Viewpoints of the

Ebionites

Docetists

Arians

Proponents

Judaizers

Basilides, Valentinus, Patripassians, Sabellians

Arius, presbyter of Alexandria, Origen (?)

Time

2nd century

Late 1st century

4th century

Denial

Genuine deity

Genuine humanity

Genuine deity

Explanation

Christ had the Spirit after his baptism; he was not preexistent.

Jesus appeared human but was really divine

Christ was the first and highest created being, homoiousia, not homoousia.

Condemned

No official condemnation

No official condemnation

Council of Nicea, A.D. 325

Associated with

Legalism

Evil of the material world and oussian divinity of man as taught by Marcion and Gnostics

Generation=creation

Argument for

They are monotheistic

They affirm Christ's deity

They teach that Christ is subordinate to the Father.

Argument against

Only a divine Christ is worthy of worship (John 1:1; 20:28 Heb. 13:8).

If Christ were not human He could not redeem humanity (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 4:1-3).

Only a divine Christ is worthy of worship; this view tends toward polytheism. Only a divine Christ can save (Phil. 2:6; Rev. 1:8).

Major Opponents

Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Origen, Eusebius

lrenaeus, Hippolytus

Athanasius, Ossius 

Viewpoints of the

Appollinarians

Nestorians

Eutychians

Proponents

Appollinarius, bishop of Laodicea, Justin Martyr

Represented by Nestorius, 5th-century bishop of Constantinople

Represented by Eutychius Theodosius II

Time

4th century

5th century

5th century

Denial

Completeness of humanity

Unity of person

Distinction of natures

Explanation

The divine Logos took the place of the human mind.

Union was moral, not organic-thus two persons. The human was completely controlled by the divine.

Monophysitist; the human nature was swallowed by the divine to create a new third nature-a tertium quid

Condemned

Council of Antioch, A.D. 378, 379, Council of Constantinople, A.D. 381

Synod of Ephesus, A.D 431

Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 405; defended by "Robber Synod" of Ephesus, A.D. 449; Condemned by Chalcedon, A.D. 451

Associated with

Logos = reason in all people

"Word-man" (Antiochene) not "word-flesh "(Alexandrian) Christology; opposed to using theotokos of Mary.

Concern for the unity and divinity of Christ; Alexandrian (minimized humanity)

Argument for

Affirmed Christ's deity and real humanness.

Distinguished human Jesus, who died, from Divine Son, who cannot die.

Maintained the unity of Christ's person

Argument against

If Christ did not have a human mind, he would not be truly human (Heb. 2:14; 1 John 4:1-3).

If the death of Jesus was the act of a human person, not of God, it could not be efficacious (Rev. 1:12-18).

If Christ were neither a man nor God, he could not redeem as man or as God (Phil. 2:6).

Major Opponents

Vitalis, Pope Damascus, Basil, Theodosius, Gregory of Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa

Cyril of Alexandria

Flavian of Constantinople, Pope Leo, Theodoret, Eusebius of Dorylaeum

GROUP

TIME

HUMAN NATURE

DIVINE NATURE

CHURCH COUNCIL

Docetists

Ist century

Denied- only an appearance of humanity

Affirmed

Eionites

2nd century

Affirmed

Denied- Jesus was natural son of Joseph and Mary

Arians

4th century

Affirmed

Denied –Jesus not eternal; similar to, but not same as God

Condemned by Nicea, 325

Apollinanans

4h century

Divine Logos replaced human spirit

Affirmed

Condemned by Constantinople, 381

Nesiorians5th century

Christ was two Persons Christ was two Persons

Condemned by Ephesus, 431

Eutychians

5th century

Not fully human

Not fully divine, Christ was a single mixed nature

Condemned by Chalcedon, 451

Orthodoxy

Perfect humanity

Full Deity, Christ is one Person

Defined by Chalcedon, 457