Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Feb. 25, 2026
Update	: Feb. 25, 2026
Parts	: 04

Synopsis:



As I point out in such articles as "Pontifex Maximus: Pagan High Priest to Roman Catholic Pope", in the year 325 AD the Roman emperor Constantine I summoned the First Council of Nicaea, which some theologians view as the first Ecumenical Council. The reason why Constantine I convened this council was because he wanted to promote a common orthodoxy amongst the Christians of his empire. At that time, the empire was clearly divided between the Arians who dominated the eastern leg of the empire, and the Trinitarians who were strong in the western leg of the empire. What I find interesting about this is the fact that in the image which is described in the Book of Daniel, the Roman Empire is represented by two legs made of iron.

The primary development from the First Council of Nicaea was the institution of the Nicene Creed, which strongly promotes the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. My personal views regarding the Holy Trinity doctrine are expressed in articles such as "Roman Catholicism, Water Baptism and the Trinity". What is important is the fact that in promoting the Nicene Creed and the Holy Trinity doctrine, the Church Fathers of that period were in large part motivated by their desire to delegitimize Arianism, which they viewed as a heresy. Despite his personal doubts, Constantine sided with the Trinitarians, and Arius was branded a heretic, and Arianism a heresy.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the doctrine, Arianism receives its name from a priest from Alexandria, Egypt by the name of Arius. Like other Christians before him, Arius maintained that similar to the other sons of God who are mentioned in the Book of Job, Jesus was a created being. As such, He could not be coeternal with God the Father, or consubstantial with the Father. This latter term means to be of the same substance as the Father. Furthermore, being as He is viewed as a being who was created by the Father, Arianism holds that Jesus Christ is not as great as God the Father, and is in fact subordinate to God the Father. One of the key verses which is used to support this doctrine is this one:

"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I."


I will be discussing my own views regarding Arianism in just a moment. One individual who played a very influential role during the proceedings of the First Council of Nicaea was a deacon named of Athanasius. While at the time Athanasius was the personal secretary to Alexander, who served as the 19th Bishop of Alexandria, within a few years time, Athanasius would be promoted to the role of archbishop of Alexandria. In short, he became the twentieth bishop of Alexandria. In addition, Athanasius devoted almost fifty years of his life to defeating the doctrines of Arianism. Even today, amongst Roman Catholics, he is regarded as the primary defender of Trinitarianism. Interestingly enough, a number of years ago, I engaged in a doctrinal discussion in our local newspaper with a staunch Roman Catholic who had adopted the online name of Athanasius.

To continue, the history of the Roman Catholic Church records that Athanasius fought against Arius, Emperor Constantine I, Constantine's son Constantius II, and against Eusebius -- who was the Bishop of Nicomedia -- and other powerful Arians. He also had serious problems with Emperors Julian the Apostate and Valens. Within the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Athanasius is widely respected as one of the four "Great Doctors of the Church". Furthermore, Athanasius is also venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Church, the Church of the East, the Anglican Communion, and within Lutheranism as well.

In a word, two very powerful and influential doctrinal forces came to the fore in Alexandria. On the one hand was Arius who dared to question the precise status of Jesus Christ, and on the other was Athanasius, who was largely responsible for the propagation of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. It required the power of several different emperors to finally settle the doctrinal dispute and hand a victory to the Trinitarians. Or perhaps it would be more correct to say that the dispute was not really settled. The Arian Christians were simply branded heretics and oppressed.

The 325 AD Council of Nicaea -- and the Nicene Creed which resulted from it -- was an important moment in the history of our Christian faith; the reason being that it marked a clear divergence in doctrinal paths, just as the Sadducees and the Pharisees were divided by doctrine centuries earlier. In this case, because of the tepid support they received from Emperor Constantine, the Trinitarians gained the upper hand, and from that point forward, a very specific kind of Christianity was promoted throughout the Roman Empire. It has been variously referred to as "Nicene Christianity", "Nicene Trinitarianism" and "Catholic Christianity".

It is very interesting to note that while Arius was deemed a heretic by the First Council of Nicaea with the support of Emperor Constantine I, Constantine later withdrew from his former position, and Arius was exonerated of the charge in 335 AD at the First Synod of Tyre. However, following Arius' death in 336 AD -- which occurred just one year before the death of Constantine -- Arius was again pronounced a heretic at the First Council of Constantinople which occurred in 381 AD. This particular council was presided over by Theodosius I who embraced the Nicene Creed, and was thus a Trinitarian. In fact, it was Theodosius I who made Catholicism the official state religion, with the threat of persecution against those who resisted it.

