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Paul of Samosata (lived from 200 to 275 AD) was Bishop of Antioch from 260 to 268. He was a believer in monarchianism, and his teachings anticipate adoptionism.
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Paul was born at Samosata into a family of humble origin. He was elected bishop of Antioch in 260. He held the civil office of Procurator ducenarius.[1]
He aroused controversy with his Monarchianist teachings. In 269, seventy bishops, priests and deacons assembled at Antioch as a synod. They deposed Paul as bishop and elected Dominus as his successor. They also wrote an encyclical letter to Dionysius and Maximus, bishops of Rome and Alexandria respectively. This letter is the only indisputably contemporary document concerning him and was preserved in Eusebius of Caesarea's Ecclesiastical History.[2]
Despite being deposed by this synod, Paul still considered himself bishop and since he had friendly relations to Zenobia, the separatist queen of Palmyra ruling in Syria, he continued to occupy the bishop's house in Antioch. Late in 272 however, when the emperor Aurelian defeated Zenobia, Paul lost her protection. The Christians of Antioch brought their case before the Emperor who ordered Paul to yield the house to Domnus.
This was no interference into doctrinal issues, as Aurelian was a pagan and later even planned another persecution. The event however gives witness of the position of early Christians as Roman citizens and their relationship to the government in times when there was no persecution.
Scholars have paid little heed to the charges of rapacity, extortion, pomp and luxury made against Paul by the authors of this letter. It also accused him not only of consorting himself with two "sisters" of ripe age and fair to look upon; but of allowing his presbyters and deacons also to contract platonic unions with Christian ladies. No actual lapses however from chastity were alleged, and its only complaint is that suspicions were aroused, apparently among the pagans.
Paul's teaching is a form of Monarchianism, which emphasized the oneness of God. Paul taught that Jesus was born a mere man, but that at his baptism he was infused with the divine Logos or word of God. Hence, Jesus was seen not as God-become-man but as man-become-God. In his Discourses to Sabinus, of which only fragments are preserved in a book against heresies ascribed to Anastasius, Paul writes:
Paul was an early forerunner of Adoptionism. Possibly, the Paulicians of Armenia adhered to his teachings, and received their name from him. However historical records show instead that the Paulicians were bitterly persecuted more for their gnostic and iconoclastic views than for a position on homoousious. Paul's pupil Lucian also had some influence on Arianism.
Preceded by Demetrius |
Patriarch of
Antioch 260—268 |
Succeeded by Domnus I |
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