Ecumenical Councils and their description

For centuries, since the birth of the Christian faith, people have tried to accept the revelation of the Lord in all its purity, and the false followers have distorted it with human conjectures. For their exposure, discussion of canonical and dogmatic problems in the early Christian church, the Ecumenical Councils were convened. They united the followers of the faith of Christ from all corners of the Greco-Roman empire, pastors and teachers from barbarian countries. The period from the IV to the VIII century 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 the now-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, to what the early Christian church was heading. In history, one can see the lies of modern cults and sects that claim to be similar to dogmatic doctrine.

From the very beginnings of the Christian church there already existed an unshakable and harmonious 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 rules of the internal church order, the time and order of the services. The first Ecumenical Councils were created specifically to preserve the dogmas of faith in their true form.

The First Holy Assembly

The first Ecumenical Council was held in 325 AD. Among those present at the holy assembly of the fathers, the most famous were Spiridon of Trimiphunt, Archbishop Nikolai of Myra, Nichibi Bishop, Athanasius the Great, and others.

At the council, the teaching of Arius was condemned and anathematized , which rejected the deity of Christ. The unchanging truth about the Person of the Son of God, his equality to his father God and the 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 research so that no opinions arise that give rise to a split in the thoughts of the Christians themselves. The Spirit of God brought the bishops to agreement. After the completion of the Council of Nicaea, the heretic Arius suffered a hard and unexpected death, but his false teaching is still alive among sectarian preachers.

All the resolutions adopted by the Ecumenical Councils were not invented by its participants, but were confirmed by the church fathers through the participation of the Holy Spirit and solely on the basis of the Holy Scripture. In order for all believers to have access to the true teaching that Christianity brings, it was set forth clearly and concisely in the first seven members of the Creed. This form is still preserved.

The Second Holy Assembly

The Second Ecumenical Council was held in 381 in Constantinople. The main reason was the development of the false teaching of the Bishop of Macedonia and his adherents of the Arian-Dukhobors. Eretrical statements ranked the son of God not to the consubstantial God-father. The Holy Spirit was designated heretics as the Lord's service power, like angels.

At the second cathedral, the true Christian teaching was defended by Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, George the Theologian, consisting of 150 present bishops. The Holy Fathers affirmed the dogma of the consubstantiality and equality of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In addition, the church elder 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, about two hundred bishops gathered at it. The fathers decided to recognize the union of the two natures in Christ: the human and the divine. It was decided to preach Christ as a perfect man and a 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. Fathers decided that the Lord Christ is the true, unshakable God and true man. By his deity, he is eternally reborn from his father, by humanity he was revealed to the light of the Virgin Mary, in all likeness to man, except sin. In the incarnation, the human and the divine were united in the body of Christ unchanged, inseparably and inseparably.

It is worth noting that the heresy of monophysites brought much evil to the church. The false teaching was not eradicated to the end by conciliar condemnation, and for a long time the disputes between the heretic followers of Eutychius and Nestorius developed. The main reason for the disputes was the writings of three followers of the church - Fedor of Mopsuet, Iva of Edessa, Theodoret of Cyrus. The bishops mentioned were condemned by Emperor Justinian, but his decree was not recognized by the Universal Church. Therefore, there was a dispute about the three chapters.

Fifth Holy Meeting

To resolve the controversial issue was held the fifth cathedral in Constantinople. The writings of the bishops were severely condemned. To highlight the true devotees of faith, the concept of orthodox Christians and the Catholic Church arose. The Fifth Cathedral could not produce the desired results. Monophysites formed into societies that completely separated from the Catholic Church and continued to infuse heresy, to create controversy within Christians.

The Sixth Holy Meeting

The history of the Ecumenical Councils says that the struggle of orthodox Christians with heretics lasted long enough. In Constantinople, the sixth Council (Trulli) was convened, at which truth was finally to be established. At the meeting, where 170 bishops assembled, the doctrine of monophyleits and monophysites was condemned and rejected. In Jesus Christ, two natures were recognized - divine and human, and, accordingly, two wills - divine and human. After this cathedral, Monophyleanism fell, and for about fifty years the Christian church was relatively quiet. New vague currents appeared later on the iconoclastic heresy.

The Seventh Holy Assembly

The last 7 Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea in 787. 367 bishops took part in it. The holy elders rejected and condemned the iconoclastic heresy and decided that the icons should be rendered not the worship of God, which befits only God, but reverence and reverence. Those believers who worshiped icons as God Himself were excommunicated. After the 7th Ecumenical Council was held, iconoclasm disturbed the church for more than 25 years.

