Church Councils

Even from the first century, the early Church was attacked by various heretical teachings. To counter these heresies, many Church Councils gathered again and again, to finalise and guard the biblical truth. Here are the four major councils of the early Church and their outcome.

• The Council of Nicaea: This was the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church leaders, held at Nicaea in May 325 AD. About three hundred Bishops attended the council. Constantine presided over the council. The Bishops discussed the true nature of the Person of Christ and drafted the statement of faith of the Church, which is the original form of the Nicene Creed. They condemned the teaching of Arius and his Creed. This council accepted that Jesus Christ is ‘of one Substance’ or ‘Essence’ with the Father, and the teaching about Trinity.

• The Council of Constantinople: This was the second ecumenical council held at Constantinople in 381 AD. This council was presided over by Gregory of Nazianzus. In this council the orthodox faith was finalised and the Nicene Creed in its present form was accepted. This council put an end to Arianism and condemned Apollinarianism. This council ratified the orthodox doctrine of Christ and accepted the deity of the Holy Spirit.

• The Council of Ephesus: This was the third ecumenical council held at Ephesus in 431 AD. This was summon to settle the Nestorian controversy. In this council also the Nicene Creed was reaffirmed. Nestorius, the Bishop of Constantinople was exiled and his teachings were rejected. The Christology was finalised in this council.

• The Council of Chalcedon: This was the largest fourth ecumenical council held at Chalcedon in 451 AD attended by 520 Bishops. Leo I, the Bishop of Rome, played a key role in this council by sending his representatives. His teachings on the nature of Christ was accepted as the orthodox doctrine at the council. This council acknowledged the two natures of Christ in one person and it was affirmed that Christ was fully God and fully man. In this council the Creed of Chalcedon was passed and it settled the Christological controversies.