What was the Council of Constantinople?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
The Council of Constantinople was the second Ecumenical Council, convened in 381 A.D. by Emperor Theodosius I. In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, we commemorate the 150 bishops who gathered there to defend the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
The Theological Conflict
The council was primarily called to address the heresy of Macedonius (the Pneumatomachi or "Combatants against the Spirit"). Macedonius and his followers taught that the Holy Spirit was not God, but rather a creature or a "ministering spirit" subordinate to the Father and the Son.
Additionally, the council continued to deal with the lingering remnants of Arianism and the new heresy of Apollinarius, who incorrectly taught that Christ had a human body but not a human mind or soul (claiming the Divine Logos replaced the human mind).
The Defense of the Faith
The council reaffirmed the Nicene faith and officially condemned Macedonius, Sabellius, and Apollinarius. The bishops affirmed that:
- The Holy Spirit is God: He is co-essential (consubstantial) with the Father and the Son.
- The Full Humanity of Christ: Contrary to Apollinarius, the council affirmed that within the Incarnation, Jesus possessed a complete human nature, including a human soul and mind. As the Fathers taught, "That which is not assumed is not healed."
The Completion of the Creed
The most significant lasting work of this council was the expansion of the Creed formulated at Nicaea. The 150 bishops added the section regarding the Holy Spirit to clearly define His divinity:
"Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified..."
The Filioque Controversy
The Council of Constantinople (and the subsequent Council of Ephesus) strictly forbade any additions or subtractions to this Creed. The Coptic Orthodox Church remains faithful to the original wording: "Who proceeds from the Father."
We reject the later Western (Catholic/Protestant) addition of the Filioque ("and the Son"), as this was an unauthorized change that deviates from the biblical truth revealed in John 15:26 and disrupts the theological balance of the Holy Trinity.
Summary
- Year: 381 A.D.
- Number of Bishops: 150
- Primary Heretic: Macedonius
- Key Outcome: Confirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit and completed the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.