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For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church
The belief that Christ is the God-man is definitive of Christian orthodoxy and imperative to a right understanding of the gospel. By the middle of the fifth century, the church had wrestled with many challenges to the biblical portrayal of Christ and, in response to those challenges, had formulated the doctrine of Christ that remains the standard to this day. This look to the past helps as Christians contend with present-day challenges and seek to answer Christ's question-"Who do people say that I am?"-for those living in the twenty-first century. For Us and for Our Salvation tells the very human story of the formation of the doctrine of Christ in those early centuries of the church. A glossary, numerous charts and timelines, and some helpful appendices make the book accessible and user-friendly. Primary source materials from key theologians and councils complement the engaging narrative.
176 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2007
17 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Stephen J. Nichols
76 books97 followersStephen J. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. Previously, he served as research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College. He is an editor (with Justin Taylor) of the Theologians on the Christian Life series and is the author of several books, including The Reformation, For Us and for Our Salvation, The Church History ABCs, and Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 24, 2008
This little book--172 pages including epilogue, glossary, appendices, and notes--makes for a great weekend read.
A Christian historian, the prolific Nichols discusses how the doctrine of Christ came about in the early church. What could be a boring presentation of those events is presented in a lively, engaging way. Nichols clearly has a heart and a passion for this period (the development of the doctrine of Christ) in history. After all, as the Nicene Creed (325), and the title of this book puts it: the correct doctrine of Christ was needed, given, and defended "For us and our salvation."
If you've ever wondered what went into the forming of the best expression of Christology, viz., the Chalcedonian creed (451), this book will bring you up to speed. The background debates and issues are fascinating. Nichols traces debates about the person of Christ from the time of the apostles up until the 6th ecumenical council (Constantinople III, 680). (Protestants haven't historically recognized councils other than Nicene and Chalcedon as authoritative, but, historically, this council is lumped in as one of the 7 ecumencial councils.) We can see various heroes of the faith dealing with one faulty view of Christ after another. They didn't battle these views for fame or glory (indeed, many of our heroes just wanted to live the quiet life of the philosopher), they battled them because they saw that our very salvation was at stake. Over and over again these faulty views (heresies) affected our salvation in some way. Without a savior, man is lost. Thus, without a correct view of the savior, of a savior who could really save, to be tautological, man was lost. "What becomes evident in all of these heresies is the stumbling block and scandal of the person of Christ" (p. 114). And when the person of Christ is affected so is the (saving) work of Christ. So, a proper understanding needed to be laid out, "For us and for our salvation."
These heroes of the faith dealt with views of Christ that minimized or destroyed his humanity, his divinity, or both (of which Docetism, Arianism, and Eutychianism are respective representatives). It is interesting to note that many of the heresies, especially many of the early ones, attacked the humanity of Christ. This is interesting in light of the claims of many pop "historians" seeking to undermine traditional Christianity (e.g., Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code). They paint the picture that the early church was concerned solely in establishing ("inventing," in their words) the divinity of Christ. But this is far from the truth. And, besides, without a human Jesus, the orthodox argued that human salvation could not be accomplished. So, orthodox Christians have always been concerned to treasure and defend the humanity of Christ. It has been the (neo) Platonists, Gnostics, and Docetists who have denied the humanity. This is ironic since those like Brown seek to put up the Gnostic texts as those the church suppressed in order to hide Jesus' humanity. In actuality, they are the ones who suppressed it. The Gnostics were also chauvinists too. This fact delivers another blow to the fictitious history painted by Brown et al.
But, the church also had to deal with those who sought to undermine the deity of Christ as well. This challenge came in many forms. (It is possible, for our purposes, to broadly place these forms under the title: Arianism.) But, again, the heroes of the faith noticed that if Christ was not human and divine, salvation could not be accomplished. Thus, the orthodox expression of Christ came to be given at Chalcedon. It was there, thanks in part to Leo (b.?-d. 461), that we have the sophisticated expression of Leo's "two natures, one person” view. Jesus was the God-man. He had a divine nature and a human nature, and these existed in one unified person. The fancy expression for this is the "hypostatic union."
