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What Really Happened at Nicea?
Christian Research Institute ^ | June 10, 2009 | James R. White

Posted on 08/11/2017 10:41:52 PM PDT by boatbums

Summary

The Council of Nicea is often misrepresented by cults and other religious movements. The actual concern of the council was clearly and unambiguously the relationship between the Father and the Son. Is Christ a creature, or true God? The council said He was true God. Yet, the opponents of the deity of Christ did not simply give up after the council’s decision. In fact, they almost succeeded in overturning the Nicene affirmation of Christ’s deity. But faithful Christians like Athanasius continued to defend the truth, and in the end, truth triumphed over error.

The conversation intensified quickly. “You can’t really trust the Bible,” my Latter-day Saints acquaintance said, “because you really don’t know what books belong in it. You see, a bunch of men got together and decided the canon of Scripture at the Council of Nicea, picking some books, rejecting others.” A few others were listening in on the conversation at the South Gate of the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City. It was the LDS General Conference, and I again heard the Council of Nicea presented as that point in history where something “went wrong,” where some group of unnamed, faceless men “decided” for me what I was supposed to believe. I quickly corrected him about Nicea — nothing was decided, or even said, about the canon of Scripture at that council.1

I was reminded how often the phrase “the Council of Nicea” is used as an accusation by those who reject the Christian faith. New Agers often allege that the council removed the teaching of reincarnation from the Bible.2 And of course, Jehovah’s Witnesses and critics of the deity of Christ likewise point to that council as the “beginning of the Trinity” or the “first time the deity of Christ was asserted as orthodox teaching.” Others see it as the beginning of the union of church and state in light of the participation of the Roman Emperor, Constantine. Some even say it was the beginning of the Roman Catholic church.


TOPICS: Apologetics; History
KEYWORDS: creed; nicea; scripture
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To: Elsie
Notice that these are different??

and recovering of sight to the blind,  to set at liberty them that are bruised,  
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

241 posted on 08/17/2017 8:08:02 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: BipolarBob
God determines who is/isn't a saint and not some self important denomination.

Affirmative sir. I am glad I am no longer a member of the one true church

242 posted on 08/17/2017 8:12:05 PM PDT by Mark17 (Genesis chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning GOD....And the rest, as they say, is HIS-story)
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To: Mark17; tjd1454

There is a LOT of good meat in reading and studying the ancient “fathers” of the faith and noting how frequently they referred to the Scriptures to reinforce their teachings. Of course there is a tremendous blessing in studying the word, meditating on it and gleaning wisdom and knowledge from those who have the gift of teaching from the Holy Spirit. I don’t regret a day of the 5 1/2 years I spent in Bible college. Not saying one can’t learn a lot through personal study alone but it’s a shortcut in a way to study under strong-in-the-faith Christians who love the Lord with all their hearts. The main thing is to be sure that what is being taught can be confirmed by the word and not just snippets, either.


243 posted on 08/17/2017 8:22:34 PM PDT by boatbums (The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages.)
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To: Mark17; tjd1454
I also used to be a Catholic and the main reason I went to Bible college is to learn God's word for myself instead of just swallowing whatever someone told me. I wanted to know God and thought one of the best ways was to know His word. Of course, knowing God is a lifetime endeavor - one that is never completed but grows deeper with every passing day. It truly is a relationship - one that is two-way.
244 posted on 08/17/2017 8:28:03 PM PDT by boatbums (The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages.)
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To: Elsie
Notice that these are different?? and recovering of sight to the blind,  to set at liberty them that are bruised,   and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Jesus was reading the Hebrew scroll in the synagogue. What he said was written in Greek in Luke's gospel.

245 posted on 08/17/2017 8:31:27 PM PDT by boatbums (The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages.)
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To: BipolarBob
Who is responsible for your soul? YOU ARE. The Bible is Gods letter to humanity. You can listen to Him directly or you can listen to 2000 years of tainted Koolaid from clever scholars. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to direct us. If we are directed by the Holy Spirit, we will understand what God intends us to. If we CHOOSE to ignore the Holy Spirit and go with learned scholars for our eternal salvation then we will get what we deserve.

Well said.

