Beginning with three

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

s convened between 264 and 269 in the matter of Paul of Samosata, more than thirty councils were held in

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

in ancient times. Most of these dealt with phases of the

Arian Arianism (, ) is a Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is considered he ...

and of the

Christological In Christianity, Christology is a branch of theology that concerns Jesus. Different denominations have different opinions on questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, and as a messiah what his role would be in the freeing of ...

controversies. For example, the ''

Catholic Encyclopedia ''The'' ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'', also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedi ...

'' article on Paul of Samosata states: The most celebrated convened in the summer of 341 at the dedication of the

Domus Aurea The Domus Aurea (Latin, "Golden House") was a vast landscaped complex built by the Roman Empire, Emperor Nero largely on the Oppian Hill in the heart of ancient Rome after the Great Fire of Rome, great fire in 64 AD had destroyed a large part ...

, and is therefore called ' or dedication council. Nearly a hundred Eastern bishops were present, but the

bishop of Rome The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...

was not represented. The emperor

Constantius II Constantius II (; ; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic peoples, while internally the Roman Empire went through repeated civ ...

attended in person.

The Synods of Antioch in 264-269

The first Synod of Antioch, which took place between 264 and 269, was one of the early significant ecclesiastical councils in the Christian Church. This synod was primarily convened to address the teachings of Paul of Samosata, who was the Bishop of Antioch. Paul of Samosata had introduced a doctrine that was considered heretical by the mainstream Church, particularly concerning the nature of Christ and the Holy Trinity. His teachings were seen as a form of Monarchianism, which emphasized the indivisibility of God at the expense of the distinct persons of the Trinity. The synod ultimately condemned Paul’s teachings and deposed him from his position as Bishop. It is also noted that the council rejected the term homoousios—meaning “of the same substance”—but this was in the specific context of Paul’s usage, which implied a division of substance between the Father and the Son, rather than the orthodox interpretation of the Trinity as three distinct persons of one substance. This synod was significant as it set a precedent for the Church’s handling of heresy and laid the groundwork for future ecumenical councils, which would further define Christian doctrine, such as the First Council of Nicaea in 325.

The Synod of Antioch in 341

The council approved three creeds. The “Second Creed of Antioch, often known both in the ancient and the modern world as the 'Dedication' Creed, was the Council's most important result.” (RH, 285-6) Its “chief ''bête noire'' he thing that it particularly dislikesis Sabellianism, the denial of a distinction between the three within the Godhead.” (RH, 287)

Canons

The twenty-five canons adopted regulate the so-called metropolitan constitution of the church. Ecclesiastical power is vested chiefly in the metropolitan (later called

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

), and the biannual provincial synod (see Nicaea I, canon 5.), which he summons and over which he presides. Consequently, the powers of country bishops ('' chorepiscopi'') are curtailed, and direct recourse to the emperor is forbidden. The sentence of one judicatory is to be respected by other judicatories of equal rank; re-trial may take place only before that authority to whom appeal regularly lies. Without due invitation, a bishop may not ordain, or in any other way interfere with affairs lying outside his proper territory; nor may he appoint his own successor. Penalties are set on the refusal to celebrate

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

in accordance with the Nicaea I decree, as well as on leaving a church before the service of the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

is completed. The numerous objections made by scholars in past centuries about the canons ascribed to this council have been elaborately stated and probably refuted by Hefele. The canons formed part of the ''Codex canonum'' used at

Chalcedon Chalcedon (; ; sometimes transliterated as ) was an ancient maritime town of Bithynia, in Asia Minor, Turkey. It was located almost directly opposite Byzantium, south of Scutari (modern Üsküdar) and it is now a district of the city of Ist ...

in 451 and are found in later Eastern and Western collections of canons.

Notes

*The canons of the Synod in 341 are printed in Greek, and translated. The four dogmatic formulas are given by G. Ludwig Hahn.''Bibliothek der Symbole'', 3rd edition (Breslau, 1897), 183 ff.; for translations compare the ''Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers'', 2nd series, iv. 461 ff., ii. 39 ff., ix. 12, ii. 44, and Hefele, ii. 76 ff.

References

Citations

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Antioch, Synods 3rd-century church councils 4th-century church councils Ancient Christian controversies 260s 260s in the Roman Empire 341 340s in the Byzantine Empire

Synods A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...