bishop of Antioch - Page 3 of 4

Priesthood

PRIESTHOOD Christ, as head of the church and therefore the One on whom the whole body of the church depends (Eph. 4:15; Cor. 1:14) and as “high priest of the good things that have come” (Heb. 9:11), chose a number of men and named them apostles (Lk. 6:13; Jn. 15:16). By the full authority that …

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MAXIMUS, fifteenth patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (264-282)

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

MAXIMUS, fifteenth patriarch of the See of Saint Mark (264-282). Maximus succeeded DIONYSIUS THE GREAT and remained at the head of the Coptic church for eighteen years. He was a contemporary to six Roman emperors, beginning with the relatively mild reign of Gallienus (260-268), followed by Claudius II (268-270), Aurelianus (270-275), Tacitus (275-276), Florianus (276), …

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Martyrs, Coptic

Culture / By Armia FAYEZ

MARTYRS, COPTIC The souls recognized in Egypt who suffered persecution and died for their faith. The majority of martyrs belong to the period of Roman persecutions from the time of Nero in the mid-first century to the time of Diocletian in the early fourth century. It is, of course, impossible to assemble the names of …

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Monarchianism

History / By Armia FAYEZ

MONARCHIANISM A movement in the trinitarian controversy in the early church that denied the distinction of Persons in the relationship between Father and Son within the Godhead. It became a heresy. There were two quite separate groups of Monarchians. Modalist Monarchians claimed that God was a single and differentiated being whose monarchy was nothing else …

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Offertory

Liturgy / By Armia FAYEZ

OFFERTORY In the early church, donations of bread and wine were made by the laity to be consecrated in the eucharistic service, and the term “offertory” came also to mean the prayers said by the priest during this part of the Divine Liturgy. In his epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Clement of Rome (fl. c. …

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Eusebius Of Caesarea (C. 260-C. 340)

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA (c. 260-c. 340) An author of the HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA. The authentic biography of Eusebius, recorded by his own disciple and successor ACACIUS, has been lost. Historians have to assemble the scattered details of his rich life and the immense heritage of his literary productions from contemporary authors such as Socrates and Sozomen, …

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John Of Antioch

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

JOHN OF ANTIOCH A fifth-century bishop of Antioch who was the chief supporter of NESTORIUS, patriarch of Constantinople, in the Nestorian controversy over the nature of Christ. To resolve the controversy, which set Nestorius against Saint CYRIL I, patriarch of Alexandria, Emperor Theodosius II ordered the Council of Ephesus to be convened in 431. The …

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Eucharist

Liturgy / By Armia FAYEZ

EUCHARIST One of seven sacraments in the Coptic church. Although all sacraments contain and impart grace, the Eucharist carries the most sublime grace of all. In BAPTISM, for example, water remains water, as does the holy chrism in confirmation, the visible element of the sacrament thus undergoing no change. In the Eucharist, however, the bread …

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First Council Of Ephesus (431)

Events / By Armia FAYEZ

FIRST COUNCIL OF EPHESUS (431) The third ecumenical council, summoned by Emperor Theodosius II in order to settle the Nestorian controversy. The period from 381 to 431 was dominated by the efforts of the bishops of Rome and Alexandria to undo the work of the second ecumenical council, that of Constantinople I (381). The rivalry …

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Ignatius Of Antioch, Saint (C. 35-107)

Eminent / By Armia FAYEZ

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH, SAINT (c. 35-107) Bishop of Antioch who wrote important letters to other churchmen on his way to martyrdom in Rome (feast day: 17 October in the West, 20 December in the East). Eusebius reports in his Historia ecclesiastica (III.36, 2-11) that Bishop Ignatius of Antioch was brought to Rome from Syria as …

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