246 posted on 08/17/2017 10:12:36 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: tjd1454; BipolarBob
Like Charles Rutherford, Joseph Smith, and a myriad of other cultists were “directed by the Holy Spirit” No thanks - I’ll take historic Christianity any day. You are the one who is imbibing the “tainted kool-aid” of your belief in your own infallibility.

You would trust the opinion pieces of men over the Holy Spirit and the word of God?

Good luck with that. You're going to need it.

247 posted on 08/17/2017 10:18:55 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Elsie

That’s because at the time, He did NOT come for the day of vengeance.

When He was here on earth, if was for the former stuff.

The day of vengeance and the comforting those who mourn is in the future yet.


248 posted on 08/17/2017 10:25:31 PM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith..)
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To: Elsie
Notice that these are different?? and recovering of sight to the blind,  to set at liberty them that are bruised,   and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Jesus was reading the Hebrew scroll in the synagogue. What he said was written in Greek in Luke's gospel AND you're reading it in English that was translated from the Greek. It's a little difficult to get a word-for-word equivalent with a language that didn't even exist when Jesus came to earth. Still, He basically said what that passage relayed but stopped short of the full verse because those two things are future yet.

249 posted on 08/17/2017 10:29:15 PM PDT by boatbums (The Law is a storm which wrecks your hopes of self-salvation, but washes you upon the Rock of Ages.)
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To: boatbums
Jesus was reading the Hebrew scroll in the synagogue. What he said was written in Greek in Luke's gospel.

And some people today are all hung up on the ACCURACY of this translation or the other one.

I guess translating HEBREW into GREEK must REALLY be tough!!

Who then can trust the Septuagint?

250 posted on 08/18/2017 5:00:45 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: boatbums
It's a little difficult to get a word-for-word equivalent with a language that didn't even exist when Jesus came to earth.

Did LATIN exist back then?


It's a good thing that mathematical 'truth' is AWAYS 'translated' correctly!

I'm quite sure that when the aliens finally DO come back and explain how they helped men build the Giza structures, they'll use MATH to inform us.

Oh; and YouTube® videos as well.


http://earthmysterynews.com/2017/08/18/6-reasons-why-ancient-egypt-is-linked-to-alien-visitations/

251 posted on 08/18/2017 5:08:13 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Zuriel
Now when one, that is under the guidance of the Spirit of God, speaks, that person is not speaking of himself, but for God.

And when precisely are we "under the guidance of the Spirit"? It seems to me that you feel that a person can manufacture holiness. Man is corrupt. When it comes to doing the things of God we are rebellious children. So, no, we will never speak for God unless God extends His grace and redeems us. Romans 1 is very clear that there is none that are righteous.

The Son operated almost constantly in that fashion. There are are very few instances where his will tried to speak, such as: “..

Our Lord Jesus ALWAYS was led by the Spirit. There are only two wills; God's will or our will. The verse you quote is a most excellent verse illustrating how our Lord Jesus was willing to sacrifice doing His will in order to do the Father's will.

Unless God changes our hearts we are constantly rebellious to doing our Lord's will. And, sadly, even after God changes our hearts to want to do His will, we still fail from time to time. But God is rich in His grace and mercy to help us grow towards doing His will. That is why we pray, "Thy will be done..." It isn't because of our desire to do His will. It is because He put it into our hearts.

I should hasten to add that we don't do God any favors by being righteous. God expects us to be righteous and to be led by the Spirit.

God commandments are not hard to keep.

It is our nature not to want to keep them. So, before God changes our hearts we will never do anything pleasing to God. God may direct our wicked path as He did Pharaoh, Caiaphas, or Judas, but we will never do anything pleasing to God.


252 posted on 08/18/2017 6:02:51 AM PDT by HarleyD (Ecc 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.)
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To: Zuriel; boatbum
Why did you not also highlight “the firstborn of every creature” in the previous verse? How do you address the heretofore avoided Isaiah 42:1-7, especially verse 5?

