📖 Biblical Definition
The fourth-century midstream Trinitarian party who rejected the full Arian position (Christ is a created being, not God) but also rejected the Nicene homoousios (Christ of the same substance as the Father), preferring homoiousios — a softer position holding Christ's likeness to the Father rather than His ontological identity-of-substance. The one-letter Greek difference (an iota) between homoousios and homoiousios gave rise to the proverb that the early church split over a single letter — the difference between truly God and merely God-like. The semi-Arians flourished mid-century between Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381); some major bishops and several emperors supported the position. The defeat of the semi-Arian position at the Council of Constantinople (381 AD) settled Nicene Trinitarianism as the church's standing orthodoxy. The doctrinal lesson: precision in Christology is not pedantic; the difference between Christ as God and Christ as God-like is the difference between salvation and no salvation.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The compromise between Arianism and Nicaea.
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The 4th-century theological party who shrank from outright Arianism (which made Christ a creature) but also from Nicene homoousios (which made Him fully God in the same substance), holding instead that He was of like substance — homoiousios.
📖 Key Scripture
Colossians 2:9 — "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."
John 1:1 — "And the Word was God."
Philippians 2:6 — "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Common compromise impulse — wanting to honor Christ without quite confessing His full deity. Recurs perpetually.
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Semi-Arianism is the perpetual middle-path temptation: not quite heretical, not quite orthodox, comfortable with both crowds. Nicaea forces a choice; Constantinople (381) closes the door on the middle. Christ is fully God or He is not God.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
From Arius + semi (half).
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['Greek', 'G714', 'Arios', 'Arius']
['Latin', '—', 'semi', 'half']
Usage
"The middle is not safer than orthodoxy."
"Semi-Arianism is Arianism with manners."