The Christian faith has been preached across the world for generations. Spreading the word of God took many translations and interpretations of the message. With the need for clarification and consolidation, teachings, or doctrines, were required. Those could vary in meaning and weight; they were argued and debated throughout history. To some, the church, faith, and doctrines mattered only as means to gain power and wealth; to others, they were of life’s meaning.
For centuries, Christ’s worshippers were separated geographically with almost no means of proper communication. The separated Christians had only one thing in common: their faith in God and Jesus Christ. However, the teachings were misinterpreted many times; several contradicting philosophies were formed, leading to internal disputes and hatred. For example, according to Gonzalez (2010, p. 197), some Christians who lived in the desert proclaimed themselves holier and wiser than bishops and leaders of the church. They felt entitled to decide on proper Christian teaching, inevitably resolving to violence (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 197). They and others were led astray from God due to the absence of unified, mutually concerted doctrines. I believe that without the doctrines of God, the Christian message would have been long lost and forgotten, with many alternative views and philosophies sprouting and threatening the core of the Christian faith.
Besides spreading God’s word and leading people to the path of righteousness, doctrines had other powers used by many historical figures. Being proclaimed heretics, the Donatists decided to develop their doctrines, their view of the validity of sacraments, and the Just War Theory (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 212). Straying further from faith and twisting God’s message to pursue personal gains is how some doctrines were constructed. Other teachings were created faithfully in the name of God. Being concerned about repenting for sins committed, Gregory proposed a doctrine of contrition, confession, and punishment (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 327). Whether for personal profit or the sake of all Christians, doctrines were designed and followed throughout the entire history of Christianity, causing war and harmony alike. I personally believe that constructing the doctrine of God should derive purely from faith for the good of all people.
By altering the definition of God and misinterpreting the message and faith, many heretic views were formed. Nestorius, Marcion, and Gnosticism plagued the church and endangered the Christian faith. Nestorius believed in a clear distinction between the divine and the human in Christ; Marcion claimed the world was evil, and its creator was either evil or ignorant. Gnosticism is derived from the idea that all human beings are eternal spirits imprisoned in evil bodies. The most widely accepted view, the doctrine of Nicea, in contradiction with Nestorius, stated that the Son is of one nature and not less divine than the Father (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 223). Both Marcion and Gnosticism radically misinterpreted and rejected the doctrines of creation, incarnation, and resurrection, posing a significant threat to the church.
The heresies’ existence was dangerous to the Christian church and faith; they required a response. Nestorius was pronounced a heretic and condemned to exile by the council; however, the impact of Gnostics and Marcionites proved to be much more difficult to challenge (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 339). In response, the church started defining itself by reaffirming its Jewish heritage and doctrines supporting the Nicea understanding of God (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 95). For this purpose, a series of instruments, creeds, the canon of scripture, and apostolic succession, were developed (Gonzalez, 2010, p. 101). As a result, orthodox Christianity was defined, remaining the central theme of the Christian life, teaching, and faith.
Reference
Gonzalez, J. L. (2010). The story of Christianity: Volume 1: The early church to the reformation. HarperCollins.