Dear friend,

 

 

- Deuteronomy 6:4-9 -

 

 

Happy anniversary to you, Church! Did you hear the news? This year is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, one of the most important ecumenical councils in the history of the Church! Since we all share this common history, it’s worth noting some of the important decisions that came out of Nicea, some of the most common myths about it, and how the Nicene Creed continues to hold forth the truths of the Church today.

 

 

The Council gathered on July 4th, AD 325 in Nicea, a town between the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Constantine, the Roman Emperor, called the bishops of churches in his empire together to solve the theological dispute over Arianism. Arianism (named for Arius, pastor of an influential church at the time) was teaching that Jesus Christ was divine, but not equal with God—He was instead a creation of God. (This view persists in the Church of the Latter Day Saints and Jehovah Witness theology today.)

 

Why did Constantine—at best a baby Christian, and at worst a believer in name only—care about theology of the Trinity? At the time, theological rifts played a significant role in the disunity of the empire. Constantine wanted a unified, peaceful empire and this required unified religious belief. Whether or not Constantine sided with Arius or Athanasius (one of the bishops at Nicea and a staunch defender of the Trinity) remains to be seen. He wanted the bishops to bring the Church to an agreement. And like God did in the historical accounts of Scripture, He used a pagan king to accomplish an important purpose: the rejection of Arian heresy and the unity of the Church around a truly Trinitarian doctrine—what had been taught in the earliest years of the Church.

 

The Nicene Council was not convened to “decide” what books would be included in the Christian Scriptures, and Constantine had nothing to do with that process. By the time of the Council, the books of the New Testament were widely circulated and understood as the main texts for Christian thought and moral behavior. The gospels and epistles were being used and circulated by the end of the first century; mentions of the New Testament are confirmed by Church fathers in the second century; and by the third, Athanasius listed books of the Bible in his festal letter sent at Easter to the churches under his jurisdiction. Constantine’s goal was not to tell churches how to worship. He was simply the catalyst to Christian theological unity (albeit for selfish/governmental reasons). 

 

 

The doctrine of the Trinity existed before Nicea, or there would have been no debate and no reason to convene. Arianism was divisive because it directly denied the full deity of Christ. Without Christ’s complete deity, He had no power over death and was not a true substitute for humanity’s sin. Athanasius, in his book On the Incarnation, argued for the fullness of Christ’s deity and humanity. Other Church fathers before him affirmed it:

 

All but two bishops agreed, by the end of the council, to a statement of faith confirming Jesus was “true God of true God.” This statement of faith summarizing Christian belief was called the “Nicene Creed.” This is one of the most universal Christian creeds (others being the earlier Didache, Apostles Creed, and the Athanasian Creed). This statement of faith unites Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants around the fundamentals of Christian orthodoxy. G.K. Chesterton defined the true teachings of Christianity as “the creeds, and the historic conduct of those who held such a creed.” 

 

Despite hammering out this statement of faith, the Nicene Council did not end the Arian conflict. The Church would battle over the issue for another century. Only at the Council of Chalcedon in the mid-fifth century would the issue be mostly settled. Bruce Shelley says, “This classical, orthodox affirmation from Chalcedon made it possible to tell the story of Jesus as good news. Since Jesus was a normal human being, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, He could fulfill every demand of God’s moral law, and He could suffer and die a real death. Since He was truly God, His death was capable of satisfying divine justice. God Himself had provided the sacrifice.”

 

Creeds matter today because they express Christian theology and belief in a succinct way, allowing us to quickly discern who aligns with trinitarian teaching and who does not. These creeds also act as a beautiful connection to our Christian heritage; the words we say have been said for almost two thousand years! What a legacy, what a family, what a faith.

Still thinking about Verity Conference and want to know more? 

 

Verity is a teaching conference, rooted in Scripture and centered on Christ. We exist to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12), offering:

Whether you're joining from your living room, gathering with a small group, or hosting at your local church, you are a vital part of this mission. You matter to this community—and to the calling of making the gospel known.

 

Once a month through the summer our home church does baptisms in Lake Michigan.

 Last night was one of those nights! We get to hear the testimony of people in our Body, celebrate their commitment to Christ and witness them walk through the visible sign of God's gracious work. It sparks such great discussions with our kids about baptism: what it is for, why it matters, and why we practice this sacrament.

 

This book for preparing kids for baptism is the one I'm using with my girls right now, and it's written by one of our pastors! Grab it in the shop.