As the early church grew it became more and more common for church councils to decide issues of theology and doctrine. The Council of Ephesus was well underway on July 17, 431, when it excommunicated a bishop named John of Antioch. John, along with other bishops, held to the idea Mary the mother of Jesus could be known as “the bearer of God” instead of “the bearer of Christ”. The Ephesus Council held Mary would be the bearer of Christ. This is a photo of the ruins of the Church of Mary in Ephesus where the Council met.
