October 2023 - (6 minutes)

Old lies, new names

Is Jesus God? Is He equal with God the Father? If you know that the answer to both questions is “yes,” then you owe some thanks to Athanasius.

Many of us are familiar with the teachings of Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses. These distortions of Christianity teach that Jesus was created - He is not the eternal Son of God, equal in deity to the Father and the Spirit.

Do you know that this teaching isn’t new? Faithful Christians have been fighting this error for nearly 2000 years. In our day, it’s taught in Kingdom Halls and in the homes of “latter day saints.” In the fourth century, it was taught in far too many churches.

Anytime we see truth win over error, we know that God has given the victory. But God usually uses human tools to do His work. At a time when the church was young and still finding its way in the world, God raised Athanasius up to stand – often alone – against the world.

God’s man for the hour

He was born around 298 in Alexandria, Egypt. At the time, Alexandria was the greatest port in Egypt and perhaps the greatest in the whole Mediterranean. And so it was an international city, where not only world commerce, but also world religions and philosophies came together. (Recall that Apollos was from Alexandria, “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures,” Acts 18:24.)

This was the world of Athanasius, but history hasn’t left a record of his early life. Around the age of 20, he was appointed as a deacon, serving under Bishop Alexander of Alexandria. His abilities in the Scripture and in logic are seen in his book On the Incarnation, written during these early years. It’s a work that C. S. Lewis called a “masterpiece.”

In this treatise, he reasons from John 1 that Jesus must be God. Since the Word was in the beginning with God, and since the Word had done the creating, the Word must be God and not created. To Athanasius, it made sense that God the Father would therefore send the Son into the world to “re-create” it.

A defining moment

These early years of working out the deity of Christ readied Athanasius for a 50-year fight for truth. In 325, Emperor Constantine called a church council (modeled after Acts 15). Bishops from the known world gathered in Nicaea, in northwestern Turkey, to address the teachings of a man named Arius. Due to his youth and position, Athanasius didn’t play a role at the council, but it shaped the rest of his life.

This council established that the true teaching of the Bible was that Jesus was “of the same substance” as the Father. He was equal with God. He was “begotten,” not created. Arianism was officially denounced, but the teaching didn’t go away. In fact, it seemed that it just gained traction. Jerome, another early leader, said of this time that “the whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian.”

Contra mundum — alone against the world

Within months of the council, Bishop Alexander died, and Athanasius was chosen to succeed him. Over the next 40 years, he would repeatedly be chased from his church and sent into exile. It seemed like the whole world was against him as he faced the displeasure of emperors, the schemes of Arian leaders, and even betrayal by some who agreed with him but who compromised to keep the peace.

His courage and determination became legendary, so much so that even in his day people said of him, “Athanasius contra mundum” – Athanasius against the world. When people told him that world was standing against him, he answered back, “then I am against the world.”

A pastor’s heart

Many times when he was exiled, Arians took over his church, grieving him. He frequently wrote his congregation to encourage them, and in one of his Festal (Easter) Letters, he said,

“I know moreover that not only this thing saddens you, but also the fact that while others have obtained the churches by violence, you are meanwhile cast out from your places.

For they hold the places, but you the Apostolic Faith. They are, it is true, in the places, but outside of the true Faith; while you are outside the places indeed, but the Faith, within you. Let us consider whether is the greater, the place or the Faith. Clearly the true Faith.

Who then has lost more, or who possesses more? He who holds the place, or he who holds the Faith?”

A peaceful end

In spite of multiple exiles and the dangers that he faced in life, Athanasius experienced a more peaceful time in his last ten years. In the end, he died in his own bed at about 75 years, faithful to the end.

Taking it home

Paul tells us not to be ignorant of Satan’s schemes. One of those schemes is his love for leftovers. He must know that Christians have short memories. All he has to do is let a heresy go dormant for a century or two, and then he can repackage and rewarm it for another generation.

We can’t forget the faithful men and women who fought for a lifetime to keep the faith. We’re often so ignorant, as though we were the first Christian generation. If the others could speak, they would ask us, “Will you also keep the faith?” Or, in the case of Athanasius, will we stand contra mundum? Will we stand against the world?