Challenge of a Liberal Faith, p.60 - Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.)
"The Council could not agree and after two years, impatient at the delay, the Emperor Constantine appeared and addressed the assembly, ordering them to agree on the DIVINITY OF CHRIST..."
Therefore it is not from the bible, but from the teachings of man.
2006-07-26 01:28:08 · 12 answers · asked by Paulo 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
From the Gospel According to St. John (KJV): "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." and in verse 14, it is made clear that "the Word" refers to Christ: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Later, after Christ's Resurrection, He appeared to the apostles. Upon seeing him, "Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." (John 20:28)
The Bible itself was compiled years after Christ's death. It was compiled by the Church. The Council of Nicea was called to stamp out various heresies that went against the things that the Church taught from the beginning. This didn't change the way the Church viewed the nature of Christ; it affirmed it. The Church made an official declaration and put it into writing to prevent future heresies of the sort. Constantine was simply making a stand supporting what had been the general position of the Church all along.
2006-07-26 01:45:53 · answer #1 · answered by arcanefairy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Umm, no.
If you read the Old Testament, there were prophecies of the coming Messiah. Lots and lots of them. The Old Testament existed, just about as it is today, long before the Council of Nicaea.
Another thing is that you are quoting from a summary of what someone in this generation thought about the goings on at Nicaea, which is incorrect. Have you ever read what the council actually signed? The fact that Christ is divine is only one small line in the entire thing, their little manifesto thing was not about that lol.
Sort of like how in America we have "... that all men are endowed by their Creator..." and the future will say that these men were again signing on the fact that God exists. And we'll shaking our heads at them saying, umm, no.
2006-07-26 01:38:22 · answer #2 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is found in the bible. It is repeated many times that jesus is the Son of God. He is therefore divine, as God the Father is divine.
few examples:
Matt 1:20, 3:17, 4:3, 11:27, 14:33, 17:5 27:43
Mark 1:11, 3:11, 5:7, 9:7, 14: 61-62 ( Jesus says He is both Son of God and Son of Man - dual nature)
Rev 1:8
Men were not generating a concept. They were discussing one established already in the bible.
Because Jesus is the Son of God, he is divine. In the same way a prince is royalty because his father, the king, is royalty. The prince is not the king, but still royalty. So Jesus is not the Father, but still shares the divinity.
2006-07-26 01:46:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely wrong. The council of Nicea agreed only that the father and the son were CO-ETERNAL.
The divinity of Christ was never the issue.
http://www.piar.hu/councils/ecum01.htm
The church already knew that Jesus was God because Jesus himself claimed to be God, and he raised himself up from the dead, to prove it.
You need to get some better sources.
2006-07-26 06:22:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes the Bible does not teach this doctrine of the trinity nor the belief that Jesus is Almighty God it is as you say a teaching of man. the doctrine of the trinity including Jesus being Almighty God is not scriptural it is contradictory and elaborate and denies the truth about God and Christ and in fact is a lie which actually denies Jesus Christ Personally I do not support the trinity I actually put my faith in the Almighty Jehovah God Almighty one and only God with none above him
2006-07-26 01:52:33 · answer #5 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not only that, it was at the Council of Nicea that two brothers, Judas Kristos and Rabbi Jesus were merged into one person, and that person (Jesus Kristos) declared "divine" by a show of hands vote. The fictional character jesus, never really existed. And when christians point out the "historian" Josephus, he was talking about the brothers and thier failed revolt against the Romans.
Once again, history trumps mythology.
2006-07-26 01:31:58 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you a Unitarian Universalist? I sort of am, but I don't like the liturgy and therefore I attend an Episcopal church.
But people did believe in Jesus' divinity before the Council, you know.
2006-07-26 01:32:38 · answer #7 · answered by hlinskona 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is totally false. It is clearly stated in the Bible, through Paul and John, that Christ is the eternal Son of God. Think about it...the Bible talks about Jesus rising from the dead. Jesus returning to earth someday. This clearly states that Christ is still alive and eternal. He said to the Pharisees "before Abraham was, I AM."
2006-07-26 01:40:47 · answer #8 · answered by phil 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are corrrect and the Catholic Church, really, whole-heartedly accepted Constantine's impatient notion. General Christianity way later accepted this, and this is why so-called "born again Christians" believe Jesus is God. Also, references in the Bible allude to the notion, but I don't buy it.
Read a book by Bart D. Ehrman, "Misquoting Jesus"
2006-07-26 01:36:22 · answer #9 · answered by Sick Puppy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The council decided.
2006-07-26 01:31:46 · answer #10 · answered by swannstl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