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Creeds and Councils

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Have you ever been a bit confused about the Christian belief that there is one God and this one God exists in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)? Or about the fact that Christians believe that Jesus was fully God and fully human? If you have ever wrestled with those ideas, you are not alone – as our ancestors in the faith also wrestled with these beliefs and sought to explain them. We read about an early Christian council (a gathering of leaders) in the book of Acts 15, and this practice of gathering to discuss key issues continued, with the religious tolerance granted to the church in the 300’s (see last week’s post) allowing for these meetings to happen more easily. These councils developed creeds that churches have used through the years to explain these key beliefs.

The Council of Nicea (325) – The Full Divinity of Christ

What is often viewed as the first major church council after the Apostolic age occurred in 325 in the town of Nicea (present day Turkey). This meeting was called by the Emperor Constantine, as he invited all bishops from across the empire to deal with a theological debate that was occurring (he also foot the bill). One interesting thing to note about this council is that the bishop of Rome was not there and that of the 300 bishops that came, only 6 were from the Western (Latin-speaking) part of the church; the majority of the church was in the East, not West. Many of these leaders had experienced persecution (as it had only recently ended) and had the physical scars testifying to their persecution.

The issue they were trying to settle was a debate about Jesus, with the key players being a figure named Arius and a figure named Alexander. Arius had become an elder in the church in Alexandria around 313 and was known for his learning and piety. He differed with Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, as Arius started teaching that Jesus was subordinate (lesser) than God the Father and a creature rather than creator; he taught that Jesus had a beginning, that he came into existence. Alexander (along with other leaders in the church) taught that Jesus was eternally generated and of the same substance as the Father (and thus equal to him). This was not a minor debate, as Arius’s teaching spread (in part because he put them to song), leading to much confusion and debate in the town and in the church. 

The council met and came to the conclusion that Jesus is of the same substance of the Father and equal, not subordinate, to Him (all but two bishops accepted this stance); therefore, the view of Alexander defeated the view of Arius, and Arius would be removed from office and his books burned. This council produced the Nicene Creed, with much of the peculiar language of this creed tied to the circumstances surrounding the council to make clear that Jesus and the Father are equal (for example, “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father”). 

What is often recited as the Nicene Creed in church services today is actually an updating of that creed from the Council of Constantinople in 381. This additional council was held because the council of Nicea did not end the debates, as some continued to put forth Arius’s view and eventually Arius would be restored and returned from exile. In fact, one of the primary defenders of the Nicene Creed was a man named Athanasius (who succeeded Alexander as bishop of Alexandria), and he was exiled and faced opposition even though his view was the official teaching of the church. Debates and divisions continued for over 50 years until the Council of Constantinople (called for by the emperor Theodosius) brought about the unity sought at Nicea under the same set of beliefs (the creed written at Constantinople also clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit). Some people still taught the view of Arius, and you see this viewpoint pop up in certain circles at times, but it has been deemed to be out of accord with what we see in the Bible, which teaches that Jesus is fully God, not a lower God or a created being.

The Council of Chalcedon (451)- The Two Natures

Another issue that Christians in this era were debating and had to come together in a council to discuss concerned how to think about the two natures of Christ – that he is both divine and human. Some people seemed to emphasize Jesus’s divinity so strongly that his humanity was erased, while others so emphasized his humanity that his divinity seemed to be erased. For example, a figure named Apollarinus essentially taught that Jesus did not have a human soul, that he was a divine being that took on the human flesh. However, this would actually make him less than human, as humans have body and soul. Another viewpoint so separated Jesus’s divinity and humanity so that he was effectively two people – kind of like the Incredible Hulk, who sometimes is human and sometimes is divine. Still others seemed to describe Jesus in a way that he was neither fully God nor fully man but something of a mixture of God and man (almost like Robocop who was part robot and part human).

A Council in Ephesus in 431 dealt with some of the issues being discussed but didn’t fully resolve them, so 500 bishops got together in 451 in Chalcedon (also modern day Turkey) to clarify how the divine and human natures work. These bishops wrote a statement (often called the Chalcedon definition) that notes that Jesus is one person (not two) with two natures (divine and human) that are both inseparable and unmixed. In many ways, this statement provides clear boundaries rather than a single explanation concerning the nature and humanity of Jesus, seeking to provide safeguards for their time and future generations. While some Christians in Egypt, Syria, and India did not accept this definition (leading to the Coptic and Jacobite branches of churches) it has been held by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants. 

The Importance of These Councils and Creeds For Today

While these debates can seem to be splitting hairs (with the council of Nicaea literally at times debating over a single letter – but one that made a great difference as it leads to two different words), they were important because they were seeking to explain how Jesus came to save us. That is found in the Nicene Creed – that Jesus came down for us and for our salvation. These bishops noted that if Jesus is not divine, we should not worship him. They also noted that if he was not really human, he can’t really save us, but if he was not really God, then his death could not pay the infinite price we need to pay for our sins. We need to understand who Jesus is to understand how we can be saved; rather than splitting hairs, these debates were explaining how we are saved. In addition, we need to remember that the bishops at Nicaea had been survivors of persecution; they were not academics but rather Christians who had lived out the call to suffer for Christ and thought this was an important truth worth discussing.

What is also important to note here is that these debates were brought to church leaders to help solve. While we often like to think we have all the answers, it seems wise to recognize that there are people whose training and position puts them in a better position to understand the issues and come to conclusions that we will accept. This happens in other areas of life, so it would also be true in terms of theology. The creeds help us know what to believe and came about as leaders looked at what the Bible teaches and discussed various details. They are gifts for us to help understand. At the same time, these creeds do not fully explain all elements but leave mystery – they explain that Christ is divine and two natures in one person, but do not explain how these things work. The creeds should guide us in understanding and usher us into worship. They are great gifts from our ancestors in the faith, family heirlooms that are not just to be displayed but used today.

Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also request to receive weekly emails with our blog posts by filling out the information on the right side.

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