Compare with modern evangelicalism
Early in the 4th century A.D. a Bishop in Armenia named Eustathius, who had a growing number of followers, had been teaching, among other false doctrines, that no one living in a state of marriage has any hope towards God. Evidently, it got to the point where "many misguided women had forsaken their husbands, and husbands their wives; then afterwards, not being able to contain, they had fallen into adultery."
The Church found it of such importance to hold a synod "to make definitions, which it has hastened to make known to all, for the removal of whatever has by [Eustathius] been done amiss." The entire body of The Council of Gangra (as it's known today) was devoted to setting staight the Church's view on matters of marriage, church practice, and similar things reacting to Eustathius.
What I found of most interest was the Epilogue written by the council:
These things we write, not to cut off those who wish to lead in the Church of God an ascetic life, according to the Scriptures; but those who carry the pretence of asceticism to superciliousness; both exalting themselves above those who live more simply, and introducing noelties contrary to the Scriptures and the ecclesiastical Canons. We do, assuredly, admire virginity accompanied by hujmility; and we have regard for continence, accompanied by godliness and gravity; and we praise the leaving of worldly occupations, [when it is made] with lowliness of mind; [but at the same time] we honour the holy companionship of marriage, and we do not contemn wealth enjoyed with uprightness and beneficence; and we commend plainness and frugality in apparel, which is worn only from attention, and that not over-fastidious, to the body; but dissolute and effeminate excess in dress we eschew; and we reverence the houses of God and embrace the assemblies held therein as holy and helpful, not confining religion within the houses, but reverencing every place built in the name of God; and we approve of gathering together in the Church itself for the common profit; and we bless the exceeding charities done by the brethren to the poor, according to the traditions of the Church; and, to sum up in a word, we with that all things which have been delivered by the Holy Scriptures and the Apostiolical traditions, may be observed in the Church.Aside from the stunning clarity of their writing, symptomatic of their thoughts I would assume, and even excluding the very interesting, and might I say telling manner in which the council certainly, along side of Scripture, assumes Apostolic tradition as binding, I found that the words of the Bishops in the Epilogue are more than timely for today's contemporary church.
Does not our current church, in ways perhaps more subtle and sublime, view everyday activity (life outside of "the ministry") with the same abhorance as Eustathius did marriage? Can we not see parallels between Eustathius' teachings and the all too common views of modern evangelicalism, culminating in their "Christian blue pages, Christian rock music, Christian plumbers, etc....?
Praise God for our godly men of the past!
Posted by jeremy stock at November 9, 2001 06:27 PM