¹ The ambitious and greedy nature of wicked men always seeks to ensnare those churches that seem greater, attacking their religious devotion under various pretexts. Driven by the devil, who works through them, they are motivated by the desire for what they covet, and, casting aside all religious scruples, they disregard the fear of God’s judgment. In light of these matters, which I have personally experienced, I felt it necessary to inform you, so that you can be aware of such individuals and prevent them from entering your dioceses, whether directly or through others. These deceivers know how to use hypocrisy to carry out their fraud and send letters filled with lies, capable of misleading those who are committed to a simple and sincere faith. Arius and Achilles, having recently conspired together, have become even worse than Colluthus in their ambition. Colluthus, who criticizes these very men, at least had some pretext for his wrongful actions. However, Arius and Achilles, seeing Colluthus’s attacks on Christ, refused to remain under the authority of the Church. Instead, they established their own dens of thieves, where they hold constant meetings, spreading their slander against Christ and us. By questioning all pious and apostolic teachings, much like the Jews, they have created a platform to oppose Christ, denying the divinity of our Savior and claiming that He is merely equal to everyone else. Gathering all the passages that talk about His plan of salvation and His humility for our sake, they try to use these to support their impious teachings, completely ignoring the passages that describe His eternal divinity and indescribable glory with the Father. Since they endorse the impious views about Christ held by Jews and Greeks, they do everything they can to win their approval. They focus on all the things that those groups mock in us, and continually incite rebellions and persecutions against us. Now, they drag us before judges, involving silly and disorderly women whom they have misled. They bring shame and disgrace upon the Christian religion, with their young women shamelessly wandering through every village and street. Even worse, they have dared to tear apart Christ’s indivisible tunic, which His executioners refused to divide.

² Though we discovered their lifestyle and unholy attempts rather late due to their concealment, we have, with the unanimous consent of all, expelled them from the Church that worships Christ’s divinity. However, they are now running around trying to persuade our like-minded colleagues to side with them. They pretend to seek peace and unity, but in reality, they aim to win over some of them with persuasive words. They ask for lengthy letters from our colleagues so they can show these to those they’ve deceived, making them stubborn in their errors and persistent in their impiety, as if they have bishops supporting them. Moreover, they do not confess to others the wrongs they have taught and done among us, for which we expelled them. Instead, they either remain silent about these matters or cover them up with deceptive words and writings. By hiding their harmful teachings behind smooth and flattering speech, they mislead the simple-minded and those easily deceived, all the while defaming our piety to everyone. As a result, some people, after reading their letters, welcome them back into the Church. In my opinion, the greatest blame falls on the ministers who allow this, because not only does the apostolic rule forbid it, but this action also intensifies the devil’s work against Christ through these men. Therefore, beloved brethren, I have quickly acted to expose the deceitfulness of these men who claim that there was a time when the Son of God did not exist, and that He came into existence later, becoming such when He was finally created, just as every human is born. They say that God made all things from nothing, including the Son of God, as part of the creation of all rational and irrational beings. They further claim that He has a mutable nature, capable of both virtue and vice. By assuming that He comes from nothing, they undermine the sacred writings that speak of His eternity, which affirm the unchangeability and divinity of Wisdom and the Word, who is Christ.

³ These wicked men claim that they, too, can be sons of God just like Jesus. For it is written, “I have nourished and brought up children”. However, when it is pointed out that they have rebelled against God—something that does not apply to the Savior, who is unchangeable—they dismiss all religious reverence. They argue that God, knowing and foreseeing that His Son would not rebel against Him, chose Him from among all others. According to them, God did not choose Him because He had a special nature beyond His other sons, for they claim that no one is naturally a son of God. They argue that God did not choose Him for any unique qualities of His own but because He had a mutable nature and lived a careful, virtuous life that never turned to evil. They say that if Paul and Peter had strived in the same way, there would be no difference between their sonship and His. To support this misguided doctrine, they manipulate Holy Scripture, citing the Psalm about Christ: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows.”

