{"id":10159,"date":"2021-06-07T16:16:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T20:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/?p=10159"},"modified":"2021-06-07T16:16:47","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T20:16:47","slug":"st-peter-news-june-7-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stpeterorthodoxchurch.com\/st-peter-news-june-7-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Peter News June 8, 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunday of the After-feast of the Ascension
\nCommemoration of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council<\/h2>\n

Martyr Aquilina of Byblos in Syria; Antipater, bishop of Bostra in Arabia;
\nTriphyllios, bishop of Nicosia in Cyprus
\n<\/h4>\n
\n\"The<\/p>\n

The Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). Although the Church of Christ on earth will pass through difficult struggles with the enemy of salvation, it will emerge victorious.<\/p>\n

Persecution of Christians ceased during the fourth century, but heresies arose within the Church itself. One of the most pernicious of these heresies was Arianism. Arius, a priest of Alexandria, was a man of immense pride and ambition. In denying the divine nature of Jesus Christ and His equality with God the Father, Arius falsely taught that the Savior is not consubstantial with the Father, but is only a created being.<\/p>\n

A local Council, convened with Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria presiding, condemned the false teachings of Arius. However, Arius would not submit to the authority of the Church. He wrote to many bishops, denouncing the decrees of the local Council. He spread his false teaching throughout the East, receiving support from certain Eastern bishops.<\/p>\n

Investigating these dissentions, the holy emperor Constantine (May 21) consulted Bishop Hosius of Cordova (Aug. 27), who assured him that the heresy of Arius was directed against the most fundamental dogma of Christ’s Church, and so he decided to convene an Ecumenical Council. In 325, 318 bishops representing Christian Churches from various lands gathered together at Nicea.<\/p>\n

Read the complete story on the Orthodox Church in America website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Services This Week<\/h2>\n