The Chalcedonian Creed

The Chalcedonian Creed

The nature of Christ has been one of the most disputed topics in all of history. It caused schisms in the church, witty debates with all the rhetorical arts Rome was so known for, and political schemes. But behind the treachery and political maneuvering God was at work, and the important thing is that we have a clear path to salvation. The purpose of this document is to get a better understanding of the Arian Controversy and how it led to the Chalcedonian Creed. Emphasis will be placed on the Actions at Nicaea and the road to Chalcedon with the orthodox conclusion to these heresies, the biblical support for the Chalcedonian Definition, and why this is an important part of our faith today.

What is the relationship between the Father and the Son? That is the main question asked by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE. During this time there were many religious sects that believed all sorts of things. This council was called to decide which way was the right way in order to put an end to all the controversy. The majority of the council revolved around two men. The first was Arius, the founder of the Arian sect who believed that the son had a beginning though God does not. "If... the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that he had his subsistence from nothing.1 This raised a lot of problems. If the logos (the Greek translation of the Word John 1:1) was created by God before the beginning, they could not be homoousian (of the same substance). This would make Jesus less than, or subservient to God. The other man that dominated the dispute was named Athanasius. He directly opposed these views. The debates waged back and forth. Emperor Constantine himself attended with hopes that this council could heal the churches schisms. The high points even included St Nicholas slapping Arias. He even got jailed for it (Loses his Cool). Eventually Athanasius won the majority, and everyone who would not accept that God so loved the world that for our salvation He did not send one of His creatures to do the dirty work but came Himself(Creed of Christ) was branded a heretic and exiled. Unfortunately, the fighting did not end there. Athanasius and Arius both continued to promote their respective believes. Athanasius was exiled five separate times for his faith, and Arius went on to convert the Goths to Arianism until 525 CE when they were converted to the orthodox view (Creed of Christ). But whether by false motives or true Christ is preached (Philippians 1:14 NIV). The time that followed is known as the road to Chalcedon. Eventually a conclusion was reached by the fourth Ecumenical Council in what is 451 CE by what is today referred to as the Chalcedonian Creed. Creeds are "summaries of the doctrines of the Bible, aids to its sound understanding, bonds of union among their professors, public standards and guards against false doctrine and practice"2 This creed set in place a definition of the essence of The Christ.

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us. (Chalcedonian Definition).

Many people have tried to figure out who God is but is always good to see what the bible has to say about something as well. In the Kenosis Hymn in Philippians 2:6-11 Paul writes about Jesus as the preexisting God who emptied himself by sharing in our humanity by humbling himself and suffering for us. Paul uses Jesus as an example of humility that we should try to imitate, but also exults him as preexistent and being in very nature God. We also know that Jesus came from God as the word made flesh, (John 1:14) and that the word is and has always been God from the beginning (John 1:1).

Because of the love Jesus showed to us we have a path to heaven. Most people today follow the Orthodox belief that Jesus is of the same substance as God. I agree with this because I think the world of Jesus as my savor and wouldnt want to see him lowered to less than God by anyone. The nature of Christ is important to our faith today because accepting Jesus as lord and savior is the main staple on the path to salvation. That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9 KJV). If my savior were anything less than the perfect God of the universe I wouldnt be honored and content to be his servant, I would want to surpass him like Satin tried to do. How far you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to earth, who once laid low the nations!13 You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of mount Zaphon.14 I will ascend to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.15 But you have been brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15 NIV)

The Actions at Nicaea started a great journey known as the road to Chalcedon. The Chalcedonian Definition gives us the orthodox definition of Christs nature we use today. Even though many people have tried to pose theories that make less of Jesus The Christ; God is always working behind the sense, and the vision of The Christs identity we hold now is what he has decided to give us. Biblical support adds weight to this definition, and by applying it to our faith we have a clear path to salvation through our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

 

Reference page

1(Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, (1957), p. 3.): ("Subsistence" is from Gr., hypostasis; Socrates Scholasticus, "Ecclesiastical History," eds. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Ser. 2, Vol. II, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1957), p. 3.)

2(Philip Schaff, ed., The Creeds of Christendom, Vol. 1, 6th ed. rev. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977), p. 8.)

(Chalcidian Definition)https://carm.org/christianity/creeds-and-confessions/chalcedonian-creed-451-ad

(Creed of Christ) https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/athanasius-and-the-creed-of-christ-11629667.html

(Kenosis Hymn)https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Kenosis+Hymn&&view=detail&mid=B7DDAF7783F76A4A7BD3B7DDAF7783F76A4A7BD3&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3DKenosis%2BHymn%26FORM%3DRESTAB

(Loses his Cool) https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/stories-legends/traditional-stories/life-of-nicholas/bishop-nicholas-loses-his-cool

The Arian Controversy https://www.journal33.org/godworld/pdf/arian1.pdf