⁴ But to assert that the Son of God was not created from nothing, and that there was never a time when He did not exist, is clearly demonstrated by the evangelist John. He writes of Him in this manner: “The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father”. By this, the divine teacher intended to illustrate the inseparable connection between the Father and the Son, describing Him as being in intimate unity with the Father. Furthermore, John affirms that the Word of God is not among the created things from nothing when he states, “All things were made by Him”. He delineates His distinct personality, declaring, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made”. If everything was created by Him, how is it possible that the One who gave existence to all things once did not exist Himself? The Word, who is the creator, cannot be equated with the created things, for He existed in the beginning and all things were created by Him, formed from nothing. Furthermore, the existence of the Word appears to be contrary to and distant from those things that were made from nothing. This clearly shows that there is no separation between the Father and the Son, as the mind cannot even conceive of any distance between them. The fact that the world was created from nothing implies a more recent and subsequent origin of substance, as the universe derives its essence from the Father through the Son. Therefore, when the devout John contemplated the essence of the divine Word, which exists beyond all comprehension of created beings, he chose not to speak of His generation or creation. He hesitated to describe the Creator using the same terms as the things that are made. This is not because the Word is uncreated—only the Father is uncreated—but because the incomprehensible existence of the only-begotten Son surpasses the understanding of the evangelists and perhaps even that of angels.

⁵ Therefore, I don’t believe someone can be considered truly devout if they try to investigate matters beyond these limits, ignoring the admonition: “Do not seek out things that are too difficult for you, nor search for things that are beyond your reach”. If knowledge of many other things, much less significant than these, is beyond human understanding—as Paul the Apostle says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”—then why should one attempt to explore matters beyond their grasp? Just as God told Abraham that he couldn’t count the stars, and as it is said, “Who can count the sand of the sea, and the drops of rain?” How can anyone thoroughly investigate the nature of the divine Word without being consumed by madness? As the Spirit of prophecy asks, “Who can describe his generation?”. Even our Savior Himself, who sustains the foundations of the world, refrained from burdening them with knowledge of these matters. He stated that understanding this was beyond their capacity and that only the Father possessed knowledge of this most divine mystery. “No one knows the Son except the Father,” He said, “and no one knows the Father except the Son”. I believe the Father also alluded to this when He said, “My secrets belong to Me and to My Son alone.”

⁶ It’s utterly absurd to suggest that the Son was created from nothing and existed in a particular time. The phrase “from things which are not” itself reveals the absurdity, although these foolish individuals fail to grasp the absurdity of their own words. The phrase “was not” implies either a specific moment in time or a certain period of existence. However, if it is true that all things were created by Him, then it logically follows that every period of time, every moment, and every space, including those where the state of non-existence exists, were also created by Him. Isn’t it ridiculous to claim that He, who created time, ages, and seasons, including those where non-existence exists, was Himself nonexistent at some point? Such a claim lacks all sense and demonstrates a profound ignorance. To assert that He, who is the cause of everything, came into being after the beginning of anything is nonsensical. According to their belief, the period of time before the Son was created by the Father preceded the wisdom of God that created all things. They claim that Scripture is inaccurate when it calls Him the Firstborn of all creation. This is contradicted by the majestic words of Paul, who speaks of Him as the one appointed heir of all things and through whom all things were made. Paul asserts that all things in heaven and on earth, whether visible or invisible, including thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers, were created by Him and for Him. He affirms that He existed before all things.

