On the run for Truth

Mini-Biography Part 2

Athanasius

Athanasius. That name just sounds tenacious, and that is exactly what this man of God was. He was a straight up soldier. Perserverance marked this man's character, from start to finish. He was the poster boy for Jude 1:3, consistently contending for the faith. As I read about this truth-teller, I felt like I was entranced into an action-packed blockbuster suspense. He did not have anything easy, and most of his life felt like a "fourth and goal" with only seconds left in the game. If it was not for Athanasius, orthodoxy would simply not be. When the majority of the Christian world held an unbiblical view of Jesus, Athanasius put on his shoulder pads and took it to the heretics one blow at a time.

Born around 297 AD, Athanasius studied religion and philosophy and built his resume through apologetics. And by the age of 28 he was leading the debate at the council of Nicaea. For promulgating his Biblical doctrine of Jesus, and refusing to be silent on false gods, he was exiled a number of times. Six times in fact. Once the threat was so strong that he had to be protected by a small band of monks in the desert in order for him to continue writing instead of running. Today his writings are still "go-to" texts for defending the divinity of Jesus.

After the threats died down, Athanasius was free to pursue his calling as a pastor. He continued in the work of explaining the truth of the Scriptures and building the Church. A testimony to the effect of standing for the truth as he seemed to at times single-handedly shut down the work of false teachers.

Someone needs to make an action figure of this guy.

-G

Excerpt from "On the Incarnation"

You know what happens when a portrait that has been painted on a panel becomes obliterated through external stains. The artist does not throw away the panel, but the subject of the portrait has to come and sit for it again, and then the likeness is re-drawn on the same material. Even so was it with the All-holy Son of God. He, the Image of the Father, came and dwelt in our midst, in order that He might renew mankind made after Himself, and seek out His lost sheep, even as He says in the Gospel: "I came to seek and to save that which was lost. This also explains His saying to the Jews: "Except a man be born anew . . ." He was not referring to a man's natural birth from his mother, as they thought, but to the re-birth and re-creation of the soul in the Image of God.