From Eliyahu
Consider this:
If you have viewed our
live video streams, you know we often tell viewers that we like to entertain
comments and questions. On Rumble recently a viewer asked us about
Athanasius of
Alexandria (c. AD 296–373). This question is a little outside of our topic
on our stream right now, but it is related. The question is related to the
Christian controversy having to do with whether "Jesus" is God or not.
Following is my reply:
Thanks for your comment
about Athanasius of Alexandria (c. AD 296–373). Wikipedia sets
out these basic facts about him:
"His intermittent
episcopacy spanned 45 years (c. 8 June 328 – 2 May 373), of which
over 17 encompassed five exiles, when he was replaced on the order
of four different Roman emperors. Athanasius was a Christian
theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism
against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian Christian leader of the
fourth century. [Arius of Alexandria c. AD 256–336 held to an
alternate Trinitarian theology] Conflict with Arius and Arianism, as
well as with successive Roman emperors, shaped Athanasius' career.
In 325, at age 27, Athanasius began his leading role against the
Arians as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria
during the First Council of Nicaea. Roman Emperor Constantine the
Great had convened the council in May–August 325 to address the
Arian position that the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, is of a
distinct substance from the Father. Three years after that council,
Athanasius succeeded his mentor as pope of Alexandria. In addition
to the conflict with the Arians (including powerful and influential
Arian churchmen led by Eusebius of Nicomedia), he struggled against
the Emperors Constantine, Constantius II, Julian the Apostate and
Valens. He was known as Athanasius Contra Mundum (Latin for
'Athanasius Against the World')."
[Eliyahu again] The entire
story of the struggle between the position of Athanasius and that of
Arius is lengthy, very detailed, went back and forth through the whole
Roman world like a wrestling match, involved a series of Roman Emperors
who vacillated frequently between the two camps of thought, and got
ridiculous in the extreme. It involved condemning fellow-Christians as
heretics, burning books, burning people, and exiling, at different
times, supporters of both camps. All of this has been viewed as
formative to Christian orthodoxy and is fundamental to the very
definition of the Christian Church. Indeed, the argument can be made
that the Church as an institution was actually born out of this Roman
fiasco.
In my view, once aware of the history involved, to continue the argument
over the doctrinal details of the two positions personified by Arius and
Athanasius is to miss the point of the historical lesson encapsulated in
the birth of the Roman Church. In a simple sentence, it is all head and
no heart. Neither position, that of Athanasius or that of Arius, has
anything whatsoever to do with actually knowing God. In no way does any
aspect of the Trinitarian argument reflect the heart of God or the will
of God, Who sent His Son to save sinners - not burn them at the stake
because they misunderstand some esoteric doctrinal creed of the
theologians.
Is forced agreement really
agreement at all? |
 
[Contrast the Arian
Controversy with how Yeshua handled the issue of His Divinity.] The
Apostle Thomas was chosen by the Lord to be His Apostle. Thomas walked
with the Lord and witnessed virtually all He did and said for His entire
ministry. Yet, it was not until He met the risen Lord at the end that he
exclaimed; "my Lord and my God!" You don't get that from a doctrine. You
get that through a revelation of the Holy Spirit in your heart when you
actually meet Yeshua as He is.
Roman religion is of the
mind. God is too big to encompass all of Who and What He is in your tiny
brain. Creeds are for fools. A real relationship with the living God is
in the heart. As Paul wrote: "if you will confess with your mouth that
Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that Elohim raised him from
the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Amen? (Romans 10:9-10)
[End of reply]
Surely, the Word plays a big
part in coming to full faith in God. I'm not downplaying that. I'm simply
agreeing with Moses, who said to YHWH; "please show me now your ways, that I
may know you". It is in walking with Yeshua in His Way that reveals to us
Who He is, where He is from, and where He is taking us. This is not
something we can fully take in simply by reading a Bible verse, though
reading and doing the Bible is vital to the process. (Exodus 33:13)
There is an unfolding of one's
understanding of Him as you actually walk with Him, observing what He does,
and doing it yourself. In the process your inner spirit man is expanding, so
that you can keep grasping more and more of Who He really is. This is the
process we witness and even participate in as we journey through the Gospels
with Messiah, side by side with the other disciples as their eyes are opened
more and more as they walk with Him. As you do that, soon the Messiah jumps
out of those Gospel pages, to become the most significant reality in your
life. There is no way to put that powerful spiritual experience into a
written formula.
When Yeshua was on earth He did
the deeds of Divinity. We will be considering that tonight at our live-stream broadcast.
That's tonight,
August
31, at Tsiyon.Net
at 8 PM, Central Time. Experience the things He does and the
Person He is, as you move along this Way with Him.
In His Name,
Eliyahu
Tsiyon.Org
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