Is all of this just relegated to the pages of history? Can this book be relevant for me today? In the epilogue Nichols writes,
"The Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds provide the church with the orthodox understanding of the person of Christ. These creeds were not the result of ivory-tower theologians debating subtleties. They grew out of the rough and tumble of controversy and even the persecution that plagued the church. They are the work of the wisdom, patience, and courage of many forgotten figures such as Ignatius, Iranaeus, Basil of Cesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Flavian of Constantinople, and Leo the Great. These men suffered exile, beatings, the smudging of their character, and even, in the cases of Ignatius and Flavian, death for full-throttled commitment to the church getting it right on the person of Christ. And they endured it all because they knew that the person of Christ as everything to do with the church's true treasure of the gospel. Christ is the God-man, they all contended, for us and for our salvation" (p. 143).
After asking how this is relevant for us, Nichols traces the periods of history after the great Creeds and shows how these types of errors (either Docetism or Arianism) came up throughout the history of the church. We see it in our own time too with Jehovah's Witnesses, The Da Vinci Code, and Islam (there are others too). Reading this book, and, even better, reading the heroes themselves, will prepare you for dealing with various heretical views of Jesus. As a wise man once said, "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9).
If you do not have the time, desire or interest to make a trip to the bookstore or library in order to read the actual works of the above listed men, a unique feature of Nichols books is that every other chapter consists of readings from the heretics and the orthodox of the period. Nichols presents the debates and history surrounding them in a colorful way in the odd numbered chapters. After each odd numbered chapter, the next chapter is a chapter consisting of the words of the men themselves. Rather than boring (as some might think), these chapters are fascinating mainly because of the preceding chapters where Nichols made the historical debates come alive. As you read these men's words you feel like you're there with them; perhaps even cheering them on (Nichols makes use of the analogy of a Western in this book: good guys, bad guys, and even a corrupt sheriff!) as they write to defend the doctrine of Christ, "for us and for our salvation."
A Christian historian, the prolific Nichols discusses how the doctrine of Christ came about in the early church. What could be a boring presentation of those events is presented in a lively, engaging way. Nichols clearly has a heart and a passion for this period (the development of the doctrine of Christ) in history. After all, as the Nicene Creed (325), and the title of this book puts it: the correct doctrine of Christ was needed, given, and defended "For us and our salvation."
If you've ever wondered what went into the forming of the best expression of Christology, viz., the Chalcedonian creed (451), this book will bring you up to speed. The background debates and issues are fascinating. Nichols traces debates about the person of Christ from the time of the apostles up until the 6th ecumenical council (Constantinople III, 680). (Protestants haven't historically recognized councils other than Nicene and Chalcedon as authoritative, but, historically, this council is lumped in as one of the 7 ecumencial councils.) We can see various heroes of the faith dealing with one faulty view of Christ after another. They didn't battle these views for fame or glory (indeed, many of our heroes just wanted to live the quiet life of the philosopher), they battled them because they saw that our very salvation was at stake. Over and over again these faulty views (heresies) affected our salvation in some way. Without a savior, man is lost. Thus, without a correct view of the savior, of a savior who could really save, to be tautological, man was lost. "What becomes evident in all of these heresies is the stumbling block and scandal of the person of Christ" (p. 114). And when the person of Christ is affected so is the (saving) work of Christ. So, a proper understanding needed to be laid out, "For us and for our salvation."
These heroes of the faith dealt with views of Christ that minimized or destroyed his humanity, his divinity, or both (of which Docetism, Arianism, and Eutychianism are respective representatives). It is interesting to note that many of the heresies, especially many of the early ones, attacked the humanity of Christ. This is interesting in light of the claims of many pop "historians" seeking to undermine traditional Christianity (e.g., Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code). They paint the picture that the early church was concerned solely in establishing ("inventing," in their words) the divinity of Christ. But this is far from the truth. And, besides, without a human Jesus, the orthodox argued that human salvation could not be accomplished. So, orthodox Christians have always been concerned to treasure and defend the humanity of Christ. It has been the (neo) Platonists, Gnostics, and Docetists who have denied the humanity. This is ironic since those like Brown seek to put up the Gnostic texts as those the church suppressed in order to hide Jesus' humanity. In actuality, they are the ones who suppressed it. The Gnostics were also chauvinists too. This fact delivers another blow to the fictitious history painted by Brown et al.
But, the church also had to deal with those who sought to undermine the deity of Christ as well. This challenge came in many forms. (It is possible, for our purposes, to broadly place these forms under the title: Arianism.) But, again, the heroes of the faith noticed that if Christ was not human and divine, salvation could not be accomplished. Thus, the orthodox expression of Christ came to be given at Chalcedon. It was there, thanks in part to Leo (b.?-d. 461), that we have the sophisticated expression of Leo's "two natures, one person” view. Jesus was the God-man. He had a divine nature and a human nature, and these existed in one unified person. The fancy expression for this is the "hypostatic union."
