The Council of Nicea was organized in 325 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Constantine, who was a Christian. The Council was arguably the best collection of ministers in the known world (Europe, Asia, and Africa) at that time. The comprehensive list of ministers included Christian ministers from these groups of people: Syrians, Cilicians, Phoenicians, Arabians, Palestinians, Egyptians, Thebans, Lybians, Persians, Scythians, Galatians, Pamphylians, Cappadocians, Phrygians, Thracians, Macedonians, Achaians, Epirotes, and Spaniards.[1] This Council sought to make definitions and encapsulate Christian doctrine as suitable for the Christian Church. The source for this creed was God’s Word. Their collaboration is important here because it gives credibility to what faith in Christ is all about. Here is the portion of the Creed of Nicea that speaks of Jesus Christ:
. . . And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Begotten of His Father, the Only-Begotten, that is, of the Substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, True God of True God. Begotten not made; being of one Substance with the Father, by Whom all things both in Heaven and on earth were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down, and was incarnate, and was made Man; suffered and rose the third day; ascended into the Heavens; shall come to judge the quick and the dead . . .[2]
What is important to note here is: (1) the collective faith of all of these church ministers, and (2) the depth of their faith. The following statements can be made about Jesus Christ from the Creed given above.
Jesus Christ:
- “Is One Lord.” There is only One Lord Jesus Christ who is supreme over the heavens and the earth. There are no other Gods or any beings that can compete with Him or exist at His level.
- “Is One Lord.” Jesus Christ is supreme over every circumstance in all of creation. As Lord of all, all creation is subservient to Him.
- “Is The Son of God.” Jesus Christ exists as one manifestation of God (in addition to the manifestations of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit). Thus, there are three manifestations of God, but still just one God.
- “Is Begotten of His Father.” These three manifestations of God have a direct relationship with each other. The relationship of Jesus Christ is one of a Son to God the Father.
- “Is The Only-Begotten” (the Substance of the Father – see below). No one else can claim the divine relationship that Jesus Christ has with God the Father.
- “Is God of God.” God is self-identifying with Himself. There are no other additives or descriptions that exemplify who Jesus Christ (God) is. He is an entity to Himself. No one is higher than Him and no one is on the same level as He is.
- “Is Light of Light.” This is a metaphor for Jesus Christ’s goodness. His goodness also self-identifies who He is.
- “Is True God of True God.” Jesus Christ is divinely authentic, not by our imperfect standards, but by His perfect standard (His Word).
- “Is Begotten not made.” Jesus Christ is patterned after God the Father so that we can relate to Him.
- “Is Begotten not made.” Jesus Christ was not created, but being God, always existed, even as a baby in the virgin Mary’s womb.
- “Is One Substance with the Father.” There is only one Lord Jesus Christ who is supreme over heaven and the earth. There are no other Gods or any being that can compete with Him or exist at His level.
- “Is One Substance with the Father.” Jesus Christ exists as the same God as God the Father.
- “Whom all things both in Heaven and on earth were made.” As One with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ (God the Son) always existed and all things were created through Him and by Him.
- “Who for us men [and women] and for our salvation came down.” With the advent of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world. All of us inherited this sin nature and are condemned to eternal damnation (in a suffering state in the lake of fire separated from God). In order to be saved from this eternal condition, salvation (noun for being saved from this eternal suffering state) was provided to all who repent of their sin and trust in the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for them by dying on the cross for our sins.
- “Who for us men [and women] and for our salvation came down.” This is a figurative phrase indicating that Jesus Christ, Who always exists in the heavenly realm, also “came down” into the human realm. That is, He was born of a virgin birth and lived for over thirty-three years, conducting His ministry during the last three years of His physical life. He was then crucified on the cross for our sins.
- “Was Incarnate.” Jesus Christ was present in a bodily form when joining the human realm while still retaining His position as God.
- “Was made Man.” Jesus Christ was born into this world as a baby from a divine virgin birth.
- “Suffered.” Jesus Christ was tortured and then crucified on a cross to bear our sins. He took our punishment upon Himself and became the sacrifice for our sins – all because He loves us.
- “Rose the third day.” Jesus Christ’s body was placed in a tomb after His crucifixion. After three days, His Spirit re-entered His physical body. He left the tomb, physically, and was seen later by many including His disciples.
- “Ascended into the Heavens.” Forty days after His Resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ rose up into Heaven in the presence of His disciples. This was a physical act only, since His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) is still present everywhere including in the hearts of those that repent of their sins and put their faith in Him.
- “Shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” At the end of this age (the time allotted for the human race), every soul that ever lived will come into the presence of Jesus Christ. He will judge and pronounce a sentence in terms of destination for each soul – either eternity in Heaven with Himself or in Hell. His determination will be based on a person’s regard for Him while they were alive on this earth. If they were sorry for their sins and accepted Christ’s forgiveness, they will enter Heaven.
These attributes of Jesus Christ were fixated on the hearts of those ministers at the Council of Nicea. It is conclusive that these ministers had an allegiance, trust, and a strong conviction towards Jesus Christ and His Word. These ministers were the experts of their day. Should this give credence to us that Jesus Christ is worthy of our faith and trust?
From Item #13 in the list above (“Whom all things both in Heaven and on earth were made”), all things were created through and by Jesus Christ (remember He is one of the three manifestations of God). Some may doubt and attempt to refute this, but they have no scientific basis to do so. I have often felt that if for a moment evolution were true, then why don’t we see an animal that is a half dog and a half cat? The animal kingdom is made up of various groups of species. A specie is a reproductively separate group of animals. That is, an offspring must be able to mature and reproduce another animal with the same characteristics. That is why cats are a separate species from dogs, because their offspring have the characteristics of cats. Furthermore, the complexity of animals and humans lends itself to creationism. Renowned scientists Hugh Ross, Michael Behe and Philip Johnson argued that a complex organism like the eye is too complex to have evolved from sequential evolutionary steps.[1] There are just too many complexities in our human bodies to allow any type of morphing or evolving. Only a Creator (Jesus Christ) could accomplish such a task. I bring out this point regarding Item #13, because it provides credence for the other twenty items in the list. If Jesus Christ is truly the Creator as listed in Item #13, then why can’t He also provide forgiveness for our sins and salvation for our souls as listed in Item #14?
[1] Steve Warren, “DNA Discovery Reveals All Humans Descended from an ‘Adam and Eve’ after Cataclysm”, cbnnews.com, 11/27/18, downloaded 12/1/18.
[1] Alexander Penrose Forbes, A Short Explanation of the Nicene Creed: For The Use of Persons Beginning The Study of Theology, 2nd ed., (London: Messrs. Parker and Co., 1852), 4.
[2] Ibid., 8.