Who Was Athanasius? Why the Deity of Christ Matters for Salvation
- Oct 2, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 27
In the fourth century, a theological crisis threatened to redefine Christianity itself. At stake was a single question: Is Jesus Christ truly God? One man stood firmly in defense of the answer the church had always confessed from Scripture. His name was Athanasius.
Who was Athanasius, and why did he endure exile, slander, and danger to defend the deity of Christ? More importantly, why does his stand still matter today? The answer reaches to the very heart of the gospel. If Jesus is not fully God, then He cannot fully save. The book of Hebrews shows why that truth is not optional — it is essential.
Who was Athanasius?
Athanasius (AD 297–373) was the bishop of Alexandria and one of the most influential defenders of early Christian orthodoxy. He lived during a time of intense theological controversy within the church, particularly over the identity of Jesus Christ.
He is best known for opposing Arianism, the teaching associated with Arius, who claimed that the Son of God was created and therefore not equal with the Father. Athanasius insisted that this teaching contradicted Scripture and undermined salvation itself.
Over the course of his life, Athanasius was exiled five times under four different Roman emperors. Despite political pressure and widespread opposition, he remained steadfast in defending what would later be articulated in the Nicene Creed — that the Son is fully and eternally God.
Athanasius and the battle for Christ’s deity
In AD 325, Athanasius attended the Council of Nicaea as a young man, serving as secretary to his bishop, Alexander. The council did not gather to invent new doctrine but to clarify what the church already believed from Scripture. The controversy centered on whether Jesus Christ was of the same divine nature as the Father.
Arius taught that the Son was exalted but created — a being brought into existence by the Father. Athanasius recognized the danger immediately. If Christ were a creature, no matter how exalted, He could not reveal God fully and could not save sinners completely.
The Council of Nicaea affirmed that the Son is “of one substance” with the Father — fully divine. This confession would later be preserved in the Nicene Creed. But the controversy did not end there. Political pressures shifted, emperors changed sides, and Athanasius spent years in exile for refusing to compromise.
His life became a living embodiment of the phrase later associated with him: Athanasius contra mundum — Athanasius against the world.
For reliable historical background on Athanasius and his role in the early church, see:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Saint Athanasius”
Christian History Institute, “Athanasius Defines the New Testament”
Athanasius, 39th Festal Letter (English translation)
Why Hebrews matters
The book of Hebrews provides the biblical foundation for Athanasius’s conviction. Hebrews 1 declares that the Son is:
The heir of all things
The one through whom God made the worlds
The brightness of God’s glory
The exact representation of His being
The sustainer of all things by the word of His power
These statements leave no room for a lesser Christ. To create all things requires divine power. To uphold all things requires divine authority. To perfectly reveal God requires equality with God.
If Hebrews is true, then Christ cannot be a creature. He must be fully God.
Only God can save
The controversy with Arius ultimately came down to this: Who can save?
Athanasius argued that salvation belongs to God alone. A creature cannot forgive sin. A creature cannot absorb divine judgment. A creature cannot reconcile humanity to a holy God.
Hebrews reinforces this truth when it speaks of Christ’s work at Calvary:
And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:11-12)
The priests stand because their work is unfinished. Christ sits because His work is complete.
If Christ were merely a created being, His sacrifice would be limited. But because He is God the Son, His offering is infinitely sufficient.
The Son who stood alone
Hebrews tells us that Christ purged our sins by Himself. No one helped Him. He stood alone.
Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Jesus gave Himself willingly to rescue us from what we could not escape.
At Calvary, two criminals were crucified alongside Him. They bore their own guilt. But the man on the middle cross had no sins of His own. He was bearing the sins of others. He went alone into the judgment of God, suffering wrath that no human being could ever endure.
Thousands have been crucified in history, but no one suffered what Christ suffered. Movies can show physical pain, but they cannot depict divine judgment. On the cross, the Lord Jesus became the object of God’s righteous wrath against sin. He absorbed it fully. When the work was finished, He sat down.
This is why Hebrews insists on the finality of His sacrifice:
For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)
Forgiveness that is free and forever
Because Christ stood alone at Calvary, God can now forgive sinners freely. Forgiveness is not earned. It is not deserved. It is given on the basis of what Christ has done.
Scripture says our sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. God forgives because of His Son. And when He forgives, He forgives forever. He removes sins as far as the east is from the west. He casts them into the depths of the sea. They will never be brought up again.
Athanasius defended this truth at immense personal cost because he knew what was at stake. If Christ is not God, forgiveness is impossible. If Christ is God, forgiveness is gloriously complete.
Near the end of his life, Athanasius summed up his faith with words that still ring true: “Jesus, that I know as my Redeemer, cannot be less than God.”
This article is adapted from a message preached on October 2nd, 2025. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.
Frequently asked questions about Athanasius
Why was Athanasius important?
Athanasius defended the full deity of Jesus Christ during the fourth-century Arian controversy. His stand helped preserve the biblical confession that Christ is truly God.
What did Arius teach?
Arius taught that the Son of God was created by the Father and therefore not eternal or equal with Him. This teaching became known as Arianism.
Did the Council of Nicaea invent the Trinity?
No. The council clarified and defended what Christians already believed from Scripture — that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are fully divine.
Why does the deity of Christ matter for salvation?
If Jesus is not fully God, His sacrifice would be limited and insufficient to save. Only God can bear divine judgment and reconcile sinners to Himself.
What is the Nicene Creed?
The Nicene Creed is an early Christian statement of faith that affirms the full deity of the Son and His equality with the Father.