Is all of this just relegated to the pages of history? Can this book be relevant for me today? In the epilogue Nichols writes,
"The Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds provide the church with the orthodox understanding of the person of Christ. These creeds were not the result of ivory-tower theologians debating subtleties. They grew out of the rough and tumble of controversy and even the persecution that plagued the church. They are the work of the wisdom, patience, and courage of many forgotten figures such as Ignatius, Iranaeus, Basil of Cesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Flavian of Constantinople, and Leo the Great. These men suffered exile, beatings, the smudging of their character, and even, in the cases of Ignatius and Flavian, death for full-throttled commitment to the church getting it right on the person of Christ. And they endured it all because they knew that the person of Christ as everything to do with the church's true treasure of the gospel. Christ is the God-man, they all contended, for us and for our salvation" (p. 143).
After asking how this is relevant for us, Nichols traces the periods of history after the great Creeds and shows how these types of errors (either Docetism or Arianism) came up throughout the history of the church. We see it in our own time too with Jehovah's Witnesses, The Da Vinci Code, and Islam (there are others too). Reading this book, and, even better, reading the heroes themselves, will prepare you for dealing with various heretical views of Jesus. As a wise man once said, "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9).
If you do not have the time, desire or interest to make a trip to the bookstore or library in order to read the actual works of the above listed men, a unique feature of Nichols books is that every other chapter consists of readings from the heretics and the orthodox of the period. Nichols presents the debates and history surrounding them in a colorful way in the odd numbered chapters. After each odd numbered chapter, the next chapter is a chapter consisting of the words of the men themselves. Rather than boring (as some might think), these chapters are fascinating mainly because of the preceding chapters where Nichols made the historical debates come alive. As you read these men's words you feel like you're there with them; perhaps even cheering them on (Nichols makes use of the analogy of a Western in this book: good guys, bad guys, and even a corrupt sheriff!) as they write to defend the doctrine of Christ, "for us and for our salvation."
December 18, 2018
A very helpful introduction to a subject with which I was wholly unfamiliar.
Nichols takes a generally chronological approach to describing the key heresies that arise around the person of Christ from the second to fifth centuries and more importantly, the work of those who combatted them. The book builds up to and focuses on the formulation of the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds.
He alternates between describing the events himself and compiling quotes from the early fathers. I thought this approach worked really well. It gave me a taste of reading the fathers and has certainly made me want to read more.
Nichols doesn't write for the mere purpose of passing on the facts. He sees his content as being massively relevant and important for the church.
This extract from the epilogue sums it up really well.
'The Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds provide the church with the orthodox understanding of the person of Christ. These creeds were not the result of ivory-tower theologians debating subtleties. They grew out of the rough and tumble of controversy and even of the persecution that plagued the church. They are the work of the wisdom, patience, and courage of many forgotten figures... These men suffered exile, beatings, the smudging of their character, and even... death for their full-throttled commitment to the church getting it right on the person of Christ. And they endured it all because they knew that the person of Christ has everything to do with the church's true treasure of the gospel. Christ is the God-man, they all contended, for us and for our salvation'
I've intentionally left out the names of the key characters from the quote above. If you're familiar with church history, you probably know who they are, but if you're not... Then hurry up and read the book!
Nichols takes a generally chronological approach to describing the key heresies that arise around the person of Christ from the second to fifth centuries and more importantly, the work of those who combatted them. The book builds up to and focuses on the formulation of the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds.
He alternates between describing the events himself and compiling quotes from the early fathers. I thought this approach worked really well. It gave me a taste of reading the fathers and has certainly made me want to read more.
Nichols doesn't write for the mere purpose of passing on the facts. He sees his content as being massively relevant and important for the church.
This extract from the epilogue sums it up really well.
'The Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds provide the church with the orthodox understanding of the person of Christ. These creeds were not the result of ivory-tower theologians debating subtleties. They grew out of the rough and tumble of controversy and even of the persecution that plagued the church. They are the work of the wisdom, patience, and courage of many forgotten figures... These men suffered exile, beatings, the smudging of their character, and even... death for their full-throttled commitment to the church getting it right on the person of Christ. And they endured it all because they knew that the person of Christ has everything to do with the church's true treasure of the gospel. Christ is the God-man, they all contended, for us and for our salvation'
I've intentionally left out the names of the key characters from the quote above. If you're familiar with church history, you probably know who they are, but if you're not... Then hurry up and read the book!
