A History of the Nicene Creed

This year is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Last Sunday, I began a four-part sermon series on the Nicene Creed, preaching its doctrine from Scripture. The theme text for the series is Ephesians 4:4-6. You can find recordings from this series at this link. In light of this, here is an overview of the history of the Nicene Creed adapted from a lesson I gave a few years ago in a teaching series on creeds and councils (available here). 
 

The Council of Nicaea (AD 325)

Diocletian, who reigned AD 284-305, sought to save the Roman empire by unleashing one of the fiercest imperial persecutions of Christians across the empire, as well as by appointing a co-emperor and two caesars to assists the emperors. After his death, the persecution of Christians continued under some of the rulers as they fought each other for control. Constantine converted to Christianity as he arose victorious in the west in 312. He ended the persecution of Christians with his co-emperor with the edict of Milan in 313. Constantine became the sole emperor in 324.

Meanwhile, the church had become troubled over Arianism. Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria, taught that there was once when the Son was not and that the Son was created by the Father. Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, taught that the Father and Son were coeternal. Alexander called two regional councils which condemned Arius and his followers in 320-321. Arius took refuge with a bishop in Asia Minor who called a regional council that absolved him. 

Emperor Constantine invited all the bishops of the church to come to a council to address this matter. His main concern was the unity of the church. 318 bishops attended according to Athanasius (others counted more than 250 or about 270 or more than 300). Each bishop was able to bring two presbyters and three deacons, so the total number of attendees was much greater than 318. They came from all over the Roman Empire and even from beyond its borders. Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt were best represented, and others came from places like Arabia, Persia, Libya, Greece, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Cyprus, Carthage, Rome, Spain, and Gaul.

The recent persecutions were still fresh in the memories of the attendees. Some of them bore marks of persecution. Paphnutius, a bishop who came from Upper Thebes, had suffered and lost his right eye for confessing the faith. These were not men who would be easily cowered or bullied by power. Constantine did not control the council, but arranged for it, was respectful toward the bishops, urged them to unity, and supported their decisions by banishing Arius after the council excommunicated him.

It seems that the council assembled on May 20th and that Constantine arrived on June 14th. The creed was signed by all except two of the bishops on June 19th and the council concluded on August 25th. Not only did the council deal with Arianism, but it also dealt with the date of Easter, the Meletian schism, and various matters of church order and discipline.

The creed adopted by the council was adapted from one of the many similar creeds already in use. It maintained the core doctrines of the faith and distinguished the faith from Arianism, affirming that Jesus is fully divine, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father. Here is Philip Schaff's translation of the original form of the creed, with a couple of words modernized:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; by whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit. But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'— they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.

The Aftermath of the Council of Nicaea (325-381)

Despite the unity expressed at the Council of Nicaea, the following years were not smooth sailing. The various emperors went back and forth between opposing the Arians and seeking to force the orthodox to receive them. One emperor, Julian the Apostate, even tried to revive paganism.

Athanasius (c. 296-373) had attended the council of Nicaea as a deacon, assisting Alexander of Alexandria, one of the foremost opponents of Arianism. Athanasius himself became the bishop of Alexandria for 46 years and defended Nicene orthodoxy. During his time as bishop, he was exiled five times for a total of 17 years because he refused to readmit Arius and his followers. And so the saying came about, “Athanasius contra mundum”: Athanasius against the world.

Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329-390), Basil of Caesarea (330-379), and Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c. 395) are known as the Cappadocian fathers and the latter two were brothers. These two brothers had eight siblings, including a younger brother who became a bishop and an older sister Macrina. Macrina became known for her saintly life and for turning her parents’ household into a religious community, inspiring her brother Basil to promote a more communal approach to monasticism than the isolationist model popular in Egypt. Their grandfather has been a martyr in Diocletian’s persecution. In addition to learning from his father, a rhetorician, Basil studied in in Cappadocia, Constantinople, and Athens. Basil became a friend of Gregory of Nazianzus during these studies. Gregory of Nazianzus was ordained as a presbyter by his father, who was a bishop. Basil became a bishop and ordained both Gregorys as bishops. Together, they defended, explained, and promoted the orthodox faith as affirmed at Nicaea.

