Woven into our reading, we will highlight historic figures which are key to understanding how the Word of God and doctrines of the Church were established. The early church Father Athanasius was instrumental in establishing the Doctrine of the Trinity. He was also the first to recognize the canon of the 27 books of the New Testament.
“According to Athanasius, an early church Father, the life and works of our LORD Jesus Christ puts to shame all magicians, sorcerers and tyrants.
“What mere man or magician or tyrant or king was ever able by himself to do so much? Did anyone ever fight against the whole system of idol-worship and the whole host of daemons and all magic and all the wisdom of the Greeks, at a time when all of these were strong and flourishing and taking everybody in, as did our Lord, the very Word of God?
Yet He is even now invisibly exposing every man’s error, and singlehandedly is carrying off all men from them all, so that those who used to worship idols now tread them under foot, reputed magicians burn their books and the wise prefer to all studies the interpretation of the gospels.
They are deserting those whom formerly they worshipped, they worship and confess as Christ and God Him Whom they used to ridicule as crucified. Their so-called gods are routed by the sign of the cross, and the crucified Saviour is proclaimed in all the world as God and Son of God.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasius_of_AlexandriaAccording to Wikipedia-
Athanasius was a Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century.
“Athanasius of Alexandria, also called Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor or, primarily in the Coptic Orthodox Church, Athanasius the Apostolic, was the 20th bishop of Alexandria. His intermittent episcopacy spanned 45 years, of which over 17 encompassed five exiles, when he was replaced on the order of four different Roman emperors. Athanasius was a Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century. Conflict with Arius and Arianism as well as successive Roman emperors shaped Athanasius’ career. In 325, at the age of 27, Athanasius began his leading role against the Arians as a deacon and assistant to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria during the First Council of Nicaea. Roman emperor Constantine the Great had convened the council in May–August 325 to address the Arian position that the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, is of a distinct substance from the Father.”
EGL Historic Persons Athanasius Playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqqu9kmO73rgiXzu1yAYDlrgrodM131FE
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