The meaning of holy assemblies

The Seven Ecumenical Councils are of paramount importance in the development of the basic tenets of the Christian dogma, on which all modern faith is based.

• The first - affirmed the deity of Christ, his equality to his father God.
• The second - condemned the Heresy of Macedonia, rejecting the divine essence of the Holy Spirit.
• The third - eliminated the heresy of Nestorius, who preached about the bifurcation of the faces of the God-man.
• The fourth - struck the final blow to the false doctrine of Monophysitism.
• The fifth - completed the defeat of heresy and confirmed the confession in Jesus of two natures - human and divine.
• The sixth - condemned the monothelites and decided to confess in Christ two wills.
• The seventh - overthrew the iconoclastic heresy.

The years of the Ecumenical Councils made it possible to introduce definiteness and completeness into orthodox Christian teaching.

The Eighth Ecumenical Council

More recently, the patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew said that preparations are being made with the All-Orthodox Eighth Ecumenical Council. The Patriarch urged all leaders of the Orthodox faith to gather in Istanbul to determine the final date of the event. It is noted that the 8th Ecumenical Council should become an occasion for strengthening the unity of the Orthodox world. However, his convocation forced the representatives of the Christian faith to split.

It is assumed that the All-Orthodox Eighth Ecumenical Council will be of a reformatory nature, not an expository one. The seven previous councils defined and laid down the dogmas 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 the rules of convening, but also about multiple prophecies. They tell us that the holy 8th Ecumenical Council will be heretical.

Fathers of Ecumenical Councils

On May 31, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the feast of the memory of the Holy Fathers, who held seven Ecumenical Councils. It was the bishops participating in the meetings that became the symbol of the conciliar mind of the church itself. The opinion of one person has never become the supreme authority in dogmatic, legislative and secret matters of faith. The fathers of Ecumenical Councils are revered till now, some of them are recognized as saints.

Rules of true faith

The Holy Fathers left after themselves the canons or, in other words, the rules of the Ecumenical Councils, which should guide the whole church hierarchy and the believers themselves in their church and private life.

The basic rules of the first holy assembly are:

• In the clergy are not accepted persons who have themselves overshadowed.
• To the sacred degree, new believers can not be made.
• A clergyman can not have a woman in the house who is not his close relative.
• Bishops should be elected bishops and approved by the metropolitan.
• The bishop should not receive in communion persons who are excommunicated by another bishop. The rule commands the convocation of bishops twice a year.
• The supreme power of some high-ranking persons over others is confirmed. It is forbidden to supply a bishop without a general meeting and permission from the metropolitan.
• The Jerusalem bishop is similar in degree to the metropolitan.
• In one city there can not be two bishops.
• Vicious persons can not be admitted to the priesthood.
• The fallen are erupted from the sacred rite.
• The ways of repentance of those who have departed from the faith are being decided.
• Everyone who dies should be encouraged by holy mysteries.
• Bishops and clerics can not arbitrarily move from hail to hail.
• Clerics can not engage in usury.
• It is forbidden to kneel on the days of Pentecost and on Sunday.

The basic rules of the second holy assembly are:

• All heresy must be subjected to anathema.
• Bishops should not extend their power beyond the limits of their field.
• The canons of acceptance of penitent heretics are established.
• All charges against the rulers of the church must be investigated.
• The Church accepts those who profess the one God.

The main rule of the third holy assembly: the main canon prohibits the creation of a new symbol of faith.

The basic rules of the fourth holy assembly are:

• All believers should observe everything that was decided at previous cathedrals.
• Decree in the church degree for money is punished severely.
• Bishops, clergy and monks should not engage in worldly affairs for the sake of profit.
• Monks should not lead an abusive residence.
• Monks and clerics should not join military service or worldly rank.
• Clerics should not sue in secular courts.
• Bishops should not resort to the help of civil authorities in church affairs.
• Singers and readers should not marry heterodox wives.
• Monastics and virgins should not marry.
• Monasteries should not be converted to mundane dwellings.

In total, seven Ecumenical Councils brought out a whole set of rules that are now available to all believers in special spiritual literature.

Instead of concluding

The Ecumenical Councils were able to maintain the true purity of the Christian faith in its entirety. Up to this day, the higher clergy leads their flock on the way to the Kingdom of God, the righteousness and understanding of the canons and dogmas of faith.