Firmilian had a contemporary reputation comparable to that of Dionysius of Alexandria or Cyprian, bishop of Carthage.
11 Facts About Firmilian
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Firmilian took an active part in the mid-3rd century controversies over rebaptising heretics and readmitting lapsed Christians after the persecutions of Decius and was excommunicated by Pope Stephen I for his position.
3.
Firmilian was an opponent of the stringent policies of antipope Novatian, for Dionysius writes that he had been invited to a synod at Antioch in 252 by the bishops of Cilicia, Cappadocia, and Palestine to repudiate Novatianism.
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The disagreement with Stephen was further complicated in that Stephen viewed it as touching on matters of faith, while Cyprian and Firmilian considered it a question of discipline appropriate to the jurisdiction of individual ordinaries.
5.
Firmilian enables us to gather much of the drift of Stephen's letter to Cyprian.
6.
The threat of excommunication only served to incense Firmilian who considered it "ridiculous" that Stephen demanded nothing but the use of the Trinitarian formula.
7.
Firmilian viewed Stephen's perceived leniency towards heretics as an insult to the Apostles.
8.
Firmilian presided at a council at Antioch which discussed deposing Paul of Samosata, in 266.
9.
Firmilian was persuaded that Paul would amend, however another council was necessary.
10.
Firmilian was on his way to this assembly when death overtook him, at Tarsus, in c 269.
11.
Firmilian is commemorated in the Greek martyrology but is not venerated in the West.