Something I commonly say that my family and co-workers may even grow tired of me saying is effectively, “Every time we say yes to something, we say no to other things.” Sometimes the “no” that happens as a result of the “yes” is clear and explicit, as we can tell that we are choosing between two things. Other times, however, the “no” might not be as clear but is still present, as the “yes” may actually or effectively rule out or rule against other options. This principle does not just involve our choices but also our beliefs because affirming some things to be true also means that we are denying other ideas as possibilities. Christians have recognized this over the years by making various statements that have both affirmations and denials, that we believe these things to be true and deny these other things to be too.
In a certain sense, the Nicene Creed written at the Council of Nicaea back in 325 is an example of a document that includes both affirmations of what Christians believe and denials of things that cannot be believed in light of those affirmations. The creed affirms belief in three members of the Trinity and certain truths about the identity and activity of Jesus, and then concludes with these words that are not included in the 381 revision of the creed that is at times recited by people in worship services:
However, those who say, “There was a time when he was not” and “Before he was born, he was not” and “He was made from nothing” or who say that the Son of God is of another substance or essence or that he is changeable or alterable, these are condemned by the Catholic Church” (translation from Jared Ortiz and Daniel Keating, The Nicene Creed: A Scriptural, Historical, and Theological Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024]).
The lack of inclusion of these words in the more commonly known version of the creed is not due to any shifts of belief that happened between 325 and 381. Rather, it would seem the removal of these words was potentially tied to a shift in the function of the creed, as these words make it less smooth and thus less likely to be used in the context of a worship service. The presence and content of these words, however, is a good reminder of the context that led to the convening of the council 1700 years ago as it sought to address some false ideas that were circulating about Jesus – in particular the idea that Jesus had a beginning and different in quality from God the Father, thus rendering him inferior to God. In addition to being a window into the content of these false teachings, these words also offer a good reminder about false beliefs as a whole.
The Reality of False Beliefs
The preaching of the good news of the gospel of Jesus has always been accompanied by false teachers. We see this within the New Testament itself, as the Apostles had to write letters to confront false teachings that were circulating in their time and had to deal with false teachers opposing or undermining their ministries. Thus, we should not be surprised when we find truths that are not taught in Scripture being held to or advanced by people in our age. While there is a sense in which the particularities of these false beliefs change over time, there also seem to be some common false teachings that persist through the years. These particular beliefs about Jesus are some of those. Now, I don’t know of any groups today that would necessarily say, “We are Arians” and would trace themselves back to the teachings of that elder in Alexandria whose views this council was rejecting, but there continue to be groups that teach and individuals who hold to the idea that Jesus is not equal with God the Father and a created being rather than the Creator of all things. We counteract these false beliefs both by holding to and affirming what we believe is true, but also by making sure to explicitly address common misconceptions or mistaken ideas that circulate. Naming such false beliefs is not “being negative” or narrow-minded, but rather being clear – and clarity is kindness.
The Strategy of False Beliefs
As I reflected upon these words of denial, I realized that these particularities may reveal a common and consistent strategy in false beliefs. A common criticism of this creed and other doctrinal statements of faith is their use of words that are not found in the Bible. Going outside of this creed for another example; the Bible does not use the word Trinity. The use of such words can be troubling to people, especially those of us who believe the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word that should be our only rule for faith and practice. Should we have such creeds or should we be people who say “No creeds but the Bible”? Not only is such a statement somewhat contradictory in itself (as it is something of a credal statement rejecting credal statements!), it does not recognize that false teaching often comes about by taking and twisting the very words of Scripture. When Scripture is read, these false teachers will affirm the very words that the Bible says, but then will offer dogmatic statements that reflect misrepresentations of the ideas conveyed through such words. For example, Arius would affirm that Jesus is the “Son of God,” but his definition then of what it means that he is the Son of God differs from what we read elsewhere in Scripture. There are false teachers out there who explicitly reject Scripture, but most false teachers use the words of Scripture; therefore, we must not only know the words of Scripture but also understand what they mean. Remember, the devil can quote Scripture (see Matthew 4:5-6). Just because someone cites a Bible text or invokes the name of Jesus does not mean that what they are teaching is true or right.
The Danger of False Beliefs
The final words of the creed are pretty harsh, as it says that those who accept these affirm these ideas about Jesus being a lower being “are condemned by the Catholic Church.” I should probably note at this point this reference to the Catholic Church is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church. For one thing, the bishop of Rome was not even at the Council of Nicaea! In addition, the word “catholic,” just means universal. This was a gathering of Christian leaders throughout the Roman empire, and this word reflects this idea that it is not just leaders in a particular place but something about which there was agreement among those in different places who would have other sorts of differences.
From the earliest days, there have been ideas and practices that Christians have differed over and accept variation on because these were deemed non-essential; a great example of this is found in Romans 14-15 and discussions about dietary practices and religious celebrations.That does not mean, however, that there are no boundaries when it comes to ideas and practices. There are some beliefs in which there is not only consensus about them but centrality too, and to vary on these or reject them would be to reject the Christian faith. These words about Jesus are one of these, as the reason that Jesus came to save us and he could only do so if he was both fully God and fully man. Therefore, to reject the truths described in this creed is to reject the heart of the Christian faith, which means that someone is not saved. Therefore, this “condemnation” is not the church rendering judgment upon another as much as affirming and announcing God’s verdict upon them. It is not being judgmental but being faithful to Scripture and words such as John 3:18: “Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”
This is a great reminder that this creed is not dealing with trivialities or mundane details but really is a matter of life and death for all eternity. If the church was wrong and Jesus is not God, then the church finds itself breaking the principle of worshiping God only. But if Jesus is God and we do not believe in Him and worship Him, then we are still in our sins (John 8:24). May this exploration of the creed ultimately lead us not just to know what it says or affirm its ideas, but to remember who it is that we worship, what he has done for us, and why it is so important.
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