⁷ Therefore, since the idea of creation from nothing is highly irreverent, it must be affirmed that the Father is always the Father. He maintains His identity as the Father because the Son is always with Him, giving Him the title of Father. Consequently, as the Son is always with Him, the Father remains eternally perfect, lacking nothing in goodness. The Father, without being bound by time or preceded by anything, did not create His only-begotten Son from nothing. How, then, can it not be considered irreverent to suggest that the wisdom of God, which declares, “I was with Him, forming all things; I was His delight,” or that the power of God, or His Word, ever lacked existence? How can it be proposed that anything was ever missing, given that the Son reveals the Father and expresses His entirety? Denying the existence of the brightness of the glory also denies the original light from which it emanates. If the image of God did not always exist, then it follows that He Himself did not always exist, since the image reflects its source. Likewise, to claim that the essence of God did not exist implies the non-existence of the One perfectly represented by it. This demonstrates that the Sonship of our Savior is entirely distinct from the sonship of others. Just as His incomprehensible existence surpasses all other created things, so too does His Sonship, which is inherent to the nature of the Father’s divinity, far exceed the sonship of those who are adopted by Him. Indeed, He possesses an unchanging nature, perfect in every way, lacking nothing. However, these individuals, being subject to change in various ways, require His assistance. Can the wisdom of God progress? Can the truth, the Word of God, increase? In what way can life and the true light be improved? If this is true, how much more unnatural is it for wisdom to be capable of folly, for the power of God to be associated with weakness, for reason to be clouded by irrationality, or for darkness to be mixed with true light? As the apostle remarks, “What fellowship can light have with darkness? And what harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” Solomon remarks that it’s impossible for a man to fully understand the ways of a serpent on a rock, which Paul interprets as referring to Christ. However, both men and angels, as His creations, have been blessed by Him to grow and develop, striving to live virtuously and follow the commandments to avoid sin. Therefore, our Lord, being naturally the Son of the Father, is worshiped by all. As for these individuals, setting aside the spirit of fear, when they exhibit courage and advance in their spiritual journey, they receive the spirit of adoption from Him who is the Son by nature. Thus, they are adopted as sons through His blessing.

⁸ St. Paul clearly articulates the unique and intrinsic Sonship of Christ when he speaks of God not sparing His own Son but delivering Him up for us who were not His natural sons. This distinction highlights that Christ is His own Son, setting Him apart from those who are not genuinely His offspring. Likewise, in the Gospel, we hear the declaration, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Additionally, in the Psalms, the Savior affirms, “The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are my Son,’” indicating His true and authentic Sonship, with no other genuine sons beside Him. Furthermore, what does it mean when He says, “From the womb before the morning I begot you”? Doesn’t this plainly indicate the natural fatherhood, which He acquired not through the deliberate cultivation of His character or the increase in virtue, but by His inherent nature? Therefore, while the only-begotten Son of the Father possesses an unchangeable Sonship, the adoption of human sons is not inherent to their nature but is granted to them through the integrity of their lives and as a free gift from God. This adoption is mutable, as recognized in Scripture: “When the sons of God saw the daughters of men, they took them as wives”. Also, as God speaks through the prophet Isaiah: “I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me.”

⁹ And although I could elaborate further, beloved brethren, I deliberately refrain from doing so, considering it burdensome to extensively remind fellow teachers who share my beliefs. For you yourselves are taught by God, and you are well aware that this doctrine, which has recently emerged against the Church’s piety, is akin to that of Ebion and Artemas. It is nothing but a replication of the teachings of Paul of Samosata, the bishop of Antioch, who was unanimously expelled from the Church by the judgment and counsel of all bishops everywhere. Following him, Lucian remained separate from the communion of three bishops for many years. Now, those who propagate the notion of creation from nothing—Arius, Achilles, and their followers—have emerged among us, having fully embraced the impious teachings. Furthermore, three bishops in Syria, who were consecrated partly due to their alignment with these ideas, encourage them toward even more extreme positions. However, the judgment regarding these matters should be reserved for your discernment. These individuals selectively recall the words related to Christ’s suffering, humiliation, examination, and what they term His poverty— all aspects of His earthly existence endured for our sake— to argue against His divine and eternal nature. Yet they conveniently forget the words that signify His inherent glory, nobility, and eternal coexistence with the Father. Take, for instance, the statement: “I and My Father are one”, which the Lord Himself uttered not to claim identity with the Father or to suggest a merger of two distinct persons, but to affirm that the Son perfectly embodies the likeness of the Father. By nature, the Son reflects the Father’s likeness in every aspect, being the exact image of the Father without discrepancy and the perfect representation of the original pattern. This was abundantly demonstrated when the Lord responded to Philip’s desire to see the Father. When Philip requested, “Show us the Father”, Jesus responded, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father,” for the Father was revealed through the flawless and living reflection of the divine image. This sentiment aligns with what the saints declare in the Psalms: “In Your light, we see light.” Therefore, honoring the Son is synonymous with honoring the Father, as any disrespectful words uttered against the Son inherently reflect on the Father.

