How Do You Spell FIRST COUNCIL OF EPHESUS?

Pronunciation: [fˈɜːst kˈa͡ʊnsə͡l ɒv ˈɛfɛsəs] (IPA)

The First Council of Ephesus was an important theological council held in the ancient city of Ephesus in 431 AD. The spelling of this phrase can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription. The first word, "first," is pronounced /fɜrst/, with a short "i" sound and an "r" sound. "Council" is pronounced /kaʊnsəl/, with a long "o" sound and a "k" sound at the beginning. "Ephesus" is pronounced /ˈɛfəsəs/, with a soft "e" sound and a "z" sound at the end. Overall, the phrase is pronounced as "furst koun-suhl əv eh-fuh-suhs."

Meaning and Definition
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FIRST COUNCIL OF EPHESUS Meaning and Definition

  1. The First Council of Ephesus was an ecumenical council held in 431 AD in the city of Ephesus, located in present-day Turkey. It was convened by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II to address the theological controversy surrounding the teachings of Nestorius, the Archbishop of Constantinople.

    This council aimed to resolve the Nestorian controversy, which pertained to the nature and identity of Jesus Christ. Nestorius propagated the idea that there were two separate persons in Jesus - one divine and one human - and thus denied the idea of the Virgin Mary as "Theotokos" (God-bearer or Mother of God). This belief contradicted the teachings of the Catholic Church, which upheld that Christ was both fully divine and fully human, and that Mary should be recognized as the Mother of God.

    During the council, under the leadership of Cyril of Alexandria, Nestorius was condemned as a heretic and his teachings were officially rejected. The council affirmed the orthodox belief in the unity of person in Jesus Christ and declared that Mary should be officially recognized as the Theotokos.

    The First Council of Ephesus played a significant role in the formation and development of Christian doctrine. Its decisions were influential in establishing the notion of the hypostatic union, which confirmed that Jesus had two distinct natures - divine and human - united in one person. This council, therefore, solidified important Christian beliefs and laid the foundation for subsequent ecumenical councils in defining and preserving orthodoxy.