06_person_0118_Nicea_in_a_Minute

In the early 300s, there was a controversy about the nature of Jesus. A teacher named Arius denied that Jesus is eternal with God and that he is the same essence as God. To resolve this, the Council of Nicaea was held and they affirmed that Jesus is fully God. The Nicene Creed was established as the foundation of Christian faith. Let's go back to our outline. Jesus is the man who is God, fully God, fully man, one person, two natures, two wills. The Council of Nicaea defended the doctrine that Jesus is fully God. He is eternal with God and the same essence as God. 1 John 1 teaches that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. One verse teaches that he is both eternal with God and the same essence as God. In the early 300s a teacher named Arius started to deny both of these concepts. He denied that Jesus is eternal with God and said instead that there once was when he was not. Arius also denied that Jesus was the same essence as God. They said he might be of a similar essence but not the same essence. This whole controversy erupted at the same time that Constantine had legalized Christianity and when he feared division in his kingdom if Christianity wasn't unified in his core doctrine, he funded a months long council to examine the scriptures and come to an agreement. The council decided against the Arians and affirmed that Jesus is eternal with God. The language it used was begotten, not made, and born of a father before all ages. It also affirmed that he is the same essence as God when it says he is consubstantial with the Father and God from God, light from light, true God from true wrath. The Nicene Creed still stands as the foundation of Christian faith to this day.