Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

When the times of paganism passed, when Christianity ceased to be persecuted and was recognized as a world religion, it would seem that all disagreements should be resolved. But at times it was only the Ecumenical Councils that could refute the arising conflicts, the world did not even have a peace inside the Church.

The First Ecumenical Council was the Council of Nicaea, convened in 325 AD. The reason for him was the widespread teaching of the Alexandrian presbyter Arius. Its essence was to deny the identity between God the Father and God the Son. He claimed that Jesus Christ was created by the Lord, but is not his incarnation. Such a thought fundamentally disproved all the dogmas of Christianity, and therefore originally the doctrine of Arius was rejected by the Local Council. However, the proud presbyter refused to recognize the decision of the Council as legitimate and continued to attract believers to his side.

Then the Emperor Constantine invited bishops from all over the world to the Ecumenical Council in the small town of Nicaea (now called Iznik and is located in the territory of modern Turkey). Some of the present representatives of the Church carried on their bodies traces of torture received in the name of true Christianity. There were also bishops supporting Aria.

The debate lasted more than two months. During this time there were many discussions, speeches of philosophers, refinements of theological formulations. As the legend says, the point of controversy was the manifestation of a divine miracle. As the unity of the three beginnings, he gave an example of a clay crock: water, fire, clay give a single whole. Also, the Holy Trinity is essentially one God. After his speech, fire appeared from the shard, water appeared and clay formed. After such a miracle, the Council of Nicea finally rejected the false teaching of Arius, excommunicated him from the Church, approved the Creed and established 20 rules for church discipline, determined the date of the celebration of Easter.

But this Church Council did not put the final point in this matter. Disputes lasted a very long time. Even now, their echoes are still heard - Arianism formed the basis of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.

In addition to the Council of 325, there was also the Second Nicene Council, convened by the Empress Constantinople, Irina in 787. Its purpose was to abolish the iconoclasm that existed at the time. In fact, the Empress made two attempts to convene the Ecumenical Council. But in 786 in the Temple of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, where the Council began its work, the guard, supporting the iconoclasts, burst into the temple. The Holy Fathers had to disperse.

Having resorted to considerable tricks, dismissing the old guard, recruiting new troops, Irina still convened the Council in 787, but transferred it from Constantinople to Nicaea. His work lasted a month, according to her results, the veneration of icons was restored, they were allowed in the churches.

However, this Nicaean Council was not able to fully achieve its goal. Iconoclasm continued to exist. Finally, the movement of the iconoclasts was defeated only in 843, at the Council of Constantinople.