Post by snow on Oct 30, 2014 12:38:05 GMT -5
I think the backing of Constantine helped because it 1. got rid of a lot of the gnostic groups and their literature 2. Defined the Trinity belief and got rid of those who opposed that belief. Having the backing of the Emperor was a plus. Before that it was just a bunch of groups fighting over doctrine and people thought they were nuts.
Snow ~ That is so true! When Constantine ordered them to come together in 325 A.D. at the Council of Nicea, they had a lot of different beliefs regarding Jesus and his divinity along with other areas of difference. The Emperor ordered them to stick around until they could come to some agreement over-all. For those who didn't cooperate, well, they were permanently removed from the discussion and their followers were hunted down as heretics. Nothing like making them an offer they couldn't refuse, huh?
lol ya no kidding. There was a lot of blood shed around that time amongst so called Christians. You really couldn't hold a different idea from those supported by Constantine or you were as good as dead or at least excommunicated and labelled a heretic. Which makes me wonder how those who believe in the Trinity can believe it was there all along. It definitely wasn't and was something that won because of Constantine. Rome had been ruled by 3 Emperors and Constantine made it so there was only him. The sign of the Christian cross he says he saw before a battle he won was a hugely successful political move that made it possible for Rome to be under one Emperor. He also liked the idea of not 3 Gods, Jesus, God the father and the Holy spirit, but 3 gods in one. It backed his political agenda once again because the Roman Emperor was supposed to represent God on earth.