Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16
While most call this the Nicean Creed, it’s actually the revised edition from the Council of Constantinople.
“We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
And [we believe] in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him all things were made.
For us, humans, and for our salvation, He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
And [we believe] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
[We believe] in one holy universal and apostolic Church.We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
The Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381) made revisions to the Nicean Creed of (A.D. 325) to address heresies that emerged in the timeframe in between related to the deity of Christ and about the Holy Spirit.
See the two editions side by side in English and Greek here. Remember, this council represents the second of the seven major councils in early church history.
1. Council of Nicea (A.D. 325)
2. Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381)
3. Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431)
4. Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)
5. Second Council of Constantinople (A.D. 553)
6. Third Council of Constantinople (A.D. 680)
7. Second Council of Nicea (A.D. 787)
Today’s Scripture describes our faith using the powerful word, “mystery,” saying, “the mystery from which true godliness springs is great.” The mystery is so great that many people debate the implications.
That’s why Emperor Theodosius called the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381, to clarify the mystery in response to heresy. This was not a small task. As only the Eastern bishops attended, the group numbered only about 150.
I pondered this in light of yesterday’s post in which we learned that Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 had 318 present. The Nicean Creed was good but it left the door open for heresy, so a group half the size convened to tighten it up.
Our generous service may often take shape as addressing problems or clarifying areas of confusion. Such work is often neither popular nor pleasant, but may be vitally important in the long run.
In what way might God want you to serve to address problems or help people in areas of confusion? How might your generous sacrifice bring unity or refute heresy in the face of mystery?
Ponder today the unique part God might have for you to play as part of the larger Church united by this creed.