Arianism: Ancient Heresy Alive Today

Arianism: Ancient Heresy Alive Today

In every generation of the church, certain ideas arise that seem plausible on the surface but, when examined carefully, undermine the very foundation of Christian faith. Among the most influential—and dangerous—was Arianism. Though it emerged in the fourth century, its core error has resurfaced in many modern movements that deny the full divinity of Christ. Understanding Arianism is not an exercise in abstract history. It is essential to preserving the truth of who Jesus is and why He alone is able to save.

Arianism takes its name from Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria who began teaching around AD 318 that the Son of God was not eternal but was instead a created being. Arius famously summarized his doctrine in the phrase, “There was a time when He was not.” He insisted that before the Son was begotten, He did not exist. In this view, Jesus was exalted above all creation but was nevertheless a creature Himself, subordinate and different in nature from God the Father.

At first glance, Arius’s teaching sounded pious. He wanted to safeguard the uniqueness and transcendence of the Father. He quoted passages such as John 14:28, where Jesus says, “The Father is greater than I,” to prove that the Son must be inferior. But beneath this seemingly reverent language lay a denial of the most basic confession of Christianity—that Jesus is fully God, of the same essence as the Father. Athanasius, the great defender of orthodoxy, recognized that if Christ were not truly God, then He could not accomplish salvation. Only one who shares God’s divine nature could reconcile humanity to God Himself.

The controversy quickly escalated beyond Alexandria, prompting church leaders throughout the Roman Empire to respond. In AD 325, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council, to address the division. The bishops who gathered there recognized that the stakes were far more than a dispute over theological vocabulary. If Arius were right, then Christians were worshiping a creature rather than the Creator. The council decisively rejected Arianism, affirming that the Son is homoousios—of the same essence—with the Father. The Nicene Creed, which remains a cornerstone of Christian confession, proclaims: “We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father.”

This language was chosen with great care. By declaring the Son “begotten, not made,” the council made clear that His generation is not an act of creation. The Father eternally communicates His being to the Son, without beginning or change. This distinction safeguarded both monotheism and the full deity of Christ.

Scripture overwhelmingly supports this confession. John opens his Gospel with a declaration that leaves no ambiguity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, LEB). The Greek text reads, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (kai theós ēn ho lógos), modern pronunciation ke theós ín o lógos, literally: “And the Word was God.” The Word was not a lesser being or a creation. He is fully divine.

Jesus Himself identified with the divine name revealed to Moses. In John 8:58, He declared, “Before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews understood the claim and picked up stones to execute Him for blasphemy. Paul likewise affirms Christ’s deity in Colossians 2:9: “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells bodily.” The word πλήρωμα (plḗrōma) means the entire completeness—not a partial measure or a borrowed glory.

Arians and their modern descendants often appeal to verses where Jesus speaks of His submission to the Father. For example, in John 14:28, He says, “The Father is greater than I.” Yet historic Christian teaching has always distinguished between Christ’s divine nature, in which He is equal to the Father, and His voluntary humiliation in the incarnation. Philippians 2:6–7 explains this mystery: “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave.” The humility of the Son in His humanity does not imply inferiority in His deity. Instead, it demonstrates the depth of His love, that He would stoop so low to redeem us.

The pastoral implications of Arianism are profound. If Jesus is not truly God, then His death cannot atone for sin. A finite creature cannot bear the infinite weight of God’s wrath. Only the infinite God could satisfy His own justice. Likewise, if Christ is not God, our worship becomes idolatry. We would be ascribing divine honor to a being unworthy of it. This is why the early church was willing to suffer exile and persecution rather than compromise on this truth. Athanasius famously stood virtually alone against powerful bishops and emperors, but he knew that the gospel itself was at stake.

In our own time, Arian-like ideas persist in various forms. Groups such as Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the full deity of Christ, insisting He is a created being—Michael the Archangel in human flesh. Some liberal theologians reduce Jesus to a moral teacher, effectively denying His eternal divinity. These errors may sound more sophisticated than Arius’s original slogans, but their substance is the same. They offer a Christ who is admirable but ultimately unable to save.

The New Testament closes with a vision that leaves no doubt about who Jesus is. In Revelation 5, John sees the Lamb standing as though slain, and the hosts of heaven fall down before Him, singing, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain and purchased for God by Your blood people from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9, LEB). Only God can receive this worship without blasphemy. Only God can redeem the world.

Arianism reminds us that no error is merely academic. What we believe about Jesus shapes everything—our salvation, our worship, and our hope. To confess with the apostles and the Nicene fathers that Jesus is “true God from true God” is to anchor our faith not in a creature but in the eternal Son who became flesh, who conquered death, and who reigns forever.

In the end, every generation must answer the question Jesus asked His disciples: “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The answer to that question is the difference between a faith that saves and a message that cannot. As Paul declared in Titus 2:13, we wait “for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” That is the confession that sustains the church and silences every counterfeit.