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Seven Ecumenical Councils
and what they mean for us today...

The continual, effective operation of Grace and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the Church is clearly shown in the holy councils of the Church. In these Councils, the Holy Spirit, as the "Conscience of the Church" guided and directed the holy fathers gathered in the truth and faith of Jesus Christ, as the Lord Himself had promised. The consent of the people themselves, both clergy and laity alike formed another link as to what is the "Conscience of the Church" because of the interaction of the Holy Spirit. The "Conscience of the Church" is a transcendent insight of divine force; it evaluates the decisions of the Synods (General Councils) and either places the seal to the formulation of disputed Truths or rejects all of its proceedings. The Church of Christ holds the vision of the entire Church - visible and invisible - which could foresee the errors of the assembly of bishops. Usually the official rejection of a synod is pronounced by another Synod that follows it, although this rejection is already consummated in the hearts and minds of believers universally.

Up to today, there have been eight Ecumenical Synods. The last one, at the time of Patriarch Photius, has not as yet been officially ratified and formally recognized) because no other Ecumenical Synod has since been held, because of the separation of the Undivided Church. However, this eighth Synod is already recognized as such by the "Conscience of the Church" - the consent of the people.

The absurdity of many Protestants (So-Called Fundamentalists, Born Again Christians, etc.) (refer to: The Fundamentalist Cult) today becomes clear when they arrogantly assert that the Holy Spirit failed to guide the "ancient Church," but that it now guides them in their contradictory and disharmonious beliefs (the Protestants). (Also See: What It Means to be a True Christian, and then explore the Creed of Faith)

In the first centuries, those who followed Our Lord Jesus Christ lived like brethren, comprising one Body: the Church, having one Head: Jesus Christ. Thus, when quarrels or misunderstandings arose, they resolved them by common agreement in a council of bishops and presbyters, upon the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28-29). These meetings are called "Councils" (Acts 15:6-8).

During the time when the Holy Church was heavily persecuted in the Roman Empire, the councils were only local or regional. From the time of Constantine (Emperor), when the Church was freed from persecutions, however, general councils of the whole Church began to be convened, at which the bishops of the whole Christian world participated. Those general councils which were ratified as being truly Orthodox are known as "Ecumenical Councils". The word "Ecumenical" today has been appropriated by Protestants in such ways that the public in general normally think of "Ecumenical" as of Protestant origin when, in fact, it is not at all, but a misguided promotional angle to suit their own needs for what is actually a false church growth scheme. They are neither Canonical, nor even truly Christian; although there are many within them that are, in their hearts, Christian, following misguided contrived falsehoods.

Following the recognition of Christianity by Emperor Constantine, differences of opinion developed regarding the exact and correct doctrines which Christ had given to the church. Discord over these differences developed. Ecumenical Councils preached nothing new. They preached that which our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His Apostles taught. They did not compose dogmas, but only gave explanation to those expressed in the Holy Scripture of Jesus Christ's Gospel message. Thus, for example, the Symbol of Faith is drawn entirely from Scripture.

The main reason for convening Ecumenical Councils was to define and correct heresies or disagreements in the faith.

A firm believer in systematic standardization, Emperor Constantine called a meeting of the Bishops and Clergy for the purpose of settling the differences in beliefs and doctrines. Known as the First Ecumenical Council, this meeting was held in Nicea in 325 A.D. sometimes referred to as 1^st Nicea. It was attended by three hundred and eighteen men of the clergy including every Eastern Bishop of importance and four Western Bishops. Subsequently, six other Ecumenical councils were convened.

At this First Ecumenical Council, the preeminence of Bishops of the three main centers of the Roman Empire (Rome, Alexandria and Antioch) was approved. As a mark of honor, the Bishop of Jerusalem was added. This council also condemned the heresy of Arius who denied the Divinity of Christ.

This first council proclaimed the true teaching concerning God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. The council formulated canons regulating the church and drew up the first seven articles of the Creed.