I also find it rather interesting that while Trinitarians are quick to mention the fact that Constantine I was responsible for convening the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and that he supported the Nicene Creed and Trinitarianism, they don't like to mention how he eventually realized that he had made a serious mistake by siding with the Trinitarians, particularly after the Trinitarians began persecuting the Arians. Thus, he had second thoughts and later backtracked from his support of Trinitarianism. Furthermore, according to church tradition, when Constantine allegedly converted to Christianity as he lay on his death bed in Nicomedia in 337 AD, he was baptized by an Arian bishop -- that being Eusebius of Nicomedia -- and not by a Trinitarian -- or Nicene -- bishop.

So the questions I would like to address in this series are these: Is there any truth to the doctrine of Arianism, and is it really as evil and heretical as Trinitarians have made it out to be? As has been my usual longtime custom, in addressing these questions, I will be pointing you to a variety of Bible verses for your personal contemplation. It will then be up to you to decide exactly where you stand. So let's begin.

As I point out in articles such as "So You Really Think You Are So Humble?" and "Holy Qur'an and Islam: A Doctrine of Devils?", there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Jesus was -- and still remains -- subordinate to the Will of His Father. Furthermore, I am not convinced that Jesus is equal to God the Father in every regard, as Roman Catholics and other strains of modern Christianity like to insist. In all the years that I have been teaching the Bible, I have never taught that Jesus is equal with God the Father insofar as His level of authority is concerned. While a number of my readers may be shocked to see me say this, I have full confidence in embracing this position, because I am convinced that it is in fact supported by the Scriptures.

As I will now demonstrate to you, while it is indeed true that God the Father bestowed upon Jesus all of His Power and Authority while Jesus served as His personal ambassador here on the Earth, and while it is likewise true that right now Jesus reigns as the second most powerful being in Heaven, we cannot -- and should not -- ignore the fact that the Bible clearly indicates that ultimately, Jesus must still submit himself to His Father's Will in all matters, because there can only be one Supreme Head, and that happens to be God the Father. The fact that there is only one God who is supreme above all is revealed throughout the Scriptures, as we can determine by the following group of sample Bible verses:

"Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God."


"Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any."


"I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:"


"Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me."


"Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me."


"And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:"


"Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith."


"But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."


"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."


"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"


"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."


Please notice carefully that the previous verses are actually telling us two important things. First, they are informing us that there's only one God, who Paul specifically refers to as "one God, the Father" and "One God and Father of all". They are also telling us that in addition to the "one God", there is also "one Lord" and "one Mediator", who is Jesus Christ. That is why in one verse the Apostle Paul writes "one God, the Father . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ", and in another verse he also writes "one God, and one mediator between God and men".

Let me point out that the little word "and" that we see in both verses is supposed to emphasize to us that Paul is talking about two separate and distinct entities. In other words, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Mediator with God the Father. Paul very clearly writes that Jesus is the Mediator "between God and men". Jesus is the Mediator between two parties. Therefore, it is logical to assume that Jesus cannot possibly be either of those two parties if He is the Mediator between them. He cannot be the same as God the Father. He is His own separate person. Can you see that?

As I said a moment ago, there can only be one Supreme Head upon whom the authority and final decision rests. This very same truth is reflected in human governments here on Earth as well. While earthly rulers may have access to a lot of different advisers from whom they seek opinions and counsel, when all is said and done, the final decision really rests upon the president, prime minister or king, or whatever he is called in his particular country. Imagine how weakened and divided a national government would become if it were to have two presidents, two prime ministers or two kings who are never able to agree with each other. It would no doubt result in chaos and governmental paralysis and dysfunction. I am reminded of the following verse that is found in the Book of Amos:

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?"


While it is true that a number of three-man triumvirates have existed since ancient times -- such as the First Triumvirate and the Second Triumvirate during pre-Christian Roman times, for example -- they have usually been short-lived, and one of the three members has usually become sole ruler due to a variety of reasons. In fact, that is precisely how the Roman Empire ended up with its dictators, who had a much weakened Senate which oft times simply rubber-stamped their decisions, if they knew what was good for them. Let's not forget that intrigue, corruption, murder and assassination were earmarks of Roman rule, as history clearly bears out.

The idea of there being only one authoritative head likewise holds true in human families as well. As I explain in other articles, while husbands and wives should endeavor to make decisions together, in the end, the Bible makes it very clear that when they cannot agree on a particular issue, the final authority and decision rests upon the husband. The wife is under Scriptural obligation to respect his decision, whether she agrees with him or not, just as the Church -- which is symbolized as the Bride of Christ -- must submit herself to her spiritual husband, Jesus Christ, as well. Consider the following Bible verses which confirm this point:

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."


". . . and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."


"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"


"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."


"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."


"And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:"


"Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,"


To continue, as I mentioned earlier, it is this one Supreme God -- who we Christians usually refer to as God the Father or our Heavenly Father -- who bestowed upon Jesus during His time on Earth, and who continues to bestow upon Jesus in the Heavenly Realm, great power and authority, as we see by the following Bible verses:

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."


