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Servant-Leaders or Leaders of Servants?A.D.
376 - 664
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Whats in this session?

• In this session, you will learn . . .
• How four church councils wrestled with what
  Scripture teaches about the humanity and deity of
  Jesus.
• How Augustine of Hippo helped Christians to deal
  with the fall of the city of Rome.

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Whats in this session?

• In this session, you will learn . . .
• How bishops such as John Chrysostom, Leo, and
  Gregory served their churches at a time when
  earthly power had become the focus.

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Empires East and West

• The Roman Empire was organized into two parts
• Constantinople, also known as Byzantium, was the
  capital of the eastern Roman Empire.
• Rome was the capital of the western Roman Empire.

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Empires East and West

• Emperor Theodosius ruled the Roman Empire from
  A.D. 379 until 395.
• Theodosius was the last emperor to rule both
  halves of the Roman Empire.

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Human Body, Mind Divine?

• During the reign of Theodosius, Apollinariusa
  teacher in the eastern Roman Empireclaimed that
  Jesus had no human mind.
• According to Apollinarius, Jesus body was human
  but his mind was divine.

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Human Body, Mind Divine?

• The Great Cappadocians replied, If deity took
  the place of a human mind, how does that help?
  Deity joined to flesh alone is not truly human!

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First Council of Constantinople

• To maintain peace, Emperor Theodosius convened a
  church council in the city of Constantinople in
  A.D. 381.

Emperor Theodosius with Ambrose, bishop of Milan
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First Council of Constantinople

• In Constantinople, more than 150 bishops
  reaffirmed the Creed of Nicaea while carefully
  clarifying the relationship between Christs
  divine and human natures.

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First Council of Constantinople

• The statement of faith formulated at the First
  Council of Constantinople became known as the
  Nicene Creed.
• Even while the Nicene Creed was drawing
  Christians together, the Roman Empire was falling
  apart.

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The Fall of Rome

• The eternal city of Rome had not fallen to
  foreign invaders for more than 800 years.
• The city of Rome symbolized the strength of the
  Roman Empire.

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The Fall of Rome

• Germanic tribesknown as barbarianshad been
  migrating south for decades, seeking farmland in
  the Empire.
• In A.D. 410, the unthinkable occurred The city
  of Rome fell to the barbarian Goths.

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Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354430)

• Augustine wrote The City of God to help people to
  deal with the fall of Rome.
• Augustine had trusted Jesus years earlier, after
  reading Romans 1314.

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo
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Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354430)

• According to Augustine, two realms seem to mingle
  on earth the City of God and the City of
  Mankind.
• Gods reign cannot ultimately be identified with
  any human regime the City of Mankind will fall
  but only Gods reign in his peoples hearts will
  remain.

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Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354430)

• Augustine also faced a crisis in his churches
  when a monk named Pelagius taught that human
  nature is not sinful.
• Augustine contended that the sin of Adam so
  completely corrupted all of humanity that no one
  naturally desires to do what is right.

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Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354430)

• Augustine argued that sexual relations transmit
  the sin nature.
• Infant baptism, Augustine claimed, purges the
  primal sin.

Augustine of Hippo
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John Chrysostom (A.D. 344407)

• While the western Empire struggled against
  barbarians, John struggled to purify churches in
  Constantinople.
• Bishop Johns preaching was so eloquent he became
  known as Golden Mouth or Chrysostom.

John Chrysostom
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John Chrysostom (A.D. 344407)

• Some priests were living with spiritual sisters
  who were somehow becoming spiritual mothers.
  John put an end to these arrangements.
• John also consistently disciplined errant church
  members, even wealthy and powerful members.

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The Church Councils

• During this era of tumult, three more church
  councils clarified what Christians understood
  Scripture to teach about Jesus.
• The Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431)
• The Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)
• The Second Council of Constantinople (A.D. 553)

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Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431)

• Why? Nestorius was accused of saying that Jesus
  was two separate persons, one human and one
  divine.
• What happened? Nestorius was exiled.

Mary as Theotokos,God-Bearer
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Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)

• Why? Monophysites claimed that Jesus divine
  nature swallowed up his human nature.
• What happened? Bishops affirmed that Jesus was
  one person with two natures Christ is ...
  recognized in two natures, without confusion,
  division, or separation ... but not as if Christ
  were parted into two persons.

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Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)

• Bishop Leo of Rome sent a Tome to Chalcedon
  that influenced the decisions there.
• In 452, Leo also convinced Attila the Hun not to
  destroy Rome.

Bishop Leo of Rome and the Tome that he sent to
Chalcedon
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Council of Constantinople II (A.D. 553)

• Why? Mono-physite theology became popular again.
• What happened? The council denounced both
  Nestorians and Monophysites.

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Gregory the Great (A.D. 540604)

• Gregory was a powerful politician who gave
  everything away to became a monk.
• After serving the people of Rome during a plague,
  he was hailed as their new bishop.
• Gregory was the first bishop of Rome to gain the
  status that would later be linked to the title
  pope.

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Talk About It . . .

• This session surveyed four church councils. What
  common themes do you notice in these councils?
• Is the Nicene Creed part of your churchs
  worship? Should it be?
• What might contemporary Christians learn from The
  City of God by Augustine of Hippo?

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Recommended Resources

• Creeds and Confessions of Faith pamphlet
• The Trinity pamphlet

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The Nicene Creed

• We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker
  of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and
  unseen.
• We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, Gods only
  Son, eternally begotten of the Father, God from
  God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
  begotten, not made, of the same essence as the
  Father.

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The Nicene Creed

• Through him all things were made. For us and for
  our salvation he came from heaven by the power
  of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary
  and became human. For our sakes he was crucified
  under Pontius Pilate, suffered, died, and was
  buried.

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The Nicene Creed

• On the third day he arose in fulfillment of the
  Scriptures he ascended into heaven and is seated
  at the Fathers right hand. He will come again in
  glory to judge the living and the dead. His
  kingdom will never end.

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The Nicene Creed
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• We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the
  giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. With
  the Father and the Son he is worshiped and
  glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.
• We believe in one holy, universal, and apostolic
  church. We recognize one baptism unto the
  remission of sins and await the resurrection of
  the dead and the life of the coming world.

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Romans 1314
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• Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
  provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
• (Romans 1314)