The year 2025 marks a milestone in the Christian Church. This year, the Nicene Creed turns 1,700 years old.
In May of AD 325, the Roman Emperor Constantine called together church leaders from across the empire to meet at the city of Nicaea, in what is today the country of Turkey. This was the first-ever general council of the Christian Church. Over 300 bishops attended.
The main purpose of the meeting was to deal with a growing schism in the Church. A priest from the city of Alexandria in Egypt by the name of Al ius was causing not a little controversy by teaching that Jesus wasn’t really God.
Alius taught that Jesus was created - that he was “begotten” - by God the Father before the world began. He taught that Jesus wasn’t eternal. He taught that Jesus was less God than God the Father.
So, the great minds of the Christian Church gathered to chew on the tough topics of who Jesus is, what the Trinity is, and what the Bible means when it says that Jesus is “begotten” of the Father. The debate raged for weeks. Tempers at times flared, as the bishops realized that the heart of Christianity was at stake.
According to one tradition, Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, was arrested during the proceedings for slapping Alius in front of the entire assembly. Interestingly, Nicholas was later given the moniker St. Nicholas - or, as many know him today, Santa Claus.
The historical St. Nicholas may not have been quite as jolly as modern manifestations make him out to be.
In the end, the Council of Nicaea affirmed the biblical teaching that Jesus, together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, is true God in every way. Together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus is eternal. He has always existed.
So that there could be no misunderstanding about what the Christian Church taught or believed, they wrote a succinct statement of faith called a “creed” (which comes from a Latin word meaning “I believe”).
In the Nicene Creed, we confess that Jesus is “eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made.”
One thousand seven hundred years later. most Christian churches today still subscribe to the Nicene Creed. Many still recite it regularly in their worship services.
That’s what Christians do.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “We believe, therefore, we speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). As Christians, we don’t hide what we believe. We boldly and lovingly tell the world, “This is what the Bible says. This is what we believe about Jesus and what he did to save us.”
]We live in a world of politicians and pundits who speak out of both sides of their mouths. We live in a world where the media spins words until they mean nothing. We live in a world in which even many Christian churches waffle and wobble and won’t say exactly where they stand or what they believe.
That’s why, as Christians, it is more important than ever for us to boldly and lovingly stand up and say, “This is what we believe about who God is and what he has done for us.”
In the end, that is what Christians do.
Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving ” and “364 Days of Devotion ,
Amazon.
Andrew Schroer Pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church
