Council of Nicea

by John Reese

The difference between churches is usually the authority they choose to follow. For instance,

These standards of authority are important and really make up who we are religiously. As we examine the role of authority and church councils in particular, I want to encourage you to take a new look at some of the evidence for or against church councils.

The theory is that councils could appropriately decide what was the original Christian faith because doctrine would be in general worldwide agreement because the apostles taught the same things in all lands. You might have minor local deviations but as a whole they would support Christian doctrine as a group. This may or may not be true. Originally Church councils were local, covering only Northern Africa, Egypt, or Asia, for example. The first Ecuminical council was in Nice, known as the Council of Nicea. Though it was considered ecuminical, it actually embraced only the Bishops serving in the Roman empire under Emperor Constantine. Some 380 Bishops gathered to settle the doctrine of the trinity. Though this was defined, many other topics were discussed that we will address.

Constantine called the council to settle disputes that had caused splits in his kingdom. In some cases Churches had ordained two competing Bishops in some cities. Because of this conflict he chose the council to be a defining and empowering body to remove those who were in disagreement. Those in the minority and did not embrace the decision were excommunicated. In this instance at least 5 were removed.

Constantines vision was to make Christianity the state religion. In Roman law there were moral codes called ius faus and religious code headed by the emperor called ius divinum. In the Roman empire the ruler was also head of their religion. The councils decisions were to become ius divinum and law in his empire.

There are some problems with the council theory.

1. It comprised Bishops of the Roman empire as a whole and did not include those from other kingdoms. It wasn't truly ecumenical.

2. Some of the Bishops had been previously placed in authority by the Roman Emperor. One example was the Bishop of Antioch's removal in 278 ad, he was replaced by an appointee of the state. That means that not all of the Bishops were descendants of the apostles and not sanctioned by the Holy Spirit.

3. Many who voted wanted to use scripture only in defining the nature of the Godhead, the council decided the scripture was inadequate to express the concepts it was wanting all to embrace. Thus it claimed to have greater insight into God than did the apostles, though they were guided by the Holy Spirit, and though the council used the scriptures to come to their conclusions. If the scripture was inadequate, how come it led them to their understanding?  This created a common law precedent where council decisions were equal to scripture, just like our court decisions are binding in determining law today.

4. The term used to describe God, homoustasis, had been rejected by earlier councils on other grounds. Why did it become fashionably acceptable?

5. Homoustasis means one substance, thus defining God in a corporeal sense. The scriptures say God is Spirit, and making him a substance falls under materialist thought, where people believed all that exists is material. Making God no different than our material world.

6. It defined the organization of the Church with extrabiblical theories that were in opposition to scripture. On three occasions the phrase

"that there be not more than one Bishop per city"

The scriptures taught multiple leaders in each church.

Phil 1:1

to the Bishops and deacons which be at Phillippi

7. Laws were passed mirroring the law of Moses. The council said that women in their minstel cycle could not commune with the rest of the body because the law of Moses considered them unclean. Thus creating a seperate section for them to sit.

There are several websites on the council. I hope this will help in finding the truth. My conviction is that statements of faith cannot override scripture. We must follow scripture because it is of the Holy Spirit.