At the Second Ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople in 381 A.D. (sometimes referred to as 1^st Constantinople), the last five articles of the Creed were composed. The completed creed of twelve articles, which is the symbol of our faith and which is still being used, is called the Nicene Creed. The second council also rejected the teachings of Macedonius, condemning these teachings as a heresy against the Holy Spirit. Macedonius falsely taught that the Holy Spirit was created by God similarly to angels, being a spirit of a higher degree or order than the angels. At this council the words, "and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life," were included into the Symbol of Faith. The 150 Bishops who attended also granted preeminence to the Bishop of Constantinople. The reason for the preeminence granted to Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and Constantinople in the first two councils was due to the fact that the cathedrals of the Bishops in those cities were established by the Apostles themselves. Rome was looked upon as the former capital of the world and Constantinople as the new seat of the empire.

In 431 A.D. the Third Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus. This council condemned the heresy of Nestorius who taught that our Lord was only a man with the divinity abiding in Him like in a temple. Nestorius called the Virgin Mary the Mother of Christ and not the Mother of God. Nestorius refused to acknowledge Mary as "Theotokos" (bearer of God), but would call her only "Christotokos". Two hundred Holy Fathers attended this council.

The Fourth Ecumenical Council was held 451 A.D. in Chalcedon with 630 Holy Fathers attending. This council's great work was its definition of Jesus Christ as the Second Person in the Trinity as True God and True Man with His divine and human natures distinct without confusion and inseparably united in One Person. This council condemned the Eutychius party who taught that Jesus was God only and that His divine nature absorbed the human one. This council also decreed that the Patriarch of Constantinople was the single head of the church in Eastern Europe

In 553 A.D. the Fifth Ecumenical Council (sometimes referred to as 2^nd Constantinople) convened at Constantinople with 160 church leaders attending. At this meeting the followers of Nestorius were excommunicated and their writings condemned. Nestorius taught that the Virgin Mary's title as Mother of God was erroneous. At this time, not only Nestorius, but Eutychius, Arius, Origen and others were reaffirmed as condemned for their errant teachings.

The Sixth Ecumenical Council, with 170 Holy Fathers attending, also met in Constantinople, in the year 680 A.D. (sometimes called the Council of Trullo). This council condemned the teachings of the Monotheists who acknowledged only the divine will of Christ while denying the human one. Also, this council dealt with moral questions, confirmed the canons of the various councils and the 85 Apostolic Canons, decreed that bishops shall not be married and that deacons and priests may not marry after their ordination. This council adjourned and reconvened in 691 A.D. at the Trula Palace. The council approved the canons of preceding councils.

The Seventh and last Ecumenical Council was convened by Empress Irene and was held at the site of the first council, Nicaea. This council took a stand against iconoclasm and defined the doctrine concerning images and their veneration (not worship) and ordered the images restored in churches; affirming and defined the veneration of holy ikons (icons). The personnel at this council was composed almost entirely of Byzantine representatives but Papal legates were also present. This council met in 787 (788 by some reckoning) A.D. with 367 attending. In the seven council meetings, about 2000 representatives of the undivided Christian church participated.

There was growing disagreement between Rome (Seat of the Roman Jurisdiction of the undivided Catholic Church) and the other Patriarchates.  But the separation of the Roman Jurisdiction of the Catholic Church did not take place until 1054 A.D. with the final break due to a breach over Filioque dogma.

There were other local councils convened since those times and which are also canonical, such as the famous "Palamite Councils" of 1341 and 1351, the Council of Jerusalem of 1583 and the Councils of Constantinople of 1583 and 1593, are examples.

Sectarians who claim to follow the Bible, while denying Christ's Church and its councils, are blasphemers of Sacred Tradition as originated in the Holy Bible (Scripture). These present day sectarians (Most, but not all who are Protestants) are like people who steal another person's passport, not considering that the validity of the passport rests upon the actual identity of the person to whom it was given, and that behind the passport, there is a birth certificate.  Some Protestants who are not a part of the cultic and heretical churches include, but not limited to those of the Anglican Orthodox, some Lutherans, etc.  One has to truly discern through study and evaluating each of the Protestant groups in order to discern who is and who is not truly "Christian" for those that are not true Christians include but are not limited to those known as: Church of Christ, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons (known and called Church of Later Day Saints), Pentecostal, etc.  We must admit that with a sincerity of faith, their followers are not apprised of the reality (both spiritual and material) to which they have been cut off from being a part of that which was established by Jesus Christ and the Holy Apostles because their ministers or pastors are either uneducated themselves, and those that are have become more like the 'money changers' Jesus chased out of the temple.  Those they chased out are either after silver and gold or self-image as well as many things never before accepted by the ancient church.

