Slide 1 - St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church

Church History and Patrology • CH_Pat_1: 1st Century; Foundation of the Church • • • •

CH_Pat_2: 1st Century; Examples of the Apostolic Fathers CH_Pat_3: 1st Century; Heresies and Martyrdom CH_Pat_4: 2nd and 3rd Centuries; Anti-Nicene Fathers CH_Pat_5: 2nd and 3rd Centuries; Anti-Nicene Fathers of

the School of Alexandria • CH_Pat_6: 4th Century; 1st Ecumenical Council (Nicaea) • CH_Pat_7: 4th Century; 2nd Ecumenical Council (Constantinople)

CH_Pat_8: 5th

Century; 3nd Ecumenical Council (Ephesus I) until Chalcedon

The Church in the 5th Century 1) The 3rd Ecumenical Council (Ephesus I at 431 AD) 2) Ephesus II and Chalcedon

L8: The Church in the 5th Century The Council of Ephesus Christ’s Two Nature Heresy Against the Theotokos Heresy 1st Council of Ephesus 2nd Council of Ephesus The Council of Chalcedon

Christ’s Two Nature Heresy 1)

By Nestorius Patriarch of Constantinople

2) The Heresy: • •

3)

Christ was 2 separate persons; a human born from St. Mary then the divine settled in it. The divine Christ could not suffer nor die on the cross.

The Defense: • •

•

St. Cyril the 24th Pope of Alexandria The union of the divinity with humanity occurred at the same time in St. Mary’s womb The two nature in Christ are without mix or change => the example of the molten iron in fire

Against the Theotokos Heresy 1) By Nestorius Patriarch of Constantinople 2)

The Heresy: •

St. Mary gave birth to the human Christ and thus cannot have the title “Mother of God”

The Defense:

3) • •

The nature of the Word was not originated by St. Mary but the Word was hypostatically united with the flesh in the sanctified St. Mary’s womb The human mother has no share in creating the spirit of her child yet she is the mother of the whole person not only his physical nature

The 1st Council of Ephesus 1) Called by Emperor Theodosius at 431 AD

2) Attended by 200 bishops; the main figure is St. Cyril the 24th Pope of Alexandria 3) The council excommunicated Nestorius, exiled to Ekhmim in upper Egypt until died 4) The council laid down the beginning of the creed “We exalt you, O mother of the true Light….”

The

nd 2

Council of Ephesus

1) Held at 449 AD to defend against the heresy of Eutyches (head of a monastery) 2) The other extreme of Nerstorius; Christ has one Divine nature but took supernatural humanity; not a real one thus Christ is only Divine appeared in a human (Monophysite) 3) In the council, Eutyches and followers regretted their views and were forgiven

The Chalcedonian Council 1)

Held at 451 AD to overcome the strong Coptic Patriarch and leadership

2)

Pope Dioscorus of Alexandria (25th) held a local council to excommunicate bishop “Leo” of Rome when he confessed the Nestorian heresy.

3)

In turn, Leo held the Chalcedonian council and accused wrongly Pope Dioscorus with “Monophysite” , excommunicated and exiled him

4)

This lead to the 1st division in the church.

5)

The right description of our church is “Miaphysite”