"The apostles and elders met to consider this question."Acts:15:6
Over the centuries from the inception of the Christian Church around 33-37 AD, it became necessary for
the Church to come together and discus varies issues or questions which would arise as the Church moved thru time.
Often these convocations were driven by the need for the Church to answer challenges from varies ones who came to believe in views which were in opposition to what the Church had always understood and taught from the outset of the Church on that day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirirt manifest himself in the lives of those followers of the Resurrected and ascended Jesus of Nazareth.
Many Christians of today are unaware of the varies Church Councils, sometimes referred to as Ecumenical Councils, which have been convened over the centuries, especially Christians of Church bodies which have emerged over the last one hundred years or so. These Councils have helped shaped the Christian movement and helped clarify the understanding of all Christians of what constitutes Orthodox Christian Teaching, Theology and Doctrine.
Council of Jerusalem
The first recorded Council of the Christian movement is generally thought to have occurred around 50 AD and was convened at Jerusalem. The issue that was address was "what were the requirements for gentiles who came to believe in Jesus as Israel's Messiah?".
Why this was such an important question which needed to be resolved , was that from it's inception the Christian movement was comprised of all Jews , who had lived all their lives under the Old Covenant which was enjoined between God and Israel , and were , up to that time, still holding on to some vestiges of that Covenant.
This asked the question "what did the entrance of a Gentile mean? Just what had changed in Israel's, and all humanities relationship to and with God. What did Jesus' entrance into history mean for us all in our relationship with God?
Why this was such an important question which needed to be resolved , was that from it's inception the Christian movement was comprised of all Jews , who had lived all their lives under the Old Covenant which was enjoined between God and Israel , and were , up to that time, still holding on to some vestiges of that Covenant.
This asked the question "what did the entrance of a Gentile mean? Just what had changed in Israel's, and all humanities relationship to and with God. What did Jesus' entrance into history mean for us all in our relationship with God?
In the narrative of the Book of Acts , written by the Evangelist St.Luke, we are told that the question had arose due to the entrance in to the Church of Cornelius a Centurion of the Roman occupation army and his household, thru the work of the Holy Spirit prompting Cornelius to request a visit from the Apostle Peter to give he and his family clarification and understanding about what God wanted from him.
St. Luke records God's intervention thru a vision given to Cornelius that he should send for Peter.
"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”Acts:10:1-6
The Apostle St. Pete responded to Cornelius request to speak with him and makes the trip to Casesarea where Cornelius' garrison is stationed. Here St. Peter expounds the Gospel to the Centurion who embraces the message resulting in the conversion of Cornelius and his household.
When the Jewish Christians receive news that Peter had visited with Cornelius, a gentile and a Roman Centurion , they are initially angry until Peter explains to them that those gentiles , like themselves, had received the Holy Spirit and had in truth come to trust in Jesus.
This situation set off a debate in the Church which caused the Apostles and elders of the Church to consider what they and any who came to believe in Jesus , were to do. This debate at times was filled with contention and heated arguments among them notably the debate focused upon the question of circumcision.
This issue was settled during a gathering of the Apostles and elders which is given to us in a summery form in Acts:15.
This decision of the Jerusalem Council would begin the processes which would help propel the early Apostolic Church out from under the auspices of Judaism and into a life all of its own, for had this not occurred the Church would have remained as simply a sect of Judaism confined to Palestine, and would never had been able to reach the Hellenistic and Roman world and beyond as it did and changed the world for all time and forever.
The Rise of Gnosticism
In the Apostolic era of the Church there arose groups who attempted to work their own form of Christianity, one such group was called Gnostic who attempted to marry mysteries from pagan beliefs and Christian beliefs. St.Paul's Epistle to the Colossi Christians addressed this Gnostic teachings as he addressed Judizers in his Galatians Epistle.
Gnostic were not one uniform group, but rather , they were a ambiguous collection of persons and groups, each holding to their own views. One influential Gnostic teacher was Marcion . Mracion had been rasied as a Christin his father had been a Bishop in the Church .