"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him."


"For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."


"For in him [meaning in Jesus] dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."


"Which he [God the Father] wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."


"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."


"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."


"But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"


"And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him."


"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house."


"And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"


"But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house."


"And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."


While I have used the previous verses to demonstrate the level of Jesus' power and authority, let me emphasize again that this power and authority was bestowed upon Him by His Father. Thus Jesus said "All power is given unto me". Given to Him by whom? Obviously by God the Father. As the verses make rather plain, it was God the Father who in fact raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus did not do this himself. It is God the Father who set Jesus at His own right hand. It is God the Father who put all things under Jesus' feet. It is God the Father who gave Jesus to be the Head of the Church. It is God the Father who has highly exalted Jesus. Finally, is God the Father who has given Jesus a name which is above every name.

While God the Father and His Son may be viewed as being equal from the perspective that both of them are powerful Spiritual Beings who exist in the Heavenly Realm, as I explain in other articles, Jesus himself never claimed that He is equal to God the Father when it comes to levels of Divine Authority. In other words, while they work as one in spiritual harmony and unity -- please see the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John -- ultimately, Jesus made it very clear in the Gospels that insofar as Divine Authority is concerned, His Father is clearly in charge; that He -- meaning Jesus -- occupies the Second Position in rank at His Father's Right Hand; and that He must submit himself to His Father's will.

Through the previous verses, we have already seen how God the Father bestowed great power, authority, honor and glory upon Jesus. Allow me to share some additional verses with you that reveal how Jesus was not only sent by His Father, but how He was obligated to yield to His Father's Will. As you carefully study the verses below, please pay special attention to some of the key words and phrases that are used in them, such as the following:

1. "if thou be willing"

2. "nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done"

3. "I can of mine own self do nothing"

4. "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me"

5. "the Father hath sent me"

6. "he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death"

"I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true . . . But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me . . ."


"And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."


"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."


Following is one final set of verses that are found in Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians. I have purposely left them for last due to the fact that they may be a bit difficult for some young Christians to understand as a result of the many he's and him's which they contain. I have taken the liberty to add some words in brackets for the sake of clarification. What these verses are saying, is that when all is said and done, Jesus will subject himself to his Father, so that God the Father "may be all in all":

"Then cometh the end, when he [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he [Jesus] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he [Jesus] must reign, till he [Jesus] hath put all enemies under his [under Jesus'] feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he [God the Father] hath put all things under his [under Jesus'] feet. But when he [God the Father] saith all things are put under him [under Jesus], it is manifest that he [God the Father] is excepted, which did put all things under him [under Jesus]. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, [unto Jesus] then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [unto God the Father] that put all things under him [under Jesus], that God may be all in all."


Please notice carefully that Paul writes that God the Father is "excepted". This English word is derived from the Koine Greek word "ektos", which according to Thayer's Greek English Lexicon means outside of or beyond. In other words, what Paul is saying is that even though Jesus subdues everything by His Father's will, God the Father himself STILL remains outside of Jesus' jurisdiction and dominion. In other words, God the Father is STILL above Jesus in the spiritual hierarchy. Thus, we remember again that Jesus said "my Father is greater than I." in John 14:28. By the way, as some of you will probably recognize, it is from that Greek word "ektos" that we derive English words such as ectoplasm, ectoderm, ectopic, etc.

As I noted earlier, while a great deal of power and authority has been delegated to Jesus by His Father, so that Jesus can undertake the task of cleaning up the Kingdom for His Father, nevertheless, Jesus' rightful position remains at the right hand of His Father. Jesus does not occupy the Throne of God. His Father does. One simply cannot occupy the Throne of God, and occupy the right hand of God, at the same time. It is totally illogical to assume otherwise in my opinion. Consider the following Bible verses:

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."


"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,"


"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."


"Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high . . . But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?"


"Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;"


"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;"


"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."


"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."


From all of the Scriptural evidence which I have provided in this series thus far, I trust that it has become evident to you that the authority of God the Father supersedes that of His Son, Jesus Christ. If one -- meaning God the Father -- has more authority than the other one -- meaning Jesus -- so that the latter must submit to the will of the former, then obviously, they cannot really be equal in every regard, as Trinitarians propose and insist to this very day. This is why the Arians strongly rejected this particular Nicene doctrine.

If Jesus were truly equal to God the Father in every regard as Trinitarians -- meaning Roman Catholicism, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox churches and many Protestant churches -- like to claim, then obviously, there would be no need for him to receive any kind of permission or authority from His Father. Neither would Jesus have said "my Father is greater than I", and neither would He have to submit himself to His Father's will, as He most certainly did. I can only conclude then that this particular Arian doctrine is actually true, and that it has a very Scriptural basis. In my view, to state otherwise is to deny the truth of the Scriptures.

Please go to part two for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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