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:
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 salvationcame 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.
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