Council of Ephesus

OBJECTIVE

The goal for this module is to become familiar with important events in our early church history, including the three Ecumenical Councils that the Coptic Orthodox Church recognizes: Council of Nicaea, Council of Constantinople, and Council of Ephesus.
This lesson focuses on the last of the three councils, the Council of Ephesus.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Ask the students to recall the first and second Ecumenical Councils, and what key theological issues they addressed.

Nicaea 325

During Emperor Constantine's reign, there was a man named Arius who spread the heresy that the Son was inferior to the Father.
This led to the First Ecumenical Council, the Council of Nicaea, in 325 AD.
- At this council, the Nicene Creed was made, which emphasized the Christian faith, particularly the relationship between God and the Father and God the Son.

Constantinople 381

In 381, Theodosius embraced Christianity as the official religion and called together a council in order to ratify his new law
The council discussed matters pertaining to the divinity of the Holy Spirit and further embraced the Nicene faith as the true expression of Orthodoxy

Ask the students what they understand about the Trinity. Then ask them what they know about Christ's divinity and humanity. What is that relationship?

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Memory Verse: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

Beginning of the Nestorian Controversy

In 428 Nestorius was ordained Bishop of Constantinople and battled against Arianism. A disagreement occurred between monks in Constantinople and Antiochian clergy

The Antiochian clergy wanted to call Virgin Mary "Anthropotokos," which meant "Mother of Man"
The monks in Constantinople disagreed and wanted to maintain her title of "Theotokos," which means "Mother of God"

Nestorius taught that Virgin Mary was "Christotokos," which meant "bearer of Christ"

Nestorius taught that the human and divine essences of Christ are separate and that there are two persons, the man Jesus Christ and the divine Logos, which dwelt in the man.

Cyril's Response

Once Nestorius' teachings reached the monks at Alexandria, Cyril began to act since the controversy had reached his jurisdiction
He wrote a letter to his monks, which Nestorius misunderstood as an act of aggression, but Cyril emphasized that he was merely defending the faith against Nestorius' inaccurate teachings
He spent that winter preparing excerpts from Nestorius' sermons and put them against the writings of the Church Fathers
- He sent a Latin translation of this to Celestine in Rome and a Greek version to Emperor Theodosius II

Nestorius asks Theodosius II for a Meeting

After Nestorius received a second letter from Cyril, he petitioned Emperor Theodosius II for an "International Synod of Theologians" in hopes that it would be held in Constantinople so Nestorius could condemn Cyril
Celestine in Rome held a council in Rome and condemned Nestorius' teachings as heretical
A group of clergy in Constantinople also petitioned Theodosius II to depose Nestorius
In 430, Theodosius II officially announced that an ecumenical council would be held in Ephesus in 431 on the feast of Pentecost (June 7)
- Theodosius II asked that Count Candidian, the head of the imperial palace guard, to supervise the proceedings, but not to interfere in the theological proceedings
Cyril wrote a letter to Nestorius informing him that he had been condemned by a council in Alexandria and that Nestorius would need to accept 12 Anathemas to be restored in communion with the Orthodox Church