Orthodox Church Listing of Synods and CouncilsGeneral InformationCouncil at Jerusalem (not counted in the Councils) 48-51 AD About Judaisers. Saints James, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas were involved. Described in the Acts of the Apostles [15:6-29]. Led by Saint James ("the brother of the Lord"), bishop of Jerusalem. Determined that Gentile converts did not have to embrace Judaism to be Christians.Council at Carthage local Council, 251 AD About the lapsed. Novatianism was defended by Navatius, condemned by Saint Cyprian. Set requirements for readmission to Church of those who had lapsed during persecutions. Declared baptisms by heretics were worthless (no "baptisms" outside the Church). Required baptism for entry into the Church by those "baptised" by heretics (outside the Church). Forbade re-baptism of those who had received Church baptism, then fallen into heresy who sought readmission. 252 AD. Reduced requirements for readmission of lapsed who showed serious penance. Repeated decisions regarding baptism of previous year. 255 AD. Repeated decisions regarding baptism of 251 and 252. Determined that clerics falling into heresy should be received back into the Church as laymen. 256 AD. Rejected decisions by Pope Stephen regarding "baptism" outside the Church. Re-affirmed previous decisions regarding baptism. 256 AD. Repeated decisions made earlier in year, rejecting Pope Stephen's teaching. Declared there were no sacraments outside the Church. Text Font Face.Text Size.BackgroundColor.(for printing)BELIEVEReligiousInformationSourceweb-siteBELIEVE Religious Information Source - By Alphabet Our List of 2,300 Religious SubjectsE-mailCouncil at Elvira local Council, never accepted by Orthodox 300-306 AD Imposed celibacy on clergy. Established canon forbidding converts from heresy to ever become clergy. Council at Ancyra local Council, 314 AD About the lapsed. First synod following the end of persecutions. Condemned as liars, those who publicly proclaimed adherence to the national religion (paganism) in order to receive an official document that allowed them to avoid persecution. Established punishments for these lapsed. Also established punishments for various types of sexual immorality. Council at Neo-Caesaria local Council, c. 315 AD Established punishments for various types of sexual immorality. Established qualifications for clergy.First Council at Nicaea - First Ecumenical (Imperial) Council, 325 AD Convened regarding Arianism, Paulianism, defended by Arius, condemned by Saint Athanasius. Condemned the teaching of Arius who claimed the Lord Jesus Christ was created by God, denying His divinity. Virtually all those assembled were horrified upon hearing Arius' teaching, but debate arose over terminology. Despite resistance because it was an unbiblical word, the Fathers embraced the philosophical term homoousios ('of the same essence') as the only term the Arians were unable to distort into compatibility with their heresy. Established Symbol of Faith (Nicene Creed). Determined formula for determining Pascha (Easter). Condemned mandatory celibacy for all ranks of clergy. Established regulations on moral issues and church discipline. Required Paulianists to be baptised upon entry to Church, even if baptised by Paulianists. Determined prayers on Sundays should be offered standing. Nicene Creed I believe in one God. The Father Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end. Synod at Gangra local Council, 340 AD The synod of Gangra dealt with a local sectarian group. The group condemned marriage altogether (rather like the Cathari, several centuries later). They also condemned eating meat, refused to be obedient to lawful authorities (considered their own authority the only thing to be obeyed), they encouraged women to dress as men (clothes and haircuts), they encouraged parents to abandon their children (to go live the 'pure' life) and children to abandon their parents (for the same reason). It was this group that the synod condemned. The other notable thing the synod did was to condemn fasting on Sundays (which became a major issue later). Council at Antioch local Council, 341 AD Reinforced Nicaea I's ruling on Pascha. Established regulations regarding clergy, the organisation of the local churches, church discipline, and use of canonical letters (used by travelling Christians as proof of being Christians in good standing). Council at Sardica 347 AD Established canons concerning church order and discipline. Reaffirmed the Symbol of Faith from Nicaea I. Council at Laodicaea local Council, 364 AD Established canons concerning church order and discipline. First Ecumenical Council at Constantinople - Second Ecumenical (Imperial) Council, 381 AD Convened regarding Macedonianism, Apollinarians, Eunomians, Eudoxians, Sabellians, Marcellians, Photinians. Macedonius defended the issues, and Saint Gregory the Theologian (aka St Gregory of Nazianzus) and Saint Gregory of Nyssa were champions of Orthodoxy. Condemned Arianism. Condemned Macedonianism which denied divinity of the Holy Spirit. Defined the Holy Trinity as one God in Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each fully God of the same essence. Expanded Symbol of Faith from Nicaea I into what is now commonly labelled 'Nicene Creed' but is more properly known as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. As expanded, this Symbol of Faith has remained the basic proclamation of the Christian Faith. Condemned Apollinarianism which taught the Lord Jesus Christ possessed the divine Logos in place of a human mind and was therefore fully divine, but not fully human. Condemned Eunomians (an extreme form of Arianism), the Eudoxians (semi-Arians), the Sabellians (who taught the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were three modes of manifestation of the one God, denying the distinction of Three Persons), the Marcellians (who taught the Logos was an impersonal divine power that issued from God and entered into a relationship with Jesus to make him the Son of God), and the Photinians (who taught that Jesus was a mere man upon whom the Logos rested). Ranked relative importance of the five patriarchates with Old Rome first and New Rome (Constantinople) second. Established regulations for church discipline, including standing during prayer on Sundays and the days of Pentecost. Established manner in which heretics were to be received into the Church.