Boatbum did a most excellent job in his post on Isaiah. There isn't much more to say towards this. But Paul thoughfully has given us a list of tests to ask ourselves to find out if we are in the faith and true believers of the living God. Here is Paul's test:

Col 1:16  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 

Col 1:19  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 

Col 1:20-22  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,  he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 

If you answer no to any of these questions the Apostle Paul gave, Paul gives this warning to us:

Col 2:4-8  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. ... As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:  Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 

253 posted on 08/18/2017 6:34:53 AM PDT by HarleyD (Ecc 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.)
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To: HarleyD; boatbums

**Boatbum did a most excellent job in his post on Isaiah**

Unless boatbums has gone trans, I think he is a she.

Well, actually boatbums simply pasted the passage from Isaiah 42:1-7. The matter was not addressed, especially vs 5, which shows that the creator is the one doing all the talking. He tells about his ‘servant’ for the first 4 verses, speaks of himself as the creator in vs 5, and speaks directly to his ‘servant’ in vss 6 and 7.

God the Father is the creator. He is in Christ. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. John the Baptist said that:

“For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God given not the Spirit by measure unto him. For the Father loveth the Son, and hath given ALL things into his hand.” John 3:34,35

God the Father gave the Spirit unto the Son. God the Father gave ALL things unto the Son.

By trinitarian reasoning, how can one receive something he already has, such as: the ability to create?

By the same reasoning: the Son has been given all things, and therefore the Father might as well be in a spiritual coma.

**7) Do you believe all the fullness of God the Father dwells in our Lord Jesus?**

Yes. And if you believe that as well, you’ve just answered your questions 1 through 6. It’s the foundational fact I’ve been speaking of nearly the whole time on this thread.

**8) Do you believe that the only way to God is through the cross of our Lord Jesus dead and resurrection, asking forgiveness for our sinful transgressions?**

Yes. But that description is condensed. If you want to get detailed, we can go to the Lord’s detailed commissions to his disciples, and follow up on how they obeyed.

**9) Do you believe our Lord Jesus, and only He alone, will present us holy and blameless before God the Father.**

So in the trinitarian view, the Holy Spirit doesn’t get name recognition in there somewhere?

And Christ presents the church to himself (Eph. 5:27).

“Knowing that HE which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us BY Jesus, and shall present us with you.” 2Cor. 4:14

Where is the Father not at?

**..Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.**

Tradition of men: the phrase “God the Son”. Even a grammar teacher knows that that phrase is not saying the same thing as the phrase, “the Son of God”.


254 posted on 08/18/2017 10:58:51 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: HarleyD

**And when precisely are we “under the guidance of the Spirit”?**

Do you ever witness to someone about the Lord, and his testimony?

I said: The Son operated almost constantly in that fashion. There are are very few instances where his will tried to speak,

You said: Our Lord Jesus ALWAYS was led by the Spirit. There are only two wills; God’s will or our will. The verse you quote is a most excellent verse illustrating how our Lord Jesus was willing to sacrifice doing His will in order to do the Father’s will.**

In the middle of the verse, Jesus said: “If it be possible, take this cup from me...”. That is one of the rare examples of the man’s will trying to have a say. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The Son overcame by the power of God.


255 posted on 08/18/2017 11:26:29 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: Zuriel; boatbums
I think he is a she.

I should know that. She has been a faithful witness on many posts.

Well, actually boatbums simply pasted the passage from Isaiah 42:1-7. The matter was not addressed, especially vs 5, which shows that the creator is the one doing all the talking.

If you don't understand the Trinity, then you will never understand how our Lord Jesus was fully God and fully Man. You can't understand how Christ could be "Wonderful Father" (fully God) while being "my servant" (fully Man). It is the same dilemma the Pharisees had when our Lord Jesus quoted the scripture:

How could Christ be a son of David yet be God? The Pharisees had no answers because they couldn't understand the essence of God.

By trinitarian reasoning, how can one receive something he already has, such as: the ability to create?

See above. You are confusing the Trinity with the dual nature of Christ being fully God and fully Man. These are completely two different topics. While our Lord Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:32-33), He also liked to refer to Himself as "the Son of Man". This is why you seem to have difficulties understanding Isaiah 42:1-7. He was created as a man, yet He is our Wonderful Father.