The Cappadocian fathers, building on Athanasius’ work, brought clarity to the doctrine of the Trinity by distinguishing two Greek words, ousia (essence, substance, being) and hypostasis (person), in the way Tertullian had earlier distinguished two Latin words, substantia and persona. They taught that God is one ousia and three hypostases who are distinguished by their personal properties: the Father is unbegotten, the Son is begotten of the Father, the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. This alleviated the fears of some that opposition to Arianism would lead to modalism. They also defended the faith against Macedonianism, a teaching promoted by Macedonius which denied the full divinity and personhood of the Spirit. This was rejected at the council of Constantinople in 381. Both Gregorys attended the council.

The Council of Constantinople (381)

This council was called by Emperor Theodosius, who was a baptized Christian with pro-Nicene convictions. It was attended by 150 bishops (or 150 orthodox and 36 heretical bishops). While all the attendees were from the eastern part of the empire, it was regarded as an ecumenical council afterwards by the church, especially since it was affirmed as such at the Council of Chalcedon (451). It met from May to July of 381. This council reaffirmed the position taken at the Council of Nicaea and also clarified the church’s position on the Holy Spirit.

The Council of Constantinople (381) further expanded the creed of Nicaea, especially with respect to the Holy Spirit, and removed the closing negative statements. This Nicene–Constantinopolitan Creed, which we commonly call the Nicene Creed, was reaffirmed by Council of Chalcedon (451) as the creed of the 318 fathers at Nicaea and the 150 fathers at Constantinople, recognizing its form had been expanded to clarify its doctrine against those who sought to disparage the Holy Spirit.

The Filioque Clause

While various church fathers had described the Son as involved in the procession of the Spirit (with phrases like “proceeds from the Father through the Son”), the creed simply stated that the Spirit proceeds from the Father. At a regional council in Toledo (Spain) in 589, the words “and the Son” (Latin: filioque) were added. This addition was received by the western church, but the eastern church later complained against this perceived innovation and did not receive it.

In John 15:26, Jesus says, “when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” Notice Jesus refers both to the Spirit’s work in history ("whom I will send to you") and his eternal ongoing identity ("who proceeds"). But not only does Scripture speak of the Spirit of God as “the Spirit of your Father” (Matt. 10:20), but also as “the Spirit of his Son” (Gal. 4:6, see also Acts 16:7, Rom. 8:9-11), and so the filioque clause is biblical, even through the phrase is not in John 15:26. 

The Nicene Creed

Here then is the Nicene Creed in the translation found in The Trinity Hymnal (1990):

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, 

    Maker of heaven and earth, 

    of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, 

    begotten of his Father before all worlds, 

    God of God, Light of Light, 

    very God of very God, 

    begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; 

    by whom all things were made; 

    who for us and for our salvation 

    came down from heaven, 

    and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, 

    and was made man; 

    and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; 

    he suffered and was buried; 

    and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, 

    and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; 

    and he shall come again with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; 

    whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, 

    who proceeds from the Father and the Son; 

    who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; 

    who spoke by the prophets; 

    and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church; 

    we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; 

    and we look for the resurrection of the dead, 

    and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Flee Fornication: The Bible and Premarital Sex

God created marriage as a one-flesh union of a man and a woman and he designed sexual union for marriage alone. Within that context, it is a good thing. But all sex outside of God’s ordinance of marriage is sinful. God has made us and our bodies and tells us how to use them. Sexual immorality is a rebellion against God and his design. There is much confusion over sexual ethics in our culture today. Some may be tempted to listen to those who claim that sex between unmarried people, as long as it is consensual, is not sinful. In this situation, it is worth reviewing the teaching of the Bible concerning this subject.

Genesis 1-2

“And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:22–24)

In the opening chapters of the Bible, we find that God made man and woman and brought them together in marriage, a union of one man and one woman until death separates them. Jesus explained this text as foundational for marriage (Matt. 19:3-9). The union of the two into “one flesh” (a phrase which at least describes sexual union) is a part of the God-ordained marriage relationship. It is not something to be done outside marriage. 

Malachi 2:14

Marriage is a covenant. “…she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Malachi 2:14). Marriage is not created by a sexual relationship or cohabitation or even by wedding plans, but by a covenant, that is, by solemn promises made before God and human witnesses.

