1700 Years and Counting
I began 2025 reading through the Bible and was unaware that I would spend the majority of the year in the Old Testament. I’m sure this has happened before as it’s not the first time I’m reading chronologically through scripture. But the shift between ending in Joel and Malachi on September 23, and being introduced to Jesus on the 24th is significant. Jesus is the one the Old Testament promises but he shows up in the gospels in an unexpected way. He is the crux of the entire word of God, but who is Jesus?
The Old Testament reveals how many different cultures, gods, and religious expressions existed from the very beginning. So, 300 years after Christ lived on earth, there were a few things that needed to be sorted, affirmed, and set in stone regarding God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It began with the Apostles Creed and was then expanded at the Council of Nicaea which more specifically addressed the divinity of Christ. Creeds like these affirmed beliefs and simplified theology into memorizable form for both religious leaders and their often illiterate congregants. These are the theological foundations we stand on today.
2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The council met between May and August of 325 AD in Nicaea which is present day Iznik, Turkey. Constantine, the Roman Emperor, was trying to strengthen the church to in turn strengthen his empire so he called church leaders together to resolve their differences mainly regarding “Who is Jesus?”.
Arius was on one side, saying, “the Son is not eternal or co-equal or co-unoriginate with the Father.” In other words, Arius was saying that Jesus was human but he was not God. Another heresy regarding Jesus claimed he was God but was not human.
The council produced the following, declaring Christ’s Divinity and Humanity:
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the 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 men and for our salvation, came 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 sits on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I 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 worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Why does this matter?
There are still people today who are willing to say Christ was human, a great teacher, a wise prophet, but not God. How can He be trusted for forgiveness of all sin, our eternal future, and our direct access to God if he is not God?
And if he is God but not 100% human as well, how could he die and take our place under God’s wrath? How could he sympathize with us and also live a righteous life as one of us?
In October, my husband and I will experience Nicaea when we travel to Turkey. Part of our time will be spent worshiping with Christians from around the world and celebrating what happened 1700 years ago at the Council of Nicaea. Even if creeds aren’t emphasized in your particular faith tradition, they provide clarity for understanding the foundations of faith and evidence of how God has preserved His truth over time. Memorizing the Nicene Creed has been one way to preach God’s word to myself, affirming the truths that I see on my chronological journey through scripture.
-Christy Whalen, Financial Assistant