The Arian heresy (1) Who Was Arius?

Published on 22 December 2025 at 23:49

Who Was Arius?

Arius was born around AD 250–256 in Cyrenaica (modern eastern Libya), a region in the Roman Empire known for its mix of Greek philosophy and early Christian communities.
He likely received his education in Alexandria, one of the greatest intellectual centres of the ancient world, where Greek learning and Christian theology met.
Arius died in AD 336 in Constantinople, shortly after being recalled from exile by Emperor Constantine, but before he could be fully restored to church communion.
He served as a presbyter (priest) in Alexandria, Egypt, leading the important Baucalis district church near the harbour.
Arius lived an ascetic life: he wore simple clothing, practised strict discipline, and showed moral seriousness.
He was known as a skilled speaker, teacher, and debater who used songs, poems, and easy slogans to share his ideas with ordinary people.
He wrote in Koine Greek, the everyday language of the Eastern Roman Empire.
His teachings later became known as Arianism (though he did not create the name), sparking one of the biggest controversies in early Christianity.
After the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) condemned his views, Arius was exiled; he was recalled later but died suddenly before full reinstatement.

Even his opponents, like Bishop Alexander and Athanasius of Alexandria, described Arius as calm, gentle in speech, very persuasive, logical, tall, and serious-looking.
Critics admitted he was intellectually sharp, personally disciplined, and free from moral scandal.
His supporters, including bishops like Eusebius of Nicomedia, praised his piety, deep love for Scripture, and strong commitment to monotheism (belief in one God).
Modern historians, such as Rowan Williams (Arius: Heresy and Tradition) and R.P.C. Hanson (The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God), see Arius as a sincere, conservative theologian.
They say he was not trying to destroy Christianity but believed he was protecting God’s unique and transcendent nature.

Arius was deeply worried about protecting God’s absolute oneness and uniqueness.
He feared that making the Son (Jesus) fully equal to the Father would divide God’s essence or introduce more than one God (polytheism).
His key question: How can God the Father stay completely unique, unbegotten, and unchanging if the Son is co-eternal and equal?
He was influenced by Middle Platonism and Aristotelian logic, which stressed God’s immutability (unchanging nature) and simplicity.

The Father alone is eternal, unbegotten, without beginning, unchangeable, and absolutely unique.
Only the Father is the true source of everything and the only “true God” in the highest sense.
Arius used Bible verses like Deuteronomy 6:4 (“The Lord our God, the Lord is one”) and 1 Corinthians 8:6 (“There is but one God, the Father”).

The Son had a beginning: Arius said, “There was a time when the Son was not” (meaning the Son came into existence by the Father’s will).
The Son is created, not eternal: He is the first and greatest creation, made before everything else, and used by God to create the world.
Arius cited Colossians 1:15 (“firstborn of all creation”) and Proverbs 8:22–31 (Wisdom as created) to support this.
The Son is divine by grace, not by nature: His divinity is given by the Father, not part of His own essence.
The Son is not of the same essence as the Father: Arius rejected homoousios (same substance) and taught heteroousios (different substance).
The Father is unbegotten; the Son is begotten and depends on the Father.

Arius said his teaching was based on the Bible, not just philosophy.
He focused on verses showing the Son’s dependence on the Father, such as John 14:28 (“The Father is greater than I”), John 5:19, and Mark 13:32.
He accused his opponents of twisting Scripture by using allegory instead of taking clear words literally.

Only a few works survive: three letters (to Eusebius of Nicomedia, Bishop Alexander, and Constantine) and parts of the Thalia (a poem mixing prose and verse).
The Thalia was written in a rhythmic, popular style, possibly meant to be sung, to reach everyday people.
Most surviving fragments come from his enemies (especially Athanasius), so scholars warn they may be quoted unfairly.

The Church condemned Arius because his teaching harmed salvation: if Jesus is not fully God, He cannot truly save or unite people to God.
Key Bible verses used against him include John 1:1 (“The Word was God”), John 10:30 (“I and the Father are one”), Hebrews 1:3, and Colossians 2:9.

He was highly educated, ascetic, and very good at communicating.
He used songs, rhymes, and simple slogans to spread his ideas.
His teaching quickly reached ordinary people: sailors, craftsmen, women, and everyday believers.

Bishop Alexander of Alexandria excommunicated Arius after local synods (around 318–321 AD).
Arius left Alexandria and sought support from bishops in Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor.
He found strong allies, including Eusebius of Nicomedia, which made the controversy spread across the empire.

Emperor Constantine first saw the dispute as a small, technical argument that threatened church unity and the empire’s stability.
He tried to bring peace, urging tolerance and less focus on difficult words.
But the crisis grew too big: it involved major church areas and needed an empire-wide solution.

Arius was sincere, logical, persuasive, and deeply concerned about protecting God’s oneness.
His mistake was protecting God’s transcendence at the cost of salvation and worship.
The Church rejected his views not to silence him, but to protect true prayer, worship, and the hope of redemption.

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