¹⁰ But, beloved brethren, what is surprising about what I’m about to say if I expose the false accusations against me and our devout community? Those who oppose the divinity of Christ don’t hesitate to spew their ungrateful tirades against us. They refuse to acknowledge the wisdom of the ancients or allow any of our longtime mentors to be equated with them. Moreover, they don’t believe that any of our current colleagues possesses even a modest degree of wisdom. They boast of themselves as the only ones who are wise and detached from worldly possessions, claiming to be the exclusive discoverers of doctrines. They insist that only they have been granted revelations that have never crossed anyone else’s mind before. Such impious arrogance! Oh, the immense folly! Oh, the vanity suited for the deluded! Oh, the pride of Satan deeply ingrained in their impure souls. They feel no shame in disregarding the religious clarity of ancient Scriptures, nor does the unified belief of our peers concerning Christ deter their audacity against Him. Even the demons cannot tolerate their impiety, as they are always vigilant for any blasphemous word spoken against the Son.

¹¹ And let’s now confront those who, without any understanding, have shamelessly attacked Christ and attempted to slander our devotion to Him. These fabricators of absurd tales claim that we, who rightfully reject the blasphemous and unscriptural notion of Christ coming from nothing, assert the existence of two unbegotten beings. They ignorantly claim that there are only two possible options: either Christ is from nothing, or there are two unbegotten beings. However, these individuals fail to grasp the vast difference between the unbegotten Father and everything else, both rational and irrational, created by Him out of nothing. In between these two categories stands the unique nature of the only begotten Son of God, the Word through whom the Father created all things. As the Lord Himself affirmed, “Everyone who loves the Father loves also the one who is begotten of Him.”