May 9, 2018
I loved this book. This is the third book I have read by Stephen Nichols and it’s safe to say that he has become one of my favorite authors. I love church history but sometimes reading it becomes an exercise in persistence what with all the names and dates and theological/philosophical jargon. Not so with Nichols. His writing is concise and winsome and he never fails to make the reader understand why the particular historical issue at hand is relevant for the contemporary church. The issue at hand in this book, the doctrine of Christ, is particularly relevant today what with all the talk about “eternal subordination” that has plagued evangelicalism of late, not to mention the Arianism that still exists even among some professing (not necessarily possessing) Christians. Nichols explains the struggles that the early church faced in fighting the rampant heresies flying around as to the true nature of Jesus Christ. He details the historical events as well as the theological aspects of the various controversies, then follows with a chapter containing the writings of the actual fathers who were defending the orthodox faith. Very enjoyable and very profitable spiritually. I have come away with a deeper appreciation for the doctrine of the trinity as well as a deeper respect for the fathers who fought for the deity of Christ and gave us the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds.
June 25, 2018
Two genres in one book, fully historical and fully theological, I really enjoyed this primer on how the early church worked through their understanding of the person of Christ as revealed in the Scriptures and through the discipleship of the apostles and the earliest church fathers. I very much appreciated the format, with a chapter summary of the issues at stake, the personalities, the political climate, and the ecclesiastical climate of a key time period, followed by excerpts of the actual writings from that time. I am fascinated and inspired by the passion, courage, and resolve of these men to contend for the authenticity of their Christian faith and for precision in defining it (homoousion or homo-i-ousion?), especially in light of how fast and loose and carelessly we play with theology these days. I was captivated in worship when I read Leo's Tome, I think I'll have to make it a point to read it again every Advent season.
January 29, 2023
Is it possible that you and I are heretics in a belief that we hold? I say this not to drive fear and doubt into your heart, but to drive you and I to the Bible. To constantly check whether our faith corresponds to the Truth revealed in Scripture.
Because regardless of what you believe, you know there are false teachings out there. The heresies that Nicaea and Chalcedon settled were never settled, the heretics talk still spread like gangrene until today.
In the epilogue titled, “Jesus: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” , Nichols offers a sobering summary of what has happened since those early church times. And he tells us frankly, he warns us, “The church is always one generation away from getting it wrong, from taking a misstep.”
And if you need a book to make that point clear, today’s book is as good a book as any.
Full 3,100 word review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...
Because regardless of what you believe, you know there are false teachings out there. The heresies that Nicaea and Chalcedon settled were never settled, the heretics talk still spread like gangrene until today.
In the epilogue titled, “Jesus: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” , Nichols offers a sobering summary of what has happened since those early church times. And he tells us frankly, he warns us, “The church is always one generation away from getting it wrong, from taking a misstep.”
And if you need a book to make that point clear, today’s book is as good a book as any.
Full 3,100 word review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...
August 26, 2017
A succinct introduction to the church fathers of the first four centuries and the heresies that they combatted regarding the identity of the Person of Christ: who was He? God? Man? One Person, one nature? Two natures, one Person? Two natures, two persons? These questions were not matters of ivory tower theologians splitting theological and philosophical hairs, but were issues on which salvation hung/hangs. Nichols first introduces us to the historical period and the controversies encountered by the church. Then, he provides the reader with selections from their writings to illustrate how the early Christian theologians defended orthodoxy, sometimes against great opposition.
June 14, 2015
Who is Jesus? That is the most important question we have to ask ourselves. For Us and For Our Salvation is an outstanding introduction given the first five centuries of Christendom on the person and nature of Christ. Oddly enough today, we cannot stand history. We look at it as boring, but if we could only learn from the mistakes of the past we would not be doomed to repeat it (W. Churchill), and this fact can't ring any more true!
Most, if not, ALL of the issues we wrestle with today have been handled over 1500 years ago in the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil of Caesaria, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa), Athanasius, Leo the Great's, "TOME", on the Hypostatic Union (Two nature in one person), as well as many others. And if we cared about our roots we can learn and correct a lot of what is going on today. This is a book everyone should read; for the lay and for the scholar. It was so good, I had to read it a second time through once I finished it the first time.
