Athanasius condemns the Arians for taking the name of Arius their teacher rather than Christ: “never at any time did Christian people take their title from the Bishopsamong them, but from the Lord, on whom we rest our faith. Thus, though the blessed Apostles have become our teachers, and have ministered the Saviour’s Gospel, yet not from them have we our title, but from Christ we are and are named Christians.”
This is not just a matter of tradition for Athanasius. To take the name of a man is idolatrous: Arians “change the Name of the Lord of glory into the likeness of the ‘image of corruptible man,’ and for Christians come to be called Arians, bearing this badge of their irreligion.”
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