¹² We believe in Him as the Apostolic Church does: in one Father, unbegotten, who has no cause for His existence, unchangeable and immutable, always the same, without increase or decrease. He gave us the Law, the prophets, and the Gospels; He is the Lord of the patriarchs, the apostles, and all the saints. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was not begotten from nothing, but from the Father Himself, not in a physical manner as Sabellius and Valentinus suggested, but in an incomprehensible and indescribable manner, as the prophet asked: “Who can explain His origin?” The nature of His existence is beyond the understanding of any created being, just as no one can fully comprehend the Father. This is because the nature of rational beings cannot grasp the divine generation of the Father. However, those who are guided by the Spirit of truth do not need me to teach them these things. We hear the words spoken by Christ Himself on this matter: “No one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father.” We have learned that He is equally unchangeable and immutable with the Father, lacking nothing, the perfect Son, and resembling the Father. The only difference is that He is not unbegotten like the Father. He is the precise image of the Father, identical in every aspect. He fully embodies all that depicts the greatest similarity, as the Lord Himself instructed us when He said, “My Father is greater than I.” According to this, we believe that the Son is eternally from the Father, always existing. He is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His Father’s nature. However, let no one misunderstand the term “always” to suggest that He is unbegotten, as some with closed minds might imagine. The words “He was,” “always,” or “before all worlds” do not equate to being unbegotten. The human mind cannot find another term to convey the idea of being unbegotten. I believe you understand this, and I trust your intentions are right in all matters, as these words do not actually imply unbegottenness. They merely seem to suggest a passage of time, unable to adequately express the divinity and eternal nature of the only-begotten. Holy individuals have used these terms while attempting, within their limitations, to convey this mystery. They ask for understanding from their audience, acknowledging the limits of their language. However, if there are some expecting mortal words to exceed human comprehension, suggesting that partial knowledge will be done away with, it’s clear that expressions like “He was,” “always,” and “before all ages” fall short of their expectations. Whatever term we use, it doesn’t equate to unbegotten. Therefore, we must uphold the proper dignity of the unbegotten Father, acknowledging that no one caused His existence. However, we must also honor the Son appropriately, recognizing His eternal generation from the Father and offering Him worship. We should use words like “He was,” “always,” and “before all worlds” concerning Him in a pious and appropriate manner, without denying His divinity but affirming His perfect likeness to the Father, as the Image and Exemplar. We must affirm that only the Father possesses the attribute of being unbegotten, as even the Savior Himself acknowledged, saying, “My Father is greater than I.” Alongside this reverent understanding of the Father and the Son, we profess belief in one Holy Spirit, as revealed in the divine Scriptures, who has inspired the holy figures of the Old Testament and the divine teachers of the New Testament. Additionally, we confess our faith in one universal and apostolic Church, which remains indomitable despite any attempts by the world to oppose it. It triumphs over every heretical uprising that dares to challenge its authority. Our faith is further strengthened by His reassuring words: “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Following this, we firmly believe in the resurrection of the dead. Our Lord Jesus Christ was the first to rise, not symbolically but in actuality, having taken on a body from the Virgin Mary. He came to humanity at the end of the world to abolish sin, was crucified, and died. Yet, His divinity remained untouched by this, for He was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of majesty.

¹³ I’ve written these things in part in this letter, feeling it unnecessary to detail each point extensively, as I know you diligently pursue matters of faith. This is our teaching, our preaching. These are the doctrines of the Apostolic Church, for which we are willing to die. We consider those who would compel us to renounce them as insignificant, even if they use torture, and we do not abandon our hope in them. Arius, Achilles, and their associates, who oppose these truths, have been expelled from the Church as strangers to our holy doctrine. This aligns with the words of the esteemed Paul, who warned, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed; even though he feign himself an angel from heaven.” Likewise, if anyone teaches differently and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine that promotes godliness, he is arrogant, understanding nothing, and so on. Therefore, do not welcome or entertain the teachings of those who have been condemned by the community. These deceivers consistently speak falsehoods and will never tell the truth. They roam around cities, aiming solely to deceive a few foolish women, burdened with sins, by pretending to be friendly and peaceful. They use their hypocrisy and flattery to exchange letters, deceiving these women who have been led astray, and so forth.

¹⁴ So, those individuals who have dared such actions against Christ; who have openly mocked the Christian faith in some instances; who have sought to slander and accuse its followers in court; who, during times of peace, have instigated persecution against us to the best of their ability; who have undermined the sacred mystery of Christ’s birth—turn away from them, beloved and like-minded brethren, and stand with us against their reckless audacity. Just as our colleagues have done, expressing their outrage by sending us letters condemning these individuals, some of which I have forwarded to you through my son Apion the deacon. These letters come from various regions—some from all across Egypt and Thebaid, others from Libya and Pentapolis. Additionally, there are letters from Syria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Asia, Cappadocia, and the neighboring provinces. I hope to receive letters from you as well, following this example. While I have prepared many means to address the harm caused, this collective effort among our colleagues stands as a particular remedy to guide those who have been misled back to repentance. Greet one another, along with the brethren who are with you. Beloved, may you remain steadfast in the Lord, and may I benefit from your devotion to Christ.