July 17, 431 - Bishop John of Antioch Excommunicated at Council of Ephesus

As the early church grew, it became critical for the Church to establish major issues of theology and doctrine. The Council of Ephesus was well underway at the Church of Mary (pictured) when, on July 17, 431, it excommunicated Bishop John of Antioch. John, along with several other bishops, disagreed that Mary was the “bearer of Christ,” advocating that she should instead be deemed the “bearer of God.” The Ephesus Council strongly opposed this idea, and Mary was indeed deemed the “bearer of Christ.”