1 Corinthians 6-7

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul gives a warning to the unrighteous and includes “the sexually immoral” in a list of those who are unrighteous and will not inherit the kingdom of God unless they repent of such unrighteousness and believe in Christ. Then in verses 12-20, he exhorts the saints to “flee sexual immorality.” 

“Sexual immorality” is a general term for unlawful sexual activity, but the kind that Paul particularly addresses is sex between unmarried people. Homosexuality and adultery are listed separately in 6:9-10, being further departures from God's design, not only outside of God's ordinance of marriage, but in the one instance being between the same sex and in the other a violation of an existing marriage. Paul argues against sex outside of marriage, even if neither one is married, by noting that “he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her” and quotes Genesis 2:24, “The two will become one flesh.” This union this does not make them married. It is described as immorality. What it good and appropriate within marriage is immoral outside of marriage. The marriage act belongs in marriage.

The apostle makes it clear that what you do with your body is all the more important for Christians, since your body is a member of Christ (6:15), a temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19), and a ransomed possession of Christ (6:19-20). But “the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (6:18).

The point is even more clear when connected with the discussion in the next chapter. In chapter 7, Paul argues that “because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband” (7:2). The only legitimate outlet for sexual desire is marriage. He said that if the unmarried have the gift of remaining content with sexual abstinence, then they may remain single. But if not, then the solution is to marry. In verses 8-9, Paul says, “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” The arguments of this chapter only make sense if sexual relations outside of marriage are immoral.

Exodus 22:16-17

“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.” (Exodus 22:16–17)

While this law is primarily concerned with what to do once premarital sex has already happened, it also condemns the act by prescribing a penalty for it. Even if the man is rejected as a husband for the woman he laid with, he would still need to pay money equal to the bride-price (better translated “engagement present”).

Genesis 34

Genesis 34 describes two sins, the defiling of Dinah and the slaughter of the men of Shechem. Simeon and Levi overreacted to the first sin when they slaughtered all the men of the city, but they were right in recognizing what Shechem did as a sin. Jacob’s daughter visited a city, and the prince of that city, Shechem, saw her and had sexual relations with her.

Depending on your translation, you could get the impression that Shechem raped Dinah, but the text does not warrant that conclusion. What Shechem did was clearly wicked, but none of the words used imply the use of force or violence, and all of them can be used to describe consensual relations. The Hebrew word for “seize” is the generic word for “take”, used often for taking a wife (e.g. 34:9). The word for “humiliated” sometimes refers to rape (Judges 20:5, 2 Sam. 13:12) but is also used to refer to violating a woman in consensual adultery or premarital sex (Deut. 22:24, 28-29). The word used throughout the narrative is “defiled,” which is used for defiling immoral sexual relations (Lev. 18:20, 23, Ezek. 23:17). All considered, this event is described as a case of seduction and premarital sex initiated by Shechem, aggravated by the fact that Shechem was a pagan Canaanite.

Shechem’s action is condemned. He had “defiled” Dinah (34:5, 13). He “had done an outrageous thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing must not be done” (34:7). He had treated Dinah like a prostitute (34:31). 

Deuteronomy 22:13-21

In this case law, it describes the situation of a man who married a woman under the impression that she was a virgin, but then accused her afterwards of having not been a virgin (i.e. having had premarital sex before their wedding). If the elders of the city found that his accusation was false, then he was to be whipped and fined a hundred shekels of silver, “because he has brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife. He may not divorce her all his days” (Deut. 22:19). But if his accusation was true, then the woman was to be executed, “because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father’s house” (22:21). Notice here that “whoring” here does not apply to prostitution in particular, but simply to premarital sex, since all that was proved was that she was not a virgin by the time of her wedding. Notice also that this penalty was prescribed for cases in which a woman pretended to be a virgin but was not - if she had been honest before the wedding or had not married, she would not have received the same penalty - but the sin that is specified as an outrageous thing was not her lie but rather her premarital sex.

Conclusion

The Bible teaches that fornication, sex between unmarried people, is a sin deserving God's judgment. It teaches repentance from this and other sins and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. We are called to be chaste in thought, speech, and behavior, abstaining from sexual immorality. This means sexual abstinence for the unmarried and faithfulness for the married. We should honor and appreciate God's design for sex and marriage, not abusing his good gifts.

"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)