Trinitarian heresy
"Three Heads", or semi-Arianism a 4th-century
Trinitarian heresy off the Christian Faith. Though it modified
the extreme position of Arianism, it
still fell short of the church's orthodox teaching that Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit are of the same substance.
Arius held that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three separate
essences (ousiai) or substances (hypostaseis) and that the Son and
Spirit derived their divinity from the Father, were created in time,
and were inferior to the Godhead. Semi-Arians, however, admitted
that the Son was "like" (homoiousios) the Father but not
of one substance (homoousios) with him. This doctrinal controversy,
revolving around two words distinguished by a single iota (i), gave
rise to the popular expression, "It makes not one iota
of difference."
To Orthodox Christians, however,
the iota was of great importance. Both Arianism and semi-Arianism
were condemned at the Council of Nicaea
(325).
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