Did Arius really believe Christ was created?

There is a popular belief amongst the Trinitarian churches of the world today, which states that Arius, a 3rd-4th century bishop, who opposed the teaching of the Trinity, believed that Christ was a created being. And those of us who oppose the Trinity teaching today are commonly labelled as "Arians". And we are accused also of believing that Christ was a created being. But did Arius really believe that Christ was created? Much of Arius' writings were destroyed by order of Constantine the Great and 4th century bishops, but thankfully, we still have historical writings from early historians to help us with this.


📚 Early historians show that Arius did NOT believe Christ was created

Philippus van Limborch, a Dutch 17th Century theologian, wrote The History of the Inquisition. And drawing upon the historical writings of 5th century historians, such as Socrates Scholasticus, Sozomen and Theodoret of Cyrus, Limborch shows that Arius did NOT believe that Christ was a created being, but rather the BEGOTTEN Son of God the Father. Limborch quotes the following in His book The History of the Inquisition:

"The Occasion of the Arian Controversy was this. Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria speaking in a very warm Manner concerning the Trinity before the Presbyters and Clergy of his Church, affirmed there was an Unity in the Trinity and particularly that the Son was Co-eternal and Consubstantial, and of the same Dignity with the Father. Arius, one of his Presbyters, thought that the Bishop, by this Doctrine, was introducing the Sabellian Heresy, and therefore opposed him, arguing in this manner : "a - If the Father BEGOT the Son, HE WHO WAS BEGOTTEN MUST HAVE A BEGINNING OF HIS EXISTENCE; and from hence, say he, 'tis manifest, that there was a Time when he was not." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.22)


👑 Arius taught Christ was BEGOTTEN, not created

"Arius asserted, 'The Son hath a beginning, and is from none of the Things that do exist', not meaning that he was not from Everlasting, before ever the Creation had a Being, OR THAT HE WAS CREATED LIKE OTHER BEINGS ABSOLUTELY OUT OF NOTHING, or that like the rest of the Creation he was mutable in his Nature. ARIUS EXPRESSLY DECLARES THE CONTRARY in his Letter to Eusebius..." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.24)

Arius said:

"This is what we have and do profess, THAT THE SON IS NOT UNBEGOTTEN ... but that by the Will and Council of the Father he existed before all Times and Ages, perfect God, THE ONLY BEGOTTEN and unchangeable..."

Limborch explains that Arius believed the Son was from the Father as the source and fountain of His being and deity, not a created being like the rest of creation.


⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTE

When Arius said things like Christ is "not in any manner part of the unbegotten God", what he simply meant was that Christ was a completely separate being from God the Father. And this was part of the twisting that the other bishops did concerning Arius' writings. They took some words Arius spoke and wrote and misconstrued them into meaning something else.


🌀 Arius’ beliefs were misrepresented

"And yet notwithstanding all these Things, when Alexander gives an Account of the Principles of Arius to the Bishops... he charges him [Arius] with holding, THAT THE SON WAS MADE LIKE EVERY OTHER CREATURE ABSOLUTELY OUT OF NOTHING ... WHICH ARIUS PLAINLY APPEARS NOT TO HAVE MAINTAINED OR TAUGHT." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.25)

So according to the historical evidence, Arius was falsely accused of believing Christ was created out of nothing like ordinary creatures.


⚔️ The controversy centered around the Trinity

"Arius... charges Pope Alexander with violently persecuting and oppressing him upon account of what he called the Truth... FOR NOT AGREEING WITH HIM IN HIS SENTIMENTS ABOUT THE TRINITY." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.31)


🕊️ Arius believed Christ existed before all ages

"The Arian Controversy... was, if I may be allowed to speak it without Offence, in the Beginning only, about words ... Arius, as hath been shown, expressly allowed the Son to be 'before all Times and Ages ... perfect God, unchangeable', and BEGOTTEN AFTER THE MOST PERFECT LIKENESS OF THE UNBEGOTTEN FATHER." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.95)


📜 Sozomen confirms Arius’ beliefs

Sozomen himself quotes Arius confirming the following:

"WE BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, AND IN HIS SON the Lord Jesus Christ, WHO WAS BEGOTTEN FROM HIM BEFORE ALL AGES, God the Word, by whom all things were made..." (The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen, p.94)

This directly shows that Arius believed Christ was begotten before all ages, not created out of nothing.


🔥 Constantine ordered Arius’ writings destroyed

It seems that the main point of contention was in Arius' belief that the Son of God at some point in time HAD A BEGINNING, which is clearly what the Bible teaches and is completely logical, if Christ is the actual BEGOTTEN Son of God the Father. But this went fully against the trinity god doctrine the bishops were pushing, which came out of the First Council of Nicaea. And so the bishops had Arius' writings burned and misconstrued his beliefs.

"And with respect to the Arians, he [Constantine] banished Arius himself, ordered all his Followers, as absolute Enemies of Christ... ordained that the Books written by them should be burnt..." (Limborch, The History of the Inquisition, p.30)

The quote continues by explaining that the Scriptures were no longer treated as the supreme standard, but church authority became dominant.


📖 B.G. Wilkinson confirms the false charge

In his book Truth Triumphant, Benjamin George Wilkinson confirmed that the erroneous charge of Arianism is laid upon all who reject the Trinity doctrine:

"Then the papal party proceeded to call those who would not subscribe to this teaching [the trinity], Arians... AN ERRONEOUS CHARGE WAS CIRCULATED THAT ALL WHO WERE CALLED ARIANS BELIEVED THAT CHRIST WAS A CREATED BEING."


⚠️ The controversy still continues today

And so the controversy still rages today! The false charge laid against non-Trinitarians continues. The world labels such believers as "Arians", while many remain unaware of what Arius himself actually taught, due largely to centuries of historical bias and theological controversy.

According to the historical evidence presented above, Arius did not teach that Christ was a created being like the angels or the rest of creation. Rather, he taught that Christ was the true begotten Son of God, existing before all ages, derived from the Father, and distinct from created beings.

And so the debate over the nature of God and His Son continues even to this day.