If you go back to some earlier posts, I cautioned that it is dangerous to speculate about the working of the Trinity. It is the same with trying to understand the dual nature of Christ as God and man. We just accept it as it is in scripture. There are just some mysteries we're not meant to understand (Deut 29:29). However, understanding the Trinity makes it a lot easier to understand how Christ could be fully God and fully man. I'm not sure if you didn't believe in the Trinity, how exactly you could understand fully God/man concept.

**7) ...

I see that you got 2 out of 9 correct. That isn't a very good record and these questions have nothing to do with the Trinity. They are statements of the truth. Paul warns and cautions us that if we cannot accept these truths, we have moved into heretical beliefs.

So in the trinitarian view, the Holy Spirit doesn’t get name recognition in there somewhere?

It is the Holy Spirit who testifies of Christ.

The problem you have is that you are constantly dividing the Trinity instead of letting them flow together. If you glorify Christ, you glorify God the Father and you can only glorify Christ through the Holy Spirit. God is ONE and when you glorify one you glorify all.

In the middle of the verse, Jesus said: “If it be possible, take this cup from me...”. That is one of the rare examples of the man’s will trying to have a say.

Agree. It just shows how much our Lord Jesus gave up to go to the cross for us submitting Himself even unto death.

256 posted on 08/19/2017 5:54:15 AM PDT by HarleyD (Ecc 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.)
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To: HarleyD

**If you don’t understand the Trinity, then you will never understand how our Lord Jesus was fully God and fully Man. You can’t understand how Christ could be “Wonderful Father” (fully God) while being “my servant” (fully Man). It is the same dilemma the Pharisees had when our Lord Jesus quoted the scripture:**

It’s actually the trinitarians that have the same dilemma as the Pharisees: both can’t grasp that the Father is in Christ. The Gospel of John has so much testimony to the fact that the Father is in the Son, and the Son in the Father.

How could David call his descendent, his Lord? Simple. “God hath MADE this same Jesus” (David’s offspring)... both (David’s) Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

That same Peter said: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

**While our Lord Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:32-33).**

No he didn’t, the Pharisees tried to accuse him of claiming to be God, when he had just told them (in vs 32), “Many good works have I shewed you from my Father..”.

The Pharisees wrongly interpreted that, accusing the Son of saying that he is another person of God.

Trinitarianism’s interpretation of Isaiah 9:6 creates confusion. That’s because when stating that the Son, as a separate and distinct, but coequal person of God, he is also the everlasting Father. Then we are to still believe that there is a separate and distinct, coequal person of God, called God the Father. Are threre two Fathers? Are they co-Fathers?

Paul testifies of the omnipresence of the Father quite explicitly in Ephesians 4:6: “One God and Father of all, who is ABOVE all, and THROUGH all, and IN you all.”

I pray, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” Eph. 1:17


257 posted on 08/19/2017 10:58:07 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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To: Zuriel
HD-**While our Lord Jesus claimed to be God (John 10:32-33).**

Z-No he didn’t, the Pharisees tried to accuse him of claiming to be God

Luk 5:20  And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.  Luk 5:21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? 

Joh 8:56-59  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?   Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.   Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. 

Joh 10:33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 

Joh 16:27-28  For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.  I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. 

There isn't anything more I can say except that you are terribly wrong in denying Christ as God. I'm leaving for vacation but there really isn't anything more to say.

258 posted on 08/20/2017 3:37:36 AM PDT by HarleyD (Ecc 10:2 A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left.)
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To: HarleyD

**Luk 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. Luk 5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?**

Don’t forget the ‘rest of the story’:

In verse 24, Jesus Christ testified:

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins...”.

The fullness of the Godhead is found bodily in Christ. The Father is there. Christ said so. The scriptures teach that the Son was given all things by his Father. That’s how he could forgive the sins of the man with palsy, the sinner woman that wept over and anointed the Lord’s feet, and the thief on the cross: the Son of man, given power to forgive sins, was still on this earth.

**Joh 8:56-59**

The Son is the first creation of God, speaks the words of God, and therefore is able witness to that event.

**Joh 10:33**

I just pointed out in a previous post, verse 32 shows where the Son got his power.

**Joh 16:27-28**

Seems to support what I’ve been saying all along.

Have a great vacation!


259 posted on 08/20/2017 12:15:34 PM PDT by Zuriel (Acts 2:38,39....Do you believe it?)
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