In the early fourth century, the Council of Nicaea convened to discuss the nature and personhood of Jesus Christ. Was Jesus simply another being, created by God? Or, was He truly God and truly man, not created but eternal? What was the true relationship of Christ to God the Father? 

The Nicene Creed sets forth classical Trinitarianism in an incredibly compelling way. We have within it, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful documents ever penned by men. It has stood the test of time, itself becoming a standard test for Christian orthodoxy. If you can agree with what is stated therein, you are in good standing with all Christians who have come before, are here now, and will come hereafter. If you disagree…Well, you may not be a Christian.

The Creed, then, is not equal to the Bible, but it does act as a sort of “heresy smell test.” If someone denies a core element of what is stated in the Creed, they begin to “smell” like a heretic. And, if they smell like a heretic, talk like a heretic, and look like a heretic, they’re probably a heretic—which is to say, they are not a Christian but instead bear the mark of “antichrist.”

Of course, the Nicene Creed would likely not have been written if it were not for the fact that many heretics and antichrists were seemingly running wild over the early Church. One man, Arius, proved to be a massive issue as he taught that Jesus was not God, but simply the first and greatest created being.

So, in the early fourth century, the Council of Nicaea convened to discuss the nature and personhood of Jesus Christ. Was Arius right? Was Jesus simply another being, created by God? Or, was He truly God and truly man, not created but eternal? What was the true relationship of Christ to God the Father?

We must, with the Word of God in hand, do battle against those who deny core elements of the Christian faith.

For our purposes, we will focus exclusively on the section of the Nicene Creed pertaining to Christ, wherein we proclaim that we believe:

In one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
the Only-Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages;
Light of Light;
True God of True God;
begotten, not made;
of one essence with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
and suffered, and was buried.
And the third day He arose again,
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into Heaven,
and sits at 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.

What truly helps with our understanding of the Nicene Creed is simply pairing it together with Philippians 2, and seeing the truth about who Jesus is from the two. But it is helpful to determine in advance what we will do with this knowledge.

Jollily Fighting Heresy with the Creed

One legend to come out of the first Nicene Council regards a man by the name of St. Nicholas—yes, that St. Nicholas. In the book, The Reliquary & Illustrated Archaeologist, it is recorded:

Although the most kindly and charitable of men, St. Nicholas had a temper and once gave very conclusive proof of the fact in the presence of three hundred bishops. It was at the great Nicean Council which was summoned for the purpose of putting Arius the Heretic to shame. This Arius in the course of his defence spoke of sacred personages with such scant reverence, that the Saint lost all patience and springing to his feet boxed his ears soundly.

There you have it: Santa Claus once decked the halls with heretics.

Whether or not it is true, I think the story may be somewhat instructive. The Word of God, in 2 Corinthians 10, calls us to tear down all arguments that stand in opposition to Christ. While I don’t think we should necessarily deck heretics—though we may sometimes feel that we’d like to—we must, with the Word of God in hand, do battle against those who deny core elements of the Christian faith. We must do so confidently, knowing that we have the truth, and we must do so in a jolly manner, knowing that this is the good news of salvation to all who will believe.

So, what must we confess to believe about Jesus to be orthodox?

1. Jesus is both in the form of God and equal to God.

Philippians 2:6 tells us as much when we read that Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” This Jesus, who was incarnated as a human being, was truly God before becoming a man, and was still truly God when He became a man. In fact, it was the absolute certainty of His Godhood, and the fact that He did not need to grasp at becoming God, that made it possible for Him to humble Himself and become a man. At the same time, He never stopped being God. He was, and is, truly God, at all times.

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