Against the Arians

What makes the worst of all heresies, Arianism, so dangerous?

1. Above all and at their root, Arians dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ. They diminish the unity of his person, the truth of his deity, and/or the truth of his humanity, by weakening, dividing, or contradicting him.

2. They are deceptive and mislead the “simple,” in the words of Athanasius, by being “deceitful and cunning” and “hypocritical.”

3. They appeal to the carnal nature of the simple. They promise authority to those who want to rule and knowledge to those desiring intelligence.

4. They have the air of credibility, because they appeal to the often unseen yet deeply flawed structures of their human culture and philosophy.

5. They abuse the Lord Jesus by abusing the biblical text, imposing godless hierarchies and fanciful systems upon Holy Scripture.

6. They abuse the church of Jesus Christ by teaching others their deceptive piety. They are good at self-presentation. They manipulate so they can dominate.

7. Ultimately, they “go out from among us.” But they first rush, like Diotrephes, to disfellowship true believers.

Arianism, in all its godless and pernicious varieties, must find no place of rest among true Christians. The truth of the Nicene Creed, which upholds Scripture by summarizing the central mystery of the Christian faith, must be upheld against the deceptions of the heretics.