Councils, Canon, Scripture

The council of Nicea produced many extra-Biblical statements we should question.Certainly speaking of God as a substance and saying Christ was the same substance as the Father were not Biblical. It nowhere calls God a substance. This term was rejected in a previous council. Here is their statement about God in the creeds notes, and my reply beside.

• 1. Jesus Christ is described as "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God," proclaiming his divinity. --- my notes(I agree Jesus was divine, but may not be from another member of the Godhead as if he was procreated)

  2. Jesus Christ is said to be "begotten, not made", asserting his co-eternalness with God, and confirming it by stating his role in the Creation. Basically, they were saying that Jesus was God, and God's son, not a creation of God. ---- my notes (The scriptures actually say he was made flesh, Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh which recognizes the Holy Spirits work in Christ's incarnation, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, his resurrection Romans 1:4) full of grace and truth. Made and begotten aren't mutually exclusive terms because they are speaking of two different events, both can potentially refer to Christ becoming man, not necessarily Christ's origins from a substance, yet in most cases we can know begotten refers to the resurrection.

  3. He is said to be "one in being with The Father," in direct opposition to Arianism. Eusebius of Caesarea ascribes the term homoousios, orconsubstantial, i.e., "of the same substance" (of the Father), to Constantine who, on this particular point, may have chosen to exercise his authority. --- my notes (Jesus and the Father were not the same person and not a substance, God is Spirit and Light, the Bible doesn't call him a substance)

KJV says made flesh, other versions say became flesh. The word is translated "Made" 73 times in the New Testament, when using a force outside of the object like Jesus turning stones to bread, it is translated made vs became. Became does not fully recognize God's work in becoming flesh, as if Jesus evolved or did it himself.

Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

God the Father was instrumental in preparing the body for Jesus.

So the council of Nicea was clearly not an inspired work, nor was it accurate. The idea Christ and the Father are one, as in "one nature" or "One Godhead",  are true. Yet it doesn't say the one nature is substance. By using the terms begotten with substance you can have 2 possible errors.

a) if you believe the word begotten refers to the time before creation, that Jesus was begotten from the substance of God but did not exist as a person until begotten. This allowed for some truth but a fatal error in their theology.

1. Jesus could be called eternal because his substance was considered eternal, without his person existing until just before the creation of our world.

2. Thus the similar idea taught today by Jehovah's Witnesses and some others that Jesus was begotten from God just before creation, seeing him as "The firstborn over all Creation".

It was the spirit of anti-christ, denying Christ's eternal personality while claiming his substance was eternal.

b) The second error that is possible is that begotten refers to Jesus coming through Mary, not a begotten state before creation, in this theology the idea Jesus maintained the same substance he had in heaven is also the spirit of Anti-Christ.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

It was the Spirit of Anti-Christ stating Jesus maintained his eternal substance as they viewed it instead of becoming flesh. By saying Jesus was consubstantial even after becoming flesh, they were anti-Christ. They also wrote he was co-equal after becoming man, but scripture says God is the head of Christ.

1Co 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

After the incarnation Jsus was no longer equal in position, he came as a servant.

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Nicea declaring Jesus to be co-equal in position was false. If they applied it to the time before the incarnation co-equality was real.

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

In this passage the word one is "united one", declaring God to be a plurality. A God-head in nature. The same word used of a marriage between a man and a woman. It described God before Jesus became man.

So, I do question the council of Nicea to some degree. It seems the council of Nicea is using begotten for a time before creation, not in the incarnation sense; though some catholics use it in the incarnation sense. Nowhere does it mention the incarnation. The context of the question also involved this usage in Arianism.

Thus it seems the council of Nicea was using the term begotten for the period before creation, the difference between them and Arianism was one said Jesus was begotten from eternal substance and wasn't created, the other said Jesus came from nothing and was created. Even though some Catholics will maintain Nicea referred to the incarnation it doesn't help them use it correctly.

Both sides mis-used the word begotten and the time in which scripture used it. Begotten referred to the resurrection.

Act 13:33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 

Act 13:34  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 

Act 13:35  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 

and also

Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

The Council of Nice was arguing about the word begotten when scripture didn't even apply it to pre-creation or the incarnation. Consider Tertullian's view,

By proceeding from [God] he became his first-begotten Son, because he was begotten before all things. He also became his only-begotten because he alone was begotten of God, in a way unique to himself, from the womb of his own heart. The Father himself testifies: "My heart … has emitted my most excellent Word." (Against Marcion II:4)

So, contrary to Nicea, in many cases begotten or even firstborn have no reference to Jesus before creation or even his birth. Also, the term begotten of the Father may not mean to be from a same substance, but can mean to be beside, surely Jesus is co-eternal and has the traits of the Father, but we need correct terminology and usage to be accurate.

H259

אחד

'echâd

ekh-awd'

A numeral from H258; properly united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: - a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.

It is the idea of being totally bonded.

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Other aspects of council law.

The council promulgated twenty new church laws, called canons, (though the exact number is subject to debate[48]), that is, unchanging rules of discipline. The twenty as listed in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers are as follows:[49]

1. prohibition of self-castration

2. establishment of a minimum term for catechumen (persons studying for baptism)

3. prohibition of the presence in the house of a cleric of a younger woman who might bring him under suspicion (the so called virgines subintroductae)

4. ordination of a bishop in the presence of at least three provincial bishops and confirmation by the Metropolitan bishop

5. provision for two provincial synods to be held annually

6. exceptional authority acknowledged for the patriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome (the Pope), for their respective regions

7. recognition of the honorary rights of the see of Jerusalem

8. provision for agreement with the Novatianists, an early sect

9–14. provision for mild procedure against the lapsed during the persecution under Licinius

15–16. prohibition of the removal of priests

17. prohibition of usury among the clergy

18. precedence of bishops and presbyters before deacons in receiving the Eucharist (Holy Communion)

19. declaration of the invalidity of baptism by Paulian heretics

20. prohibition of kneeling on Sundays and during the Pentecost (the fifty days after Easter). Standing was the normative posture for prayer at this time, as it still is among the Eastern Christians.[50]

As you can see most are not biblical and are from human precept. Such as step 2. It may be a good idea to study well before baptism but the New Testament provides no time frame and states only belief precedes baptism.

Catholics deveat between baby and adult in requiring knowledge. The scriptures only address adults.

Act 8:29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 

Act 8:30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 

Act 8:31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 

Act 8:32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 

Act 8:33  In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 

Act 8:34  And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 

Act 8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 

Act 8:36  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 

Act 8:37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 

Act 8:38  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

Act 8:39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 

Act 8:40  But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea. 

People were baptized the first day if they believed. Though this does not say to wait for baptism we do know this is how it is used as most catachumens study for days or weeks before baptism. It came to be a general theme that if you died while studying to be baptized that the desire was sufficient.

Their desire for baptism was held to be sufficient guarantee of their salvation, if they died before the reception. In event of their martyrdom prior to baptism by water, this was held to be a "baptism by blood" (Baptism of desire), and they were honored as martyrs.- 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catechumen

We also see several other xtra-biblical ideas.

1. The bible didn't address Easter.

2. The bible doesn't address communion order.

3. The Bible didn't address kneeling or standing in prayer or prescribe different ways on different days.

etc

4. Nicea allowed friendship with the Nicolatians, Revelation said Christ hated it.