Episode 84: The Nicene Creed – what really happened at Nicaea
In this episode of the Bible Feed Podcast, host Dan Weatherall talks with Sam Mansfield from Australia, delving into the Nicene Creed’s origins, historical context, and importance. They explore early Christian doctrinal developments, the controversies leading up to and following the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and the eventual establishment of the Trinitarian doctrine by the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. Through a series of quotes from Christadelphian writings from the 19th and early 20th century, the discussion highlights the doctrinal shifts and theological debates that shaped early Christianity, and reflects on the necessity of adhering to Bible based creeds for contemporary Christians.
Show Notes
For the 1,700 year anniversary of the council of Nicaea, Dan and Sam delve into the history behind the Nicene Creed and the theological discussions that were going on in the fourth century. The discussion traces doctrinal developments in Christology and the Trinity from the early Christian era, noting that the creed first developed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD did not solve any theological problem. Instead, bitter disputes continued until the subsequent Council of Constantinople in 381 AD where the Nicene creed was updated and this updated version is likely the one that is known and used in Trinitarian Christianity today.
Sam provides insights from his two-year deep dive into early church history, examining how various creeds evolved and influenced Christian doctrine, with a particular focus on the emergence of the Trinitarian concept. Dan quotes several historical Christadelphian writings that pass comment on the council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed and they test those perspectives to see how the emerging non-Trinitarian Christadelphian community understood the creeds in relation to Bible truth.
Episode timestamps
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:58 Sam’s Research Journey
02:33 The Council of Nicaea – a very short summary
05:21 The Arian Controversy
08:25 Early Christadelphian perspectives on the Nicene creed
09:30 Quotation 1 – Was there doctrinal development?
13:36 Persecution of non-Trinitarians?
14:50 Influence of Platonism on Early Christianity
16:37 Arius and His Beliefs
19:30 The Book of Common Prayer and the Nicene Creed
22:05 Quotation 2 – The Apostles’ Creed contrasted with the Nicene Creed
27:15 Quotation 3 – The Rise of the Trinitarian Idea
31:30 The Athanasian Creed and Its Misconceptions
34:14 Quotation 4 – Is the Holy Spirit a person?
35:58 Council of Constantinople and Doctrinal Development
40:48 Quotation 5
42:02 Additional Points about the Council of Nicaea
42:58 Biblical Unitarians and Dynamic Monarchians
45:05 Summary