The Other 4th of July

(1 Timothy 6:11-12) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.


And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.


And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.


And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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In AD 325 the Emperor Constantine sent out an invitation to 1800 bishops to assemble in Nicea (present day northwestern Turkey) to settle once and for all some doctrinal issues that were threatening the unity of the Church. One of these issues was the “Arian controversy.” 220 bishops accepted the invitation, among them Arius and Athanasius.


The Arian controversy was a Christological dispute that began in Alexandria between the followers of Arius (the Arians) and the followers of St. Alexander of Alexandria (now known as Homo-ousians). Alexander and his followers believed that the Son was of the same substance as the Father, co-eternal with him. The Arians believed that they were different and that the Son, though he may be the most perfect of creations, was only a creation of God the Father. A third group (now known as Homoi-ousians) later tried to make a compromise position, saying that the Father and the Son were of similar substance.


For about two months, the two sides argued and debated, with each appealing to Scripture to justify their respective positions. According to many accounts, the debate became so heated that at one point, Arius was slapped in the face by Nicholas of Myra, who would later be canonized and became better known as "Santa Claus".

So, was Jesus of:

Different substance?

Homo-ousia – “of one substance…”?

-         i.e. Jesus is God

Homoi-ousia – “of similar substance…”?

-         i.e. Jesus is “god-like”

The council got it right, and agreed, and then decreed on July 4, AD 325, that Jesus is God of God and of one substance with the Father.  So fire up the grill and light off some fireworks tonight to celebrate this historic day and this wonderful reality: Your Savior Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God, and thereby fully qualified to save you to the uttermost!