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The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Universal Church
First Ecumenical Council - Nicea, Asia Minor, 325 A.D. - Formulated the First Part of the Creed. Defining the divinity of the Son of God.
Second Ecumenical Council - Constantinople, 381 A.D. - Formulated the Second Part of the Creed, defining the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
Third Ecumenical Council - Ephesus, Asia Minor, 431A.D. - Defined Christ as the Incarnate Word of God and Mary as Theotokos.
Fourth Ecumenical Council - Chalcedon, Asia Minor, 451A.D. - Defined Christ as Perfect God and Perfect Man in One Person.
Fifth Ecumenical Council - Constantinople II, 553 A.D. - Reconfirmed the Doctrines of the Trinity and Christ.
Sixth Ecumenical Council - Constantinople III, 680 A.D. - Affirmed the True Humanity of Jesus by insisting upon the reality of His Human will and action.
Qinisext Council (Trullo) - Constantinople, 692 A.D. - Completed the 5th and 6th Ecumenical Councils
Seventh Ecumenical Council - Nicea, Asia Minor, 787 A.D. - Affirmed the propriety of icons as genuine expressions of the Christian Faith.
The Councils Preceding Nicea Councils
Timeline of events preceding the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea
30 - 33 AD
- Ministry of Christ - Death on the Cross - Christ's Resurrection after three days on the Cross - Ascension, forty days after the Resurrection - Pentecost, fifty days after the Resurrection
33 or 34 AD
- The First Convention : The Apostles meets to discuss who should take the place of Judas. Mathias was selected. Acts chapter 1.
Councils between 34 - 56 AD
- The Second Convention : The Apostles meet to discuss believers who would sell their possession s and give the moneys to the Apostles for the ministries. (Acts 4:31-37)
- The Third Convention : The Apostles meet to discuss which deacons should be selected to serve at the table. (Acts 6:2)
- The Fourth Convention : The Apostles meet after Peter had baptized the heathen Cornelius and his family. (Acts 11:2-3)
- The Fifth Convention : This is considered to be the first general council of the Church. Acts 15 explains that the Apostles met to discuss the matter as to what extent gentile converts should be subject to the law of Moses (i.e., circumcision,). The apostles and the elders of the Church met and decided after much prayer and debate that these are the necessary things for gentiles : "that [they] abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from the blood of what is strangled and from unchastity." (Acts 15:29)
56 or 58 AD
- The sixth convention met "when all of the elders were present." (Acts 21:18)
The 85 Canons of the Apostles
These first canons of the Church focus upon the maintenance of the worshipping community. Specifically, they provide detail as to the way clergy and laity are to conduct themselves and what books of the faith they ought to read. The Canons of the Apostles are confirmed by c.II of the 6th Ecumenical Council and c.I of the 7th Ecumenical Council.
Canon I - A Bishop must be ordained by two or three other Bishops.
Canon IX - All those faithful who enter and listen to the Scriptures, but do not stay for prayer and Holy Communion must be excommunicated, on the ground that they are causing the Church a breach of order.
Canon XXXIX - Let Presbyters and Deacons do nothing without the consent of the Bishop. For he is the one entrusted with the Lord's people, and it is from him that an accounting will be demanded with respect to their souls.
Canon XLIX - If any Bishop or Presbyter baptizes anyone not into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Lord's ordinance, but into three beginningless beings or into three sons or into three comforters, let him be deposed.
Canon L - If any Bishop or Presbyter does not perform three immersions (literally, "three baptisms") in making one baptism (literally, "one initiation"), but only a single immersion (literally, "a single baptism"), that given into the death of the Lord, let him be deposed from office. For the Lord did not say, "Baptize me into my death," but, "Go ye and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)