Arius: "Jesus isn't God."

318 bishops. 3 months of debate. 1 question that would shape Christianity forever: Is Jesus fully God—or just the greatest being God ever made?

In 325 AD, a charismatic pastor named Arius was making waves across the Roman Empire. He wrote catchy songs, drew massive crowds, and had a simple argument: if Jesus is the Son of God, he must have had a beginning. It was logical. It sounded Biblical. It was wildly popular. And it was heresy.

This message takes you inside the Council of Nicaea—the church fathers who showed up bearing scars from persecution, the biblical case both sides made, the slap heard round the church (courtesy of St. Nicholas), and an ending you won't see coming.

But more than history, we wrestle with a question that still matters more than you might know: What kind of Father is God?

Part of our Christmas series: How Heresies Saved Christmas—where ancient half-truths help us see the real story more clearly.

Download this week's group discussion guide.

CHAPTERS

 00:00 Alexander of Alexandria: What Kind of Father Is God?
 02:22 “Homousia?!” – Too Brilliant to Understand
 05:46 Arius: The Tall, Rock Star Pastor and His Viral Song
 08:23 Nothing Clarifies the Truth Like a Half-Truth
 09:40 “Father of Mine”: When Dad Walks Away
 13:15 Why This Ancient Debate Still Shapes Your Life
 18:46 Constantine, Persecution, and the Council of Nicaea
 23:08 Round One – “The Father Is Greater Than I”
 26:15 Round Two – “Firstborn of All Creation”
 28:05 Round Three – “Only Begotten Son” and God Begets God
 30:38 St. Nicholas Slaps a Heretic
 33:51 The Creed: Eternally Begotten, of One Being
 35:59 Arius Dies of Diarrhea & the Song Still Echoes in Istanbul
 38:40 Look at the Son to Know the Father