Marcion had a unique set of teachings and beliefs. Marcion's influence was so great ,that at one point, he managed to raise up a counter moment to that of the orthodox Christian Church, which thrived for a time and competed against the established Church.
Marcion had his own set of Scripture which he assembled and claimed as authoritative and spoke to humanity. Marcion excluded the whole of the Canon of the Old Testament and only certain Apostolic Church era Epistles and Gospels; and these were often edited to support his teachings.
Canonical Councils
This prompted early Christian leaders to begin to ask "which writings speak with divine authority?"
This led to what are called the Canonical Councils which deliberated what writings should be regarded as Scripture and recognized as speaking with to humanity on behalf of God.
In the early Church there was writing known as.
Homologoumena -Meaning Acknowledged , or Accepted Books.
Antilegomena- Disputed Books.
Apocrypha- Meaning Spurious Books.
Pseudepigrapha- Meaning Heretical or Absurd Books.
It became needful for the to sort thru the many documents and early Gospel accounts and Epistles to produce a body of writing which were recognized as inspired by the Holy Spirit and conveyed the divine word and will of God to humanity.
There were four primary Canonical Councils which assembled over a period of about one hundred years to construct the Canon of Scripture.
The Council of Laodecia in 336 AD
The Council of Damascus in 382 AD
The Council of Carthage in 397 AD
The Council of Hippo in 419 AD
The Nature of Christ
Even from the earliest times there were heretical views in the Church. many of these views were in regard to the nature of Jesus. Councils were called to talk about the accepted and orthodox understanding about the person of Christ.
Some of the news of the nature of Jesus were that he was a "good" man who "qualified" to be the Messiah. Others taught that Jesus was mere "specter" or "projection" who did not even cast a shadow or leave any foot prints.
Some viewed Jesus as being "god" but not God from eternity , but was instead was the highest created being made by God.
Others some taught that Jesus was born a man but that his own rational human mind had been displaced by the Word of God.
Other teaching were that Jesus had two natures, divine and human or "person hoods" within himself, as if he were two separate persons within himself.
Another taught that Jesus had two natures prior to the incarnation but only one nature after the incarnation.
These are just a some of the views which were extant in the early centuries, councils were assembled to arrive at an orthodox understanding about the person of Christ as being fully God yet fully human.
The First Council of Nicaea 325 AD- Affirmed that Jesus is fully God
The First Council of Constantinople 381 AD- Affirmed that Jesus is perfect humanity.
The Council of Ephesus -431 AD Affirmed that Jesus is "one" person.
The Council of Chalcedon- 451 AD Affirmed that Jesus had both divine nature and human nature in one person.
The Second Council of Constantinople- 553 AD -recognizing the hypostatic union of Christ as two natures, one divine and one human, united in one person with neither confusion nor division
The Second Council of Constantinople- 553 AD -recognizing the hypostatic union of Christ as two natures, one divine and one human, united in one person with neither confusion nor division
The Third Council of Constantinople -680 AD Stated that Jesus had both a human and a divine will.
Helped Define and Shape Christian Thought
Thru out the history of the Christian Church leaders have assembled over the centuries to discuss and state what is orthodox Christin understanding about the nature of God, Jesus Christ , what is and is not Scripture and many more issues which have confronted the Church over the years.
There have been Councils held in both the Eastern and Western Church traditions as well as Protestant, Anglican , Evangelical and Pentecostal Church bodies and traditions.
These gathering have helped the Church produce the Historical Church documents such as the Apostles Creed, Definitions of Chalcedon, the Athanasian Creed and Westminster Confessions and other great statements of faith and declarations which have shaped Christin understanding and thought, not just of one particular Church body ,but of the Church Universal wherever it is found under whatever name Christians are gathered, from the Apostolic Pentecost down thru the ages, to the Protestant Reformation and the awakenings and revivals thru out history to this very hour.
The great God, the Holy Trinity, has and is thru the Holy Spirit leading his people to come together and "grow and grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" .
Benediction: May we each and all ever come to deeper understanding of our Great God, today, tomorrow and forevermore Amen
The Fountain of life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
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