarchianism-adoptionism

·      That Jesus was not always divine. God chose Jesus (at His baptism) to do His work.

§  Modalism

·      God the Father is the monarch and changes person.

·      He rotates between the three persons of God

§  Arianism (c318 CE)

·      God the Father predates Jesus

§  Nestorianism (5^th century CE)

·      Christ’s divinity versus humanity are separate

o   Council of Nicea (325 CE)

§  Place in Turkey near Constantinople

§  Constantine, the emperor, calls the council of bishops

§  No separation of church and state at that point

·      But still odd because Constantine seems invested with solving an issue between bishops or does he just want to consolidate power?

§  What is the relationship between God and Christ?

§  Response to the Arians

·      Arius has a lot of money and influence

·      Arius says that there is a time when Christ did not exist

·      Orthodox view is the Jesus was always present

o   Says so in their scripture

o   John 1:1-4, 14

§  Differentiates Word and God

§  Word=Logos=thought, argument, idea

§  Logos is manifest in Jesus

§  God creates through Jesus

§  Christ is bigger than Jesus because Christ has been present for forever and will continue to exist, but Jesus was just the flesh manifestation

o   Comes out of Hellenistic Jewish tradition

§  A word that God speaks that brings about creation

§  Genesis 1:1-6

§  Creating through speaking

·      Arians argument implies that God and Christ are not of the same substance

§  Bishops assert that God and Christ are homousios (consubstantial)

§  Creed of Nicea

·      Emphasis that Christ is begotten and not made

·      God didn’t create Jesus

·      Foundation of belief- what everyone believes to in the 4^th century

·      Language of creed and canon changes over time

o   Make more contemporary? Change doctrine?

o   When you translate anything, meanings change

·      At this point everyone is orthodox

·      Holy Spirit is just tacked on. Not much said about it.

o   After the Council of Nicea: what does homousias mean?

§  Arians say God and Christ can’t be exactly the same!

·      Homoiousios- similar stuff

§  Once a creed is set, people continue to talk and debate and disagree

§  Cappadocian Fathers

·      Greek trained philosophers

·      Homousias means God and Christ have one substance, but three different manifestations (called hypostasis)

§  This matters because how you imagine this relationship indicates how humans are saved through Christ

·      Bigger meaning

§  Cyril- from Egypt

·      Augustine- Carthage

o   Early Christianity is not just Europe!

·      How the trinity and incarnation are salvation

o   Incarnation- in the flesh

·      On the Unity of Christ

·      The incarnation changes the nature of human flesh

·      Adam sinned (and rejected the divine) and then the flesh of humans became corrupted (why we suffer)

·      Jesus is put into corrupted human flesh and does not sin, so He saves humanity and redeems flesh

·      About God’s mercy and graciousness

§  If Christ is not fully divine and fully human, then the salvation doesn’t work.

§  Avoiding the idea that God chooses one person to simply sacrifice.

§  Christ’s death on the cross is important because God is identifying with suffering

§  First Adam- things didn’t go right

§  Second Adam (Jesus)- fixing what humans messed up

·      He is divine, so He can’t mess it up

·      He is made up of different substance than the corrupted humans

§  We can never fully understand the trinity

·      Mystery

·      The point of faith- we can’t do it on our own, we need God to help us understand

o   Council of Chalcedon

§  Affirmation that Christ is fully human and fully divine

§  Definition of Chalcedon

§  Thoetokos- God-bearer

·      Mary gives birth after bearing God

·      Christ is fully human and fully divine, throughout His development in the womb

§  An elaboration/clarification of Nicea

o   Council of Jerusalem

§  1^st century CE

§  Recounted in Acts 15 and Galatians 1&2

§  Can Gentiles be Christians? Or do you have to covert to Judaism to become Christian?

·      Circumcision, laws of Moses

§  Acts:

·      Paul and Barnabus: Gentiles don’t have to convert

·      Peter is claiming that he is the one who is supposed to go to the Gentiles

·      It is okay for Gentiles to come as they are and not convert

·      Paul goes right away to Jerusalem

§  Galatians:

·      People are telling Galatians that they need to be circumcised

·      Paul is pissed off

·      Paul waits 14 years to go to Jerusalem

·      Claims one person goes to the circumcised and another person is the one for the gentiles

o   Paul is claiming authenticity and that his is the right message for the Gospel

·      Stay as you are

·      Contradicts Acts

·      Calling Peter a hypocrite

·      Faith over actions

§  Diversity and difference within the canon

·      Make decisions, don’t let it get too far out of control

·      Idea of the canon includes the idea that there will be other teachings against which they judge

·      4 gospels- different perspectives on life of Jesus

o   they didn’t canonize the harmony