The daring speculations of Gnosticism caused much trouble in the early Church. They perverted the pure gospel, and sought to undermine the blessed truth of the Trinity, especially attacking the deity of the Son. Numerous other evils followed, including the Manichean heresy in the third century; but it remained for the fourth century to witness the worst and most serious attack of all. This assault on the truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ came more from within the pale of the professing church than had any previous one. It was propounded by a man whose name was Arius, of the city of Alexandria, Egypt; he was known as a presbyter in the church there, and before long his heterodoxy had spread and caused division and grief in every quarter. But let us look at the moment chosen of the devil to let loose this deadly attack.
The Emperor Constantine had ascended the throne of the Roman Empire in 312 A.D., and in March of the following year he issued an edict giving to Christians full religious toleration. From that point the fusion of state and church accelerated rapidly, and before long they were fully entwined. Church leaders were present at state affairs, and state officials presided at church councils. Prior to this time the church had been free and independent of the government. Its authority was from the Lord in heaven, and it made its way (not with, but) against a hostile heathen government. Ten different times the devil had stirred up the whole Roman Empire to suppress and, if possible, exterminate all profession of faith in Christ. Thousands upon thousands of Christians had died under every form of atrocity that worshipers of demon-backed idols could invent. But now all was changed, and Satan had transformed himself for the present from a roaring lion to an angel of light. As with the stroke of a pen, of a man who soon assumed to be the head of the church while at the same time he was official high priest of the heathen, all was reversed and it became expedient to profess Christianity if one wanted to advance in the world. Under this artificial stimulation an abundant crop of tares grew apace in the wheat field. Mere professors now swelled the ranks everywhere.
It was at this propitious time that the enemy launched a blasphemous attack against the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and there were enemy implanted agents to take up the wicked doctrine and carry it far and wide.
The impious teaching of Arius denied to both the Son and to the Holy Spirit "true, proper, essential, and eternal deity." It made the blessed Son of God to be only the highest of created beings, and not Himself the eternal God. How like the devil's enmity against the Seed of the woman is this attack. Of course the enemy could not alter the fact of His deity, but by denying it he could bring dishonor to that peerless One who is worthy of all homage; and by seducing fallen men with it he could ensure their eternal damnation. Truly he is "a liar" and "a murderer from the beginning."
But God had foreseen such attacks and had most carefully guarded the eternal deity of Christ in many places in both the Old and New Testaments. Think of such a verse as this:
"For unto us [Israel] a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 9:66For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). Many other Old Testament scriptures bear the same witness. Then in the New Testament, can anything exceed the fullness and beauty of John 1:1-31In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1‑3)?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him."
Here it is plainly stated that He was there in the beginning; He was not created but, go back as far as you will, He was there. He was a distinct Person in the Godhead, for He was with God. He was Deity Himself, for He was God. In the Greek there is no article before that last word "God." It does not say He was "the" God, for that would exclude the Father and the Holy Spirit; but He Himself was God, leaving full room for the Father and the Spirit, who were also God. Nor does it say that He was "a" God, for that would be a flat denial of His own essential deity. He "was God," not "a" God, although modern wicked cults pervert this verse to make it say He was only "a" God. One of these cults has even gone so far as to put out a supposed translation of the Bible (the Concordant) in which they give both Greek and English with this false rendering. It is surely nothing less than the work of the enemy who sowed this seed in the days of Constantine.
A well-known writer has said: "Rom. 9:55Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 9:5) is a rich and precise expression of Christ's underivative and supreme Godhead, equally with the Father and the Spirit. 'Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.' The efforts of the heterodox critics bear witness to the all-importance of the truth, which they vainly essay to shake by unnatural efforts which betray the dissatisfaction of their authors. There is no such emphatic predication of supreme deity in the Bible; not of course that the
Father and the Holy Spirit are not co-equal, but because the humiliation of the Son in incarnation and the death of the cross made it fitting that the fullest assertion of divine supremacy should be used of Him."
Satan chose his man with skill equal to that used in selecting the time for the dissemination of this daring blasphemy. Arius possessed many natural qualities that would gain friends and influence people; he had a very attractive personality, and led a strict and blameless life, and had a rather humble exterior under which he hid his personal vanity and ambition. A man without these advantages would not have suited the enemy's designs, and we need to remember the same is true today. There are many "antichrists" abroad today who deny the Father and the Son, and many of them have lovely exteriors, and smooth words and fair speeches with which to deceive the hearts of the simple. It is a fact that their number has increased according to that word to Timothy: "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:1313But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13).
Let us not stop with reading about the deceivers, the next verses contain a word of encouragement and exhortation. "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make 'thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction " in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:14-1714But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:14‑17).
Yes, "continue THOU." There can never be a sufficient reason to give up. Evil men may get worse and worse; fellow-Christians may become weary and discouraged; nevertheless, "continue thou." What a word to each one of us individually! And let us remember too that the Holy Scriptures are the solid rock upon which we stand, and that neither man nor demon can ever shake them. They are our resource in a day of infamy, and they can not only make us wise unto salvation, but fully equip each of us for every good work.