Nicaea and Jesus Deity

1
Nicaea and Jesus Deity

• Power Play or Providence?

2
Review

• How do we know the Bible is Gods Word?
• The authority of the Holy Scripture depends
  wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author
  thereof and therefore it is to be received,
  because it is the Word of God. (WCF I4)
• our full persuasion and assurance of the
  infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is
  from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing
  witness by and with the Word in our hearts. (WCF
  I5)
• 1 Co 24-5 Paul my speech and my message
  were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in
  demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that
  your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men
  but in the power of God.

3
Review

• How do people become convinced of the truth of
  Gods Word?
• Is it through a careful examination of the
  historical evidence to arrive at an objective
  conclusion?
• That helpsthere is value in careful historical
  study (in an informed age The DaVinci Code would
  lack credibility!)
• Ro 1014, 17 How are they to call on him in whom
  they have not believed? And how are they to
  believe in him of whom they have never heard? And
  how are they to hear without someone
  preaching?... So faith comes from hearing, and
  hearing through the word of Christ.
• Gods Word is self-(or Spirit-)authenticating

4
Jesus Christ Is God!

• How do people come to believe that?
• DaVinci Code criticism
• Not, we have proof that is not true
• But Its affirmation depends (historically) on
  the suppression of opposing voices (other
  Gospels other participants at Council of Nicaea
  etc.)
• It is intolerant
• It is illegitimate
• It cant be true
• This is how postmodern people think!

5
Jesus Christ Is God!

• This morning we endeavor to set the historical
  record straight
• It is helpful for people to know that DaVinci
  Codes take on history is fictitious
• That may providentially remove obstacles to faith
• Beyond that take advantage of interest that
  DaVinci creates for the gospel
• Jesus deity is the reason his incarnation,
  death, and resurrection are for us and for our
  salvation (Nicene Creed)

6
Council of Nicaea

• 313, Edict of Milan ended persecution of
  Christians
• May 20-June 19, 325 AD
• First worldwide church council since Acts 15
• 1800 bishops invited by emperor Constantine
• 250-320 attended mostly from the East
• 220 voted

7
Council of NicaeaUndercurrents

• Dispute over Christs Deity
• Arius Christ is the highest created being (Col.
  115) there was a time when he was not he is
  less than God
• Alexander/Athanasius Christ is fully God (Jn
  1030), co-eternal as distinct person of the
  Godhead
• Sabellians Father and Son are manifestations or
  modes or appearances of the one God
• Constantine Dispute threatened his empire
• Search for biblically faithful statement of
  Christs diety that is politically unifying

8
Council of NicaeaUndercurrents

• Eastern Bishops tended to emphasize distinction
  in the Godhead over unity (relational)
• Tended toward Arianism (Son subordinate to
  Father)
• Distrustful of Western Sabellianism
• Western Bishops tended to emphasize unity in the
  Godhead over distinctions
• Tended toward Sabellianism
• Distrustful of Eastern subordinationism
• The Trinity is a matter of five notions or
  properties, four relations, three persons, two
  processions, one substance or nature, and no
  understanding.

9
Council of NicaeaConclusion

• Of 220 voting bishops, 218 voted in favor of
  Nicene Creed (contra DaVinci Code, it wasnt a
  close vote)
• Jesus Christ begotten of the Father before all
  worlds
• Contra Arius (There was a time when he was not)
• being of one substance with the Father
• Contra Arian moderates (of like substance)
• one iotas difference only homoiousios vs.
  homoousios

10
Council of Nicaeathe Aftermath

• The real battle began after Nicaea
• Secret Arians or moderates in high places signed
  Nicaea, but influenced future emperors
• Western Church protected known Sabellians
• Eastern Church harbored Arians
• Athanasius attended Nicaea as an assistant to
  Bishop Alexander of Alexandria
• subsequently became Bishop of Alexandria
• Staunch defender of Nicaea as faithful statement
  of biblical teaching

11
Council of Nicaea Reaffirmed

• Athanasius died 373
• Cappadocian Fathers (Basil, Gregory of Nyssa,
  Gregory of Nazianzus) took up the banner
• Emperor Theodosius I convened Council of
  Constantinople, 381
• Arianism, ascendant into the 360s, had died a
  mysterious death
• Nicene Creed (also Chalcedon, 451) affirmed

12

• The faith of the Trinity lies,
• Shrined for ever and ever, in those grand old
  words and wise,
• A gem in a beautiful setting still at
  matin-time,
• The service of Holy Communion rings the ancient
  chime
• Wherever in marvelous minster, or village
  churches small,
• Men to the Man that is God out of their misery
  call,
• Swelled by the rapture of choirs, or borne on the
  poor mans word,
• Still the glorious Nicene confession unaltered is
  heard
• Most like the song that the angels are singing
  round the throne,
• With their Holy! Holy! Holy! to the great Three
  in One.