Fourth Century Christianity

Reference	Dok. 3; Urk. 5
Incipit	[ὀρθῶς δοξάζουσι κοινωνῆσαι]
Date	319-320
Ancient source	Sozomen, H.E. 1.15.10
Modern editions	GCS  50:34AW 3.1:12

While not stated specifically, the Bithynian council mentioned by Sozomen must have been called and chaired by Eusebius of Nicomedia, one of Arius’s early supporters. The date is uncertain, but Brennecke places it early in the controversy.

The Greek text below is from the edition of J. Bidez and G.C. Hansen, Sozomenus. Kirchengeschichte (GCS 50 [Berlin: Akademie Verlag, 1960], 34. The translation is by Glen Thompson.

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καὶ σύνοδον ἐν Βιθυνίᾳ συγκροτήσαντες γράφουσιτοῖς ἁπανταχῇ ἐπισκόποις ὡς ὀρθῶς δοξάζουσικοινωνῆσαι τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἄρειον, παρασκευάσαι δὲκαὶ Ἀλέξανδρον κοινωνεῖν αὐτοῖς.

Having contrived a council in Bithynia, they wrote to all the bishops, instructing them to fellowship with the Arian group as having proper beliefs, and to pressure Alexander to fellowship with them as well.

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Last updated 5/6/24 by AGC

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