The Nicene Creed
Adult Bible Class
August 24, 2025
Historical Context
33 A.D. – Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus
of Nazareth, the Christ.
Mission
Matthew 28:19-20
Acts 1:8 – You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
Spreading the Word
Missionary Journeys
Paul, Barnabas, and other partners
Apollos
Many others who moved around the empire for various reasons
… including persecution.
Writing
Between 33 and 100 A.D. – the whole New Testament was
written.
-
Matthew, Mark, Luke – between 50-60 A.D.[1]
-
John – around 90 A.D.
-
Acts – between 60-62 A.D.
-
Paul’s Letters – between 50 and 68 A.D.
-
General Letters – between 50 and 70 A.D.
-
John’s Letters and the Revelation between 85 and
95 A.D.
John 20:31 – These things are written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have
life in his name.
Persecution
Christianity was an outlawed religion.
-
At least partly because it rejected the
Roman/Greek pantheon
-
Rejected the deity and worship of Caesar
-
In Roman culture the religious rites were
central to civic unity
Acts 8:1 – And there arose on that day a great persecution
against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered through the
regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 11:19 – Now those who were scattered because of the
persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and
Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them,
men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also,
preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great
number who believed turned to the Lord.
Persecutions tended to be regional and occasional. Some
emperors were worse than others, and some regional governments were better than
others.
But the Church grew.
-
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
church.
-
“We multiply when you reap us. The blood of
Christians is seed.” – Tertullian, 155-220 A.D.
The stories of beloved believers moved many, like the
elderly Polycarp of Smyrna, and the Christian ladies Perpetua and Felicity.
Addressing Doctrinal Controversies/Heresies
Galatians 1:6-7 - I am astonished that you are so
quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are
turning to a different gospel— 7 not that
there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to
distort the gospel of Christ.
1 John 4:1-3 - Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By
this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and
every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the
spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the
world already.
2 John 1:7-11 - For many
deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the
coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the
antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you
may not lose what we[a] have worked for,
but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes
on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God.
Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If
anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him
into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for
whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
2 Peter 2:1-3 - But false prophets also arose among the
people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who
will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And
many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of
truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their
greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from
long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Rumors and Accusations from the Pagans
-
Cannibalism
-
Incest
-
Orgies
-
Atheism
-
Sedition
Gnosticism
Gnosticism was a diverse spiritual and philosophical
movement, prominent from the 1st to 5th centuries CE, that emphasized the
attainment of Gnosis, or saving, experiential knowledge, through which a divine
spark within humanity can escape the flawed material world, created by a
lesser, imperfect god known as the Demiurge. Gnostics believed the
material world and body were inherently evil, while spirit was good and
divine. Although Gnostic groups used Christian language and figures like Jesus,
they often reinterpreted them through a lens of secret, salvific knowledge,
which contrasted with the public teachings of the emerging Orthodox Church,
leading to their denouncement as heresy.[2]
Marcionism
Marcionism was an early Christian movement founded by
Marcion of Sinope in the 2nd century CE, which taught that the God of the Old
Testament was a vengeful creator, distinct from the benevolent God of the New
Testament revealed by Jesus. This dualistic theology led Marcion to reject
the Old Testament; his teachings were deemed heretical by the early Church, and
he compiled his own canon of scripture, consisting of a modified Gospel of Luke
and several Pauline letters.[3]
Arianism
A rejection of the divinity of Jesus.
“There was when he was not.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses are a modern example.
The Roman Empire
1st Century, relatively stable – conquest of
Britain and the Siege of Jerusalem
2nd Century, more turnover of emperors –
Construction of Hadrian's Wall, more wars in Germania
3rd Century, even greater instability among the
emperors, instability in the empire
4th Century, Civil War,
Constantine comes to power (306 AD).
-
Constantine was part of a Tetrarchy
-
Battle at the Milvian Bridge – “In this sign,
you shall conquer.”
-
Consolidated power in 312 with Licinius, his
co-emperor in the East
-
313 – The Edict of Milan – Christianity
officially tolerated in the Empire
-
325 – recognizes the conflict among the
Christians regarding Arianism as a risk to the empire, calls the Council of Nicaea
Council of Nicaea
Major Players
-
Imagine these leaders of the church gathering
together. There were over 300 bishops who attended. There were all men who had
experienced persecution. Many bore the scars from torture and the Colosseum.
o
Saints and Heroes
o
A total shift from their previous experience of
the Empire!
-
Constantine
-
Arius
-
Eusebius of Caesarea
-
Hosius of Cordova
-
Aleander of Alexandria – and his deacon
Athanasius
-
Nicholas
A Matter Not Addressed – Despite
what popular media says
-
The Canon of Scripture
The Core Controversy
-
The Nature of Christ – was Jesus true God,
coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit, or was he somewhat less and of a
different substance?
-
The Date to Celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection
o
Easter?
o
Pasca?
Key Takeaways?
Next Week
The text of the Nicaean Creed and
Biblical Foundations
Speak the Nicaean Creed a few
times this week. (It is in your bulletin.) Let these words rattle around in
your mind as you pray.
Comments