his people after the terrible sufferings which they had
endured. He ordained priests and deacons, and consecrated
several new churches during this visit. Arriving at Arsinoe l1
he confronted Nepos, its Bishop, who had started the
millenarian controversy so-called because it rested on the
assumption that after the general resurrection, Christ will
reign on earth for a thousand years. During this millennium,
the saints will enjoy all physical and spiritual delights.
- Abba Dionysius held a three-day council there with
clergy and people in which days, by patient and quiet
reasoning based on holy writ, he answered all the questions
relating to this subject, and thus succeeded in nipping the
controversy in the bud.
On his return from Arsinoe, Abba Dionysius wrote an
epistle entitled "The Divine Promises," wherein he said: "It
certainly delights me to describe what I have seen in our
children" the Arsinoeans: they have proved themselves
steadfast, sincere, loving, and intelligent. In our discussions,
we interchanged views with patience and forbearance. Each
point was fully discussed to the satisfaction of every one
before we passed on to the next point. If it happened that
one of the debators retracted his views, he frankly declared it
without hesitation or shame."
Abba Dionysius, then, explained the divine promises
mentioned in the book of Revelation, pointing out that
emphasis, in the Scriptures, was always on the spiritual and
mystical side of life.l2 - Having succeeded in establishing unity and peace
among his people, Abba Dionysius directed his energies
further afield. He wrote several letters to Fabius, Bishop of
Antioch, and other prelates of sister churches, in which he
emphasised the importance of accepting repentant apostates