The right of the Apostles and their descendants, the Apostles (or bishops) to order the Church, define its teachings and set the Divine Services, is quite clearly shown in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 15.

The authoritative body of the Orthodox Catholic Church from the East to the West remains the Ecumenical Synods of the One Undivided Church of the first thousand years, whose decisions have been preserved without change throughout its life, from the beginning of the Christian Church. The decisions of these Ecumenical Synods of the One Undivided Ecumenical Church have not been altered, changed or added to by the Orthodox Church.

There is no official formulated system or any authorized catechism of the Church which encompasses all the Truths.

Theologians and teachers have the freedom to study further and explore the various aspects of these Truths, thus achieving a greater perspective form which to express anew the Revealed Truths for the steadfastness of the faithful. The importance here is that these findings of the theologians and teachers are not new Truths, but one and the same Truths of Scripture and Sacred Tradition interpreted with greater simplicity and clarity. The gradual unfolding of a reveled is the result of devoted research and profound clarity in faith and practice which should not be isolated from the entire body of Revealed Truths.

In the Orthodox Church the "golden rule" OF INQUIRY into the Truths of Scripture and Tradition consists of two principles for research and life in which the theologian and scholar move. Not only do they have the authority of the Fathers of the Church and especially from the Ecumenical Synods of the Church; they have the freedom to explore further the mysteries of the Revelation of God to makes these Truths more clear. This freedom is a continuing opportunity for the clergy and laity of the Orthodox Church. With these rules in mind, the "authority with freedom" of the Church makes it the true Church which bears the Ecumenical character. The Orthodox Church (be it Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, or even American Orthodox) is in fact the Apostolic and Ecumenical Church.

Thus, while there have been heated debates, and often vilification, as regards the study and teaching of some of the so-called "Lost Gospels" (i.e. - according to "Thomas," etc.); it is an exploration and attempt toward understanding of what exists through archeological findings in comparison with the primary Gospels of Jesus Christ according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Such study or research is embodied in the "authority with freedom" of the church and her members to do so without fear of vilification or disenfranchisement.

Thus, we cannot reject those who follow the primary Ecumenical Councils in faith and practice as regards various decisions; and who come from a different Christian practice and teaching that is rather similar to, and incorporated in itself by divine action of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Thomas (St. Thomas - one of the first 12 Apostles of our Lord), the Orthodox understandings as first coming from Jesus Christ and the Apostles. They received the Truths as they were handed down to it by the Apostles without altering their roots and meaning. Those St. Thomas Christian churches who adhere to the Seven Ecumenical Councils are indeed a part of the Orthodox Church, and American Orthodoxy.

It is the rule of "authority with freedom" by which the fathers and preachers spoke and handed down the same Truths, and also the formulated Truths by the infallible Synods during the time when the Church was One.

The fundamental principle of "authority with freedom" for the clergy and laity, the infallibility of the Church and of the General Assembly of Bishops, have been replaced by the Roman Catholic Jurisdiction of the West who make claim as being the only "Catholic" Church when, in fact, it is a branch of that which is the CATHOLIC Church that gave it birth from the times of the first Apostles of Jesus Christ.  It is for this reason that We, along with others, often refer to the "Vatican" or "Roman Catholic"  and such that is often and errantly defined and called "Catholic" by the news media as well as many secular politicians as the "ROMAN JURISDICTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH" for indeed, that is all that it is, even though it has been and continues to be, heading toward a downward spiral into Synchrestic Ecumenism, the One World Church and One World Government warned about by Holy Writ in the Apocrypha (Book of Revelation).

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