Was Jesus a Self-Made Man?

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father…

…begotten, not made,

of one being with the Father.

This excellent summation of our theology is from the Nicene Creed which was, you guessed it, the result of the Council of Nicaea.

And you’d be hard pressed to find a follower of Jesus who disagrees with it.

What’s at Stake

Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt, but, oftentimes, it breeds ignorance.

We’re so used to the Church’s declaration of Jesus as God that we forget widespread acceptance of the fact wasn’t always the case.

As we saw yesterday, the theology of Arianism asserted that Jesus was a created being, meaning He was not eternal and, therefore, not God.

And it’s not like this was some fringe viewpoint; it was a popular stance many were keen to adopt.

Imagine what would’ve happened if this belief sank into the core of the Church?

If Jesus is not God, so much of the Gospel falls apart.

His claims, His identity, the essence of His work… all are weakened.

He becomes just another prophet, just another flawed person, and, as a result, an insufficient sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Without Jesus’ divinity, the entire Gospel falls apart.

“Begotten, Not Made”

Nicaea was far from perfect.

There were politics at play (governmental and ecclesial), egos were involved, and many in attendance were chasing power and prestige. 

Despite all that, the Holy Spirit worked through the circumstances to preserve this integral ingredient to the Gospel - Jesus’ divinity.

With the victory of Trinitarian theology at Nicaea, a seed was planted that blossomed into billions of people throughout history, rightly recognizing Jesus as God.

If your church praises God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, Nicaea played a role in that.

Trinitarianism prevailed, but, far more importantly, the Gospel prevailed. 

And if we want to be faithful witnesses to that Gospel, it’d do us well to know how God worked not only through Scripture but also through what came after.

More on that tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter