Alexander of Alexandria (Full Script)

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Alexander of Alexandria

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Alexander of Alexandria was overseer in Alexandria, Egypt and wrote around AD 320 to 325.

LIFE

Alexander found himself in the middle of a few debates about which he wrote.  These included when to celebrate Pascha, that is, the resurrection of Jesus, and Arianism, which taught that the Son was a separate God from the Father and was created by the Father.  Both of these debates escalated to the point that the Council of Nicaea convened in order to settle these matters.

At the Council of Nicaea, Alexander was asked to preside over the meeting, but he declined since he was also the chief critic of Arius and did not want to appear to be biased in presiding over the meeting.  This role was given to Hosius of Corduba.  Other famous attendees at the council included Athanasius of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Jerome, Eusebius' son.

Alexander died less than a year after the Council of Nicaea.  He was succeeded by the Athanasius.

QUOTES

About Jesus Christ, Alexander wrote,

Show forth the fruit of love, not in words only, but also in deeds, that is, in all godly patience for God's sake.  Behold, the Lord Himself has shown His love towards us, not only in words but also in deeds, since He has given Himself up as the price of our salvation.  (Alexander of Alexandria.  AD 320.  ANF, vol 6, page 299-300.)

Peter of Alexandria (Full Script)

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Peter of Alexandria

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Peter of Alexandria was an overseer in Alexandria, Egypt around AD 310.

LIFE

At the church in Alexandria, Peter began as a reader of Scripture, then became a deacon, then became an overseer.  He was martyred during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian.

WORKS

Some of the important events in Peter's life involved Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis which is not far from Alexandria.  Peter and Meletius had disagreements over how to handle Christians who had sacrificed to pagan gods and wanted to return to the church in repentance.  Peter took a more lenient stance and Meletius took a more strict stance.  Meletius began a schism and was later demoted at the Council of Nicaea.

Peter was one of the first Christian writers to speak against Arianism which taught that the Son (Jesus Christ) was a separate God from the Father and had been created by the Father.  Peter was followed by Alexander of Alexandria who took up the charge against Arianism at the Council of Nicaea which declared Arianism as heretical.  After Meletius died, his followers joined the Arians.

There is a legend that during the persecution under Emperor Diocletian, Peter was imprisoned with Meletius.

Lactantius (Full Script)

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Lactantius

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius wrote from Gaul, or modern day France between AD 304 and 313.

LIFE

Before Lactantius was converted, he was active in Roman government.  He met Constantine before he became emperor.  Lactantius was converted around AD 303.  As a result, he resigned from his political office for fear of being persecuted by Emperor Diocletian.  He moved to Gall and survived the persecution under Diocletian.  Most of his writings were from this time.

Around AD 312, Emperor Constantine asked Lactantius, who was very old at the time, to be the tutor of his son, Crispus.

WORKS

Lactantius' writings are important because he is the last major Christian writer before the Council of Nicaea.  From his writings, one can see that very little had changed in what Christians believed from AD 100 to 310.

QUOTATIONS

About Christianity, Lactantius wrote,

The power of truth is so great that it defends itself even in small things by its own clearness.  (Lactantius.  AD 304-313.  ANF, vol 7, page 69.)

The things which you teach cannot have any weight unless you will be the first to practice them.  (Lactantius.  AD 304-313.  ANF, vol 7, page 125.)

There is nothing among men more excellent than religion, and that this should be defended with the whole of our power.  But as [wretched men] are deceived in the matter of religion itself, so also are they in the manner of its defense.  For religion is to be defended, not by putting to death, but by dying; not by cruelty, but by patient endurance; not by guilt, but by good faith.  For the former belong to evils, but the latter to goods.  It is necessary for that which is good to have place in religion, and not that which is evil.  For if you wish to defend religion by bloodshed, and by tortures, and by guilt, it will no longer be defended, but will be polluted and profaned.  (Lactantius.  AD 304-313.  ANF, vol 7, page 157.)

Arnobius of Sicca (Full Script)

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Arnobius of Sicca

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Arnobius lived in Sicca, or modern day El Kef, Tunisia around AD 303.

Lactantius was a student of Arnobius.

WORKS

Arnobius used a lot of sarcasm to show the absurdities of various heretical teachings.  For example, Arnobius had this to say about the food and drink given to idols.

If you have confidence in what is done, disclose [it], point out why that liquor is offered; that is, why wine is poured on the altars.  For do the bodies of the deities feel parching thirst, and is it necessary that their dryness be tempered by some moisture?  Are they accustomed, as men are, to combine eating and drinking?  In like manner, also, after the [giving of the] solid food of cakes and pottages, and victims slain in honour of them, do they drench themselves, and make themselves merry with very frequent cups of wine, that their food may be more easily softened, and thoroughly digested?  I beg [you], give to the immortal gods drink; bring forth goblets, bowls, ladles, and cups.  And as they stuff themselves with bulls, and luxurious feasts, and rich food, [give them drink]—lest some piece of flesh hastily gulped down should stick in passing through the stomach.  Run up, hasten, give pure wine to Jupiter, the most excellent, the supreme, lest he chokes.  He desires to break wind, and is unable.  And unless that hindrance passes away and is dissolved, there is very great danger that his breathing will be stopped and interrupted, and heaven [would] be left desolate without its rulers.  (Arnobius.  AD 303.  ANF, vol 6, page 529.)

Methodius of Olympus (Full Script)

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Methodius of Olympus

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Methodius wrote around AD 290.  He was an overseer in Olympus in Asia Minor, modern-day Cirali, Turkey.  Later he was overseer in Tyre.  Methodius died a martyr under the persecutions of Emperor Maximinus Daia around AD 311.

WORKS

Methodius is known for having strongly disagreed with some of the teachings of Origen.

Victorinus of Pettau (Full Script)

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Victorinus of Pettau

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Victorinus lived in Pettau, modern-day Ptuj, Slovenia around AD 280.

LIFE

He was martyred during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian.

WORKS

Victorinus wrote commentaries on at least nine books of the Bible, but the only work that has survived in its entirety is his work on Revelation.  He was the first to see a repetitious pattern in Revelation.  He believed that each pattern, or cycle, runs parallel to the other.  That is, Revelation tells the same story seven times with increasing degrees of intensity.

Archelaus of Cashar (Full Script)

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Archelaus of Caschar

Post-Apostolic Church

INTRO

Archelaus was an overseer in Caschar in Roman Mesopotamia around AD 277.  The location of this ancient city has been lost.

WORK

His work, The Disputation of Archelaus with the Heretic Manes, is a record of the debate between Mani and himself.  Mani was a Persian philosopher and founder of Manichaeism.  Manichaeism was a religion that was a mixture of Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Gnosticism.