Image: Paul de Samosata predikt voor de vroeg-christelijke gemeenschap (Paul of Samosata preaches for the early Christian community), etching by Jan Luyken (1700), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
This is an occasional series of readings from and brief notes and commentary upon Eusebius of Caesarea’s The Ecclesiastical History. Here is Book 7, chapter 26-29. Listen here:
Notes and Commentary:
These chapters describe the transitions
of various bishops in the city centers of early Christianity, as one bishop was
succeeded by another. It describes,in particular, the conclusion of Dionysius
of Alexandria’s long and effective ministry. It also describes disputers over and
the “unmasking” of Paul of Samosata at Antioch on the charges he held Jesus to
be merely human and not divine.
Chapter 26 describes
the conclusion of Dionysius of Alexandria’s ministry, including several
anti-Sabellian letters sent to various bishops, including four to his namesake Dionysius
of Rome.
He also wrote a treatise in letter
form to Timothy “his boy” (son? servant?) on Nature, another on Temptations to
Euphranor, an exposition on Ecclesiastes, and other works.
Chapter 27 turns to
describe various transitions:
Xystus at Rome was succeeded by
Dionysius of Rome.
Demetrian at Antioch was succeeded
by Paul of Samosata, who held “low and mean views as to Christ.” A council was
held to discuss Paul of Samosata’s belief, which the aged Dionysius of
Alexandria could not attend but to which he wrote his opinion. Paul was
confronted as “a spoiler of Christ’s flock.”
Chapter 28 describes
those at this council, the best known of whom included Firmilian of Cappadocian
Caesarea, Gregory and Athenadore of Pontus, Helenus of Tarsus, Nicomas of
Iconium, Hymenaeus of Jerusalem, Theotecnus of Caesarea, and Maximus of Bostra.
Paul and his party tried to conceal his heterodox
views, while the orthodox pushed to reveal them!
At that time Dionysius passed away after
17 years as bishop and was succeeded by Maximus in Alexandria.
In the Roman Empire, Gallienus was
succeeded by Claudius, who then handed over the government to Aurelian.
Chapter 29 describes
a final synod held in the reign of Aurelian in which Paul of Samosata was “unmasked,”
condemned as heterodox, and excommunicated from the “catholic [universal]
churches under heaven” (note the Greek has “churches” plural, not singular). His
chief accuser was a man named Malchion, the head of a school of rhetoric and
elder at Antioch. He had a dispute with Paul and stenographers took notes,
which, Eusebius, says, could be read in his day.
Conclusion:
These chapters provide an account of
the end of Dionysius’s ministry, as well as the “unmasking” or denunciation of Paul
of Samosata (of Antioch) for his low Christology. It shows the early
controversies over Christology that would later be addressed in the great ecumenical
councils. As usual, Eusebius stresses the orderly transitions of the bishops,
parallel to the transitions of the Roman emperors.
JTR
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