TThe Wellspring of Salvation

Jesus, the Christ, is the Water of Life

King David, in one of his many psalms, stated: “for with You is the fountain of life.”  (Ps 36:9) In my book, Reflection: Journey through the Psalms, I comment on Psalm 36: “Verses 8 and 9 have beautiful language regarding that wonderful living water that springs from the river of life.  That is the living water that the Messiah spoke about to the Samaritan woman at the well, then later, when Jesus reminded the crowd at the feast, that “If a man is thirsty, let him come and drink.”  (Psalm 36: Love is Priceless).

Years later, the prophet Isaiah sings a song of praise in chapter 12 in which he reconfirms that God is his salvation.  “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”  (Is 12:3)

One dictionary defines wellspring this way: “A source of continual and abundant supply.”  Yes, it is true that Jesus, the Christ, is the source of this living water that is salvation.  But, as we will see, during the early days of Christendom, the issue of salvation was at risk based on the “divine nature” of the Son of God.  In the third century AD, we see a man of God named Athanasius who was instrumental in the formation of Christian dogmas related to the Son of God and the Holy Spirit.  Let us take a look at the man.

Athanasius, the man

Athanasius was from Alexandria, Egypt and lived in the third and fourth centuries AD.  He was born between 296-298 and was taken to be with his LORD May 2, 373. (Source: Wikipedia) His story begins in his late 20’s when he was a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria.  Shortly after Athanasius’ death, Gregory of Nazianzus called him “Pillar of the Church.”

He was born to a Christian family in Alexandria.  History tells us that his parents were wealthy enough to give him a secular education even though they were not in the aristocracy of Alexandria.

Alexander ordained Athanasius as a deacon in 319 just a few years prior to the First Council of Nicaea.  Scholars consider him to be Greek since he had a great command of Greek and wrote almost exclusively in it.  He was also fluent in Coptic too.  He continues to be revered today by various sources of Christendom. He was also known as: Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, and Athanasius the Apostolic.

His life was like a roller coaster, in that, he was in and out of exile multiple times. He was appointed the Bishop of Alexandria in 328 following his mentor, Alexander, but with intermittent roadblocks created by the various Roman emperors (4).  In all, he remained faithful to his beliefs of the divine nature of the Son of God (begotten vs. made).  The opposing view called “Arianism,” was growing and dividing the church. Athanasius maintained an orthodox view and considered Arias (Arians) and their view as heresy that the Son of God was “made,” and is a distinct substance from the Father.  This concept would interfere with Jesus being both God and man, thus, would question Jesus’ work of salvation.

As a result, the Emperor Constantine I convened the First Council of Nicaea in 325 (now Iznik, Turkey).   This was the first of seven ecumenical councils over the next 450 years that continued to discuss and attempt to resolve the issues facing the Church.  The second issue debated was the date of Easter.

Athanasius replaced Alexander as the Bishop of Alexandria 5/9/328 following the death of Alexander.  In total, his episcopate lasted 48 years – albeit broken up during his five exiles. (See Table I below) Of note, he was branded by his enemies and called “The Black Dwarf.”

Table I: The Exiles of Athanasius

Christianity was in a definite state of flux over the “Trinity” and especially the relationship of the Son to the Father.  The First Council of Nicaea was the first of seven ecumenical councils that ended with the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.  Table II below lists the councils.

Table II: Seven Ecumenical Councils

*In 754, the Council of Hieria met to discuss the use of holy images.  Its conclusions were overturned by the 2nd Council of Nicaea.

The 1st Council of Nicaea

The emperor Constantine I called the bishops of the Roman Empire to this first ecumenical conference in the early Christian Church.  The purpose was to resolve the disagreements in the Church of Alexandria related to the nature of Jesus and His relationship to the father.  The invitation was issued to 1,800 bishops, but only 250 to 320 actually attended.  While the vote was almost unanimous, a large segment of the eastern bishops who sided with Arias, were not in attendance for the vote.  The first Nicene Creed was the result, but commonality of belief was far from consensus.   The final wording of the Nicene Creed was not completed until the next ecumenical council in 381.

Athanasius, the author

He attended the 1st Council of Nicaea as an assistant/secretary of Alexandria. Of note, Athanasius was the first person to identify the same twenty-seven books of the New Testament that are in use today.  (Source: Wikipedia) He is venerated as a saint whose feast day is May 2nd each year by western churches and various dates in other eastern churches.

His earliest work is Against the Heathen – On the Incarnation.   He authored many more works, including his annual Festal Letters to his flock.  Among his other great works was The Letters [to Sarapion], on the divinity of the Holy Spirit.  Only fragments of his sermons and other biblical commentaries are available today.  But his orthodox view and firm stance on the true Gospel of Jesus, the Christ is forever solidified!  Amen!

This man has multiple sayings that are memorialized into history but one in particular is especially important to me. Listen!  “He became what we are so that He might make us what He is.”  This statement does not make us God per se, rather, it exemplifies the work of redemption that God’s only begotten Jesus accomplished on Calvary’s Cross for our benefit.  Now we are an heir of salvation having been absolved from our slave relationship to sin and its consequences.

If you look to the vision of St. John, we see this: “Then He said to me, it is done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning, and the end.  I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost.” (Revelation 21:6)

Credos

The church today is facing issues that are not unlike those of the days of Athanasius in the fourth century.  Yet, we have three creeds of faith that have maintained and propelled us into the future.  Athanasius was involved with the Nicene Creed but also the creed bearing his name.  The Athanasian Creed focuses on the trinitarian doctrine and Christology.  The creed attaches equal importance to the three persons of the trinity. The author historically was attributed to Athanasius, perhaps during his 2nd exile in Rome.  However, modern scholars have now concluded that he was not the author, rather, his name is attached due to his strong trinitarian faith.  In many modern churches, the creed is read on Trinity Sunday.

Conclusion

As God created, He also redeemed, and He sanctified all to come to the knowledge of the truth.  We have ONE God who has miraculously created a perfect world only to fall into sin.  The first Gospel (Protoevangel) was the agape love from God the Father (Gen 3:15) who gave the world a way out from their road to hell and damnation.  It was through His only begotten Son who became flesh and dwelt among us that we have this living water of salvation. (John 1:14) As His Son ascended to the right hand of God, He sent His Spirit to be the ignitor of our flame for belief in Christ, the Savior.

While many in the history of our world have struggled in their faith, let us be ever mindful of people like Athanasius who stood firm in his faith in spite of the ridicule and his multiple exiles.    To God be the glory.

Peace

Connected in Him, I stand

GHR