Most, if not, ALL of the issues we wrestle with today have been handled over 1500 years ago in the Cappadocian Fathers (Basil of Caesaria, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa), Athanasius, Leo the Great's, "TOME", on the Hypostatic Union (Two nature in one person), as well as many others. And if we cared about our roots we can learn and correct a lot of what is going on today. This is a book everyone should read; for the lay and for the scholar. It was so good, I had to read it a second time through once I finished it the first time.
September 19, 2013
It's a good introduction to the controversies surrounding Christ in the early Church. It is certainly written with a clear intent towards a high Christology, and I think it is successful in laying out its primary concerns. More so though, it stands as a very readable and accessible introduction in to the movement of the early Church and early Church fathers in its historical context. The book will prove a good resource down the road for bringing in this historical context to discussions, thoughts and teachings.
January 2, 2014
Who is Jesus? Nichols details how the Scriptural truth of Jesus Christ having “two natures (human and divine) in one person” has been defended against false teachings. Excerpts from ancient church documents and creeds are helpful inclusions. Written in a more conversational tone than a textbook, this brief primer can help the uninitiated learn about the development of the doctrine of Christ through the first several hundred years of the Church and its continued importance today.
July 7, 2013
As usual, Nichols is short and succinct and puts complicated historical and theological truths in a way that the layman can grasp them. Also, of course, with his trademark humor and wit. The doctrine of Christ is a pivotal theological battle ground, both in the past, in the present, and the future. I would recommend this book to all layman, and even pastors if they are not aware of the heresies of Nestorianism, apollonianism, and Eutychiansim.
March 6, 2013
Solid scholarship makes this an important historical work tracing the issue of Christology from the early church fathers through Nicea, the Council of Chalcedon and up to the fifth century. Multitudes of quotations from leaders all through these periods also makes this an inspiring and interesting read.
December 10, 2013
This book provides an overview of the development of the doctrine of Christ in the first five centuries. It is smoothly written in layperson's terms, but it has enough precision and depth to satisfy the intellectually curious. For an engaging introduction to the competing ideas and influences, I highly recommend this book!
December 3, 2011
An easy introductory read about the Christological controversies.
March 29, 2017
Although this book doesn't even reach the 200-page mark, it still serves as an interesting, helpful overview of the early church's battle for a proper Christology. The book gives particular focus to the events that led to the formation of the Nicene and Chalcedonian Creeds. For every chapter of church history, the book then switches to a chapter of primary documents so that readers can see what the early church leaders (and some of the heretics) themselves had to say about the doctrine of Christ. Though these "in their own words" chapters are a lot more difficult to read than the other chapters, it is worth the effort to be exposed to original writing from the early church era.
In spite of the book's short length, Nichols does not shy away from describing important Greek, Latin, and/or English terms and "-isms" related to the doctrine of Christ. He does his best to give a layman's explanation of every key term because he believes (and I agree with him) that getting the doctrine of Christ right is really that important. Following the tradition of men like Ignatius, Athanasius, Leo, and many others, Nichols continually stresses the critical relationship between the person of Christ and the work of Christ. If our Christology falls, the gospel and salvation will fall right along with it. Indeed, those of us in the church today should care immensely about what those in the church back then fought for. I thought this quote right at the end of the book made the point quite effectively:
(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A book about church history)
In spite of the book's short length, Nichols does not shy away from describing important Greek, Latin, and/or English terms and "-isms" related to the doctrine of Christ. He does his best to give a layman's explanation of every key term because he believes (and I agree with him) that getting the doctrine of Christ right is really that important. Following the tradition of men like Ignatius, Athanasius, Leo, and many others, Nichols continually stresses the critical relationship between the person of Christ and the work of Christ. If our Christology falls, the gospel and salvation will fall right along with it. Indeed, those of us in the church today should care immensely about what those in the church back then fought for. I thought this quote right at the end of the book made the point quite effectively:
The church is always just one generation away from getting it wrong, from taking a misstep. And getting it wrong on the person of Christ is a fatal misstep. The church of today finds in these fathers of the early church centuries the tools, the expressions, the arguments, and the boundaries for the biblical and orthodox view of the person of Christ. . . . We would do well to follow their example, for Christ is the God-man for us and for our salvation. And he is the God-man for the salvation of the next generation.A book well worth reading!
(Read for the 2017 Tim Challies Christian Reading Challenge: A book about church history)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews