Arianism, False Doctrines, Jesus Christ, Jesus Created

What is Arianism and should it concern the church since it concerns the doctrines about Jesus Christ?

Arianism

Arianism falls under the category of Christological studies, or the doctrines of the Bible concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Arianism holds to the belief that Jesus is God and is the Son of God because God created Him to be, so Jesus is thought to have been created by God and has not always existed. This heresy was brought into the church by the Alexandrian presbyter Arius. It became a popular belief in much of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. Even though Arianism was denounced and marked as heresy at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), it was very popular among the many different churches and denominations. Today there are cults that believe that Jesus was created by God. That means they think He was not always God, but later on, as we will read, we’ll debunk that myth using Scripture. Any religious group that teaches and believes that Jesus was created is a false church and not of God, and if it’s not of God, we know the source don’t we? Satan has his own sinister ministers spreading heresy and false doctrines everywhere. They might appear as “angels of light” but they are demons of darkness. Anyone who teaches that Jesus was not born of the flesh and has not always been God of very God is an antichrist and the Apostle John wrote a lot about them in the Book of 1 John.

Jesus is God

When the religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus, He told them that He existed before Abraham did, or “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), and in fact He did. Jesus existed well before His human birth by the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit. The Apostle John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). This means Jesus “was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2) before anything was made. Scripture also teaches us that by Jesus, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Arianism teaches that Jesus was created but since Jesus created “all things,” how could Jesus have created Himself since He would have already had to exist prior to that? Clearly, Arianism is contrary to biblical doctrine. The Bible teaches us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), meaning He must have already existed in order to become flesh through the birth of a virgin woman. The Bible teaches us that “by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16), and we know it’s not logical that He could have created Himself, therefore, Arianism is a heresy that needs to be exposed for what it is…a lie from hell. Jesus is God and has always been God just as He will always be God.

Making Jesus Human

Satan is the real leader of all the false religions of the world and he would love nothing more than to make Jesus out to be only human. He loves it when people say “He was a good teacher, a good man” or “He had some great teachings,” but He was more than a man. He is the God-Man. He is both Man and God but still fully divine. The world wants a more human Jesus that is all about love…peace…and joy, but this is a Jesus of their own making and it’s nothing more than idolatry; creating a god after their own imagination. In ancient days, God spoke to Israel through the prophets, and later through the apostles, but “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Heb 1:2). Again, Jesus “created the world,” and all things, and only God can create “all things.” That means that Jesus is God and was not created but was in fact, the Creator!

Was Jesus’ Created?

When Jesus is referred to as the first born or begotten of the Father, it does not mean He was “created” by the Father or was the Father’s “first born creation.” Rather this word refers to Jesus’ preeminence over all…as the first born of Jewish families, they had the majority of the inheritance and held property rights over all things, so Jesus as the “firstborn among many brothers” (Rom 8:29) does not mean the first one born, but as having the rights given to the first born male in the family. He was the first to be resurrected from the dead in the flesh, but it doesn’t say or even insinuate that Jesus came into existence at that time. That’s ridiculous in the context of Romans 8 and John 1. It is not talking about something that was created out of nothing as God did in the beginning by ex nihilo (Ex nihilo means “out of nothing”). It refers to Jesus’ supremacy over all, including His brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ…His preeminence or dominion over all things. The context of those verses are clearly not referring to a physical creation of Jesus but about the Lord Jesus Christ Who is over all creation or preeminent over all creation.

Conclusion

Scripture says of the Son of God, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom” (Heb 1:8). Forever includes being God and being with God in the beginning (John 1:1-2). I would run from any teaching or church that believes Jesus was not always God but created by God. That robs Jesus of glory for He has always been, is now, and will always be fully God and worthy of our worship, honor, and praise. A created Jesus pales in comparison. It would be idolatry to worship any created thing, but Jesus is God so we can truly worship Him. This is Jesus Who declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8).

Here is some related reading for you: What Are the Main Differences Between Calvinism and Arminiansim?

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Arianism, false doctrines, Jesus Christ, Jesus Created