In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people (1:1-4).Mirroring the first verses of Genesis, John identifies the logos as a divine figure present at Creation at the beginning of time. This was not a completely new idea. A century earlier, Philo, a Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, had identified the Greek logos with the Hebrew notion of sophia, or Wisdom. For Arius, trained in Stoicism, the logos was a created being, the demiurge of Greek philosophy. Stoics rejected the cosmology of Greek mythology, insisting that the divine and the material worlds are completely separate and cannot truly interact. If Jesus was the logos, then the divinity of Jesus was not eternal, he was created in time, a semi-divine figure. According to Arius, Jesus was divine but not equal to God the Father in essence or status. In contrast, Athanasius defended the idea that Jesus is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father. For Athanasius, a created divinity was not sufficient, because all created beings are subject to entropy and decay. If Jesus is not eternal, then salvation given by Jesus’ death on the cross would not be eternal, because there would be a time “when Jesus was not.” Jesus’ divinity is essential for salvation – only someone fully divine could reconcile humanity with God. The mystery of the Incarnation is precisely that the divine could reach into the material world to be born a human child. The dispute between Arius and Athanasius grew and erupted into violent mobs. My own patron saint, Nicholas, was reportedly present at the Council of Nicaea, where tradition records that he slapped or punched Arius. This was not particularly laudable behaviour by the saint we now call Santa Claus! Despite the wide popularity of Arianism, in what should be understood as a triumph of orthodoxy, the Council of Nicaea confirmed the teaching of Athanasius and condemned Arianism as heresy. The Council adopted a biological analogy proposed by Athanasius that the Son is “eternally begotten of the Father,” not created, allowing the Council to affirm that Jesus is “of the same substance” (homoousios) as the Father. Arius had been willing to accept “of similar substance” (homoiousios). The difference between these two terms comes down to just one letter: an iota (the Greek letter ‘i’) added in homoiousios. Yet, this small distinction represented a profound theological divide. The phrase “It makes not one iota of difference” ironically stems from this theological dispute. In this case, it made a monumental difference. The Council presented these teachings in a Creed that was further elaborated at the Council of Constantinople in 381 CE. Together the two Councils presented the Church with the fully developed orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. Further disputes over Christ’s humanity continued in later Councils ending at the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 CE. However, by 381 the Creed was final. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is professed by many churches and affirmed by most. Some churches consider themselves “non-credal,” by which they mean that they do not consider creeds to be binding upon the faith or conscience of the individual believer. Thus, they do not use this Creed; however, they can affirm the teaching of the Council. The trinitarian faith taught at Nicaea is universally understood as the cornerstone of Christian orthodoxy. Those groups that reject the trinitarian dogma of Nicaea are therefore not considered Christian. An ecumenical translation of the Creed into English was developed by the World Council of Churches. It is as follows:
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us all, and for our salvation he came down from heaven; and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. On the third day he rose from the dead in accordance with the scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father. Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the age to come. Amen.
the times in which we are now living represent a significant ‘moment’ in the life of the world and of the ecumenical movement. There are compelling reasons to bring the churches together in our times for a world conference. A world of climate catastrophe, pandemic, war, and economic concern requires a fresh engagement of the churches with one another on the core issues of faith, unity, and mission that both unite and continue to divide them (Nicaea 2025 website).
God our Father, accept our praise and thanksgiving for what already unites Christians in the confession of and witness to Jesus the Lord. Hasten the hour when all churches will recognise each other in the one communion you willed and for which your Son prayed to you in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hear us, you who live and reign now and forever.