The '''Council of Iconium''' (sometimes referred to as the Synod of Iconium) was an early Christian Council held in Iconium in the third century CE.
The exact date of the Council is uncertain, given by various authorities as 230-235,<ref name="Fourth">{{cite web |title=Fourth Century Christianity |url=https://www.fourthcentury.com/council-of-iconium-ad-230-235/ |website=fourth century.com |publisher=Wisconsin Lutheran College |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> 232,<ref name="Sabine">{{cite book |last1=Baring-Gould |first1=Sabine |title=The Lives of the Saints, vol 10 part 2 |date=1877 |publisher=John Hodges |location=London |page=688 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ewp_toIWhlcC&dq=council+of+iconium&pg=PA688 |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> 235,<ref>{{cite web |title=Catholic Encyclopedia |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07619a.htm |publisher=New Advent |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> and “before the accession of Pope Fabian” (in 236)<ref name="Hefele">{{cite book |last1=Von Hefele |first1=Karl Joseph |title=A History of the Councils of the Church: To the close of the Council of Nicea, A.D. 325 |date=1894 |publisher=T&T Clark |location=Edinburgh |page=89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=de8Oj1v1nNIC&dq=council+of+iconium+baptism&pg=PA89 |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> However Caesar Baronius attributed the Council to the year 258.<ref name="Hefele"/>
The Council was a meeting of around fifty bishops from Phrygia, Galatia, Cilicia and neighbouring provinces.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Simpson |first1=William |title=An Epitome of the History of the Christian Church During the First Three Centuries, and of the Reformation in England |date=1862 |publisher=MacMillan & Co. |location=Cambridge |page=119 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J7m7ELvPXDUC&dq=council+of+iconium&pg=PA119 |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref><ref name="Sabine"/><ref name="Lyman">{{cite book |last1=Coleman |first1=Lyman |title=The Antiquities of the Christian Church |date=1846 |publisher=Baker and Scribner |location=New York |page=360 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n_yfAAAAMAAJ&dq=council+of+iconium&pg=PA360 |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> Among those present was Firmilian of Caesarea.<ref name="Fourth"/><ref name="Hefele"/>
The reason for convening the Council was to discuss the same topic as the earlier Council of Carthage, presided over by bishop Agrippinus, that is whether the baptisms carried out by priests of heretics were valid or not. The Council of Iconium agreed with the decision of Carthage that such baptisms were not valid, and the faithful needed to be baptised again. The question was raised because of the prevalence of Montanism in the region at that time, and uncertainty as to whether those joining the Orthodox Church after Montanist baptism ought to be baptised again or not.<ref name="Sabine"/><ref name="Hefele"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Benson |first1=Edward White |title=Cyprian: His Life, His Times, His Work |date=1897 |publisher=MacMillan & Co. |location=London |page=389 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3tCSocvN4TYC&dq=council+of+iconium&pg=PA348 |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref>
==See also== *Ancient church councils (pre-ecumenical)
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:3rd-century church councils Category:Montanism Category:Baptism