CH101 - The Fourth Century
The Church Established, 303 - 400 A.D.Outline
Diocletian and Church Growth
The "Great" Persecution under Diocletian
Constantine becomes the Emperor
Initial Heresies (Donatus - Arius)
The Faith of Constantine
The Council of Nicea, 325AD
The Nicean Creed
Post-Nicean History
Christianity - Post Nicea
These pages are coming soon:
- Fourth Century Orthodoxy
- Death of Constantine
- Julian the Apostate
- Jovian-Valentinian and Valens
- Christianity becomes the Official Religion
The Nicean Creed - 325 AD
One of the most important things accomplished at the Council of Nicea was the adoption of a creedal form that would guide the Church regarding theology, Christology, and the trinity. As has been mentioned, there was great debate about the use of the term homoousias. The creed did not have 100% approval even when it was drafted. Within a short amount of time the creed came under attack, and eventually was rewritten at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. [Thanks to roo.bookaroo for pointing out that I had Chalcedon here...yikes!] This is the text of the original version of the creed:
The Original Creed of 325 AD
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, 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 [both in heaven and on earth];
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;
He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
And in the Holy Ghost.
[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]
At the end of the original creed was added the text above - obviously aimed at Arius.
Questions, Comments or Criticisms:
You can send an email to directly to me Al Baker, CH101.
CH101 retains the right to edit and post comments/questions unless you specifically ask that your comments NOT be posted. Comments that are personal or private are never posted...only questions about Church History, the Bible, etc.
Questions/Answers
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was athanasius black
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tertullian/paul/marcion
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worship on sunday
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origen and universalism
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water baptism
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wine in ancient world
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fathers on NT Revelation
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fathers on holiness
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fathers on the military
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Book Reviews
- church traditions
- book reviews
- Buzzard - the Trinity
- David Bercot books
Biblical Issues
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what is false doctrine?
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pacifism and the NT
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who wrote NT Hebrews
- the trinity
- the apocrypha
- saul the persecutor
- NT, faith, resurrection
- NT and tithing
- Is the NT inspired?
- wine in the bible
Culture and Opinion
- christian tolerance
- faith and certainty
- end of the spear
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Arius - Arianism the Trinity Origenist Controversy and the Trinity Nicea - A Council or a Treaty |
Nicean Council and Homoousias Council of Nicea and the Trinity Nicean Creed and the Trinity |