On the Symbol of Faith (The Nicene Creed)
The Divinity of the Word
By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
In the fourth century, after the cessation of the persecutions, a great disturbance broke out in the Church due to the heresy of Arius, who was a presbyter of the Church of Alexandria and taught that Christ is not true God, but a creation, the first creation of God.
In fact, this heresy came from theologians who preceded Arius, who, using Greek philosophy, tried to reconcile how God is one and at the same time three. One cannot accept this with logic, but only with faith from vision and faith from hearing.
When this theological problem arose, there was a great discussion, Arius was condemned by the Synod in Alexandria and then he was also condemned by the First Ecumenical Synod in 325 in Nicaea of Bithynia. Therefore, the second article of the Symbol of Faith was drawn up, which reads as follows:
"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made."
The interpretation is as follows:
"I believe also in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Who was born of the Father before all ages; Who is light and was born of light (the Father), and is the true God born from the true God (the Father), He was born, not created, He has the same essence with the Father, and through Him all things were made."
In this article, the entire Christology is presented very briefly, that is, the entire teaching of the Church about Christ.
First of all, Christ is characterized as "Lord Jesus Christ." "Lord" means the Sovereign, because together with His Father and the Holy Spirit they created the world and rule it. Thus, "Lord" refers to His divine nature. "Jesus" refers to the human nature, which was deified from the divine nature, and means Savior. "Christ" denotes the Anointed One, since the divine nature anointed the human nature and thus we have the God-man Christ.
Then, Christ is described as "the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages." This confession was placed in the Symbol of Faith because Arius considered that the Son was created in time by the Father and is not true God. Thus the phrase "before all ages," before the creation of the world and before the creation of the angels, and indeed the word "only-begotten" is a feature of the divinity of the Son and Word of God. This is also seen in the phrase "begotten not created," since the Son was born of the Father and was not created by Him. Birth is one thing and creation is another. For example, a cabinet maker with his art makes furniture, but as a father he gives birth to children. This is the difference between the birth of the Son before all ages and the creation of the world in time.
In this perspective the Son and Word of God is "of one essence" with the Father, that is, he has the same essence with Him, while all creation does not have the same essence with the Father, so there is a clear difference between the Son of God and creation, including man. The Son of God is uncreated, while the whole world is created.
Of course, we do not know the essence of God, but we know that the Son has the same energy with God the Father, therefore He also has the same essence, and from the energies we know God. This is what the phrase "Light from Light" indicates, since the Father is uncreated Light, non-created, and the Son was born from the Father and is Light. How do we know this?
For example, the three Disciples on Mount Tabor saw the Light that proceeded from the body of Christ, and this Light was the Light of divinity; they heard the voice of the Father, who shone as an unapproachable Light, who said: "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him" (Mark 8:7), and the Holy Spirit appeared as a bright cloud. Thus, the divinity of the Son and Word of God was revealed to His Disciples, that is, Christ Himself revealed the glory of His divinity. That is why the Disciples confessed that He is "Light from Light, true God from true God," He is not a false God, nor an abstract idea.
Furthermore, at this point, where the Symbol of Faith refers to the divinity of the Word, it is confessed that "through whom all things were made." This is a continuation of the first article of the Symbol of Faith, in which it is written that the world was made by the Father, in order to refute the theories of the Gnostics. However, here is also added "through whom all things were made," in order to contradict the cacodoxy of the Arians, that the Son is the first creature of creation, that the Son was created in time by the Father, as some mediating first creature between God and matter, because he is a creation different from the Father and as subject to change he is ignorant of the Father.
Thus, in the Symbol of Faith we confess that Christ is the Son of God, the true God. This is the basic confession of our faith.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
In fact, this heresy came from theologians who preceded Arius, who, using Greek philosophy, tried to reconcile how God is one and at the same time three. One cannot accept this with logic, but only with faith from vision and faith from hearing.
When this theological problem arose, there was a great discussion, Arius was condemned by the Synod in Alexandria and then he was also condemned by the First Ecumenical Synod in 325 in Nicaea of Bithynia. Therefore, the second article of the Symbol of Faith was drawn up, which reads as follows:
"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made."
The interpretation is as follows:
"I believe also in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Who was born of the Father before all ages; Who is light and was born of light (the Father), and is the true God born from the true God (the Father), He was born, not created, He has the same essence with the Father, and through Him all things were made."
In this article, the entire Christology is presented very briefly, that is, the entire teaching of the Church about Christ.
First of all, Christ is characterized as "Lord Jesus Christ." "Lord" means the Sovereign, because together with His Father and the Holy Spirit they created the world and rule it. Thus, "Lord" refers to His divine nature. "Jesus" refers to the human nature, which was deified from the divine nature, and means Savior. "Christ" denotes the Anointed One, since the divine nature anointed the human nature and thus we have the God-man Christ.
Then, Christ is described as "the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages." This confession was placed in the Symbol of Faith because Arius considered that the Son was created in time by the Father and is not true God. Thus the phrase "before all ages," before the creation of the world and before the creation of the angels, and indeed the word "only-begotten" is a feature of the divinity of the Son and Word of God. This is also seen in the phrase "begotten not created," since the Son was born of the Father and was not created by Him. Birth is one thing and creation is another. For example, a cabinet maker with his art makes furniture, but as a father he gives birth to children. This is the difference between the birth of the Son before all ages and the creation of the world in time.
In this perspective the Son and Word of God is "of one essence" with the Father, that is, he has the same essence with Him, while all creation does not have the same essence with the Father, so there is a clear difference between the Son of God and creation, including man. The Son of God is uncreated, while the whole world is created.
Of course, we do not know the essence of God, but we know that the Son has the same energy with God the Father, therefore He also has the same essence, and from the energies we know God. This is what the phrase "Light from Light" indicates, since the Father is uncreated Light, non-created, and the Son was born from the Father and is Light. How do we know this?
For example, the three Disciples on Mount Tabor saw the Light that proceeded from the body of Christ, and this Light was the Light of divinity; they heard the voice of the Father, who shone as an unapproachable Light, who said: "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him" (Mark 8:7), and the Holy Spirit appeared as a bright cloud. Thus, the divinity of the Son and Word of God was revealed to His Disciples, that is, Christ Himself revealed the glory of His divinity. That is why the Disciples confessed that He is "Light from Light, true God from true God," He is not a false God, nor an abstract idea.
Furthermore, at this point, where the Symbol of Faith refers to the divinity of the Word, it is confessed that "through whom all things were made." This is a continuation of the first article of the Symbol of Faith, in which it is written that the world was made by the Father, in order to refute the theories of the Gnostics. However, here is also added "through whom all things were made," in order to contradict the cacodoxy of the Arians, that the Son is the first creature of creation, that the Son was created in time by the Father, as some mediating first creature between God and matter, because he is a creation different from the Father and as subject to change he is ignorant of the Father.
Thus, in the Symbol of Faith we confess that Christ is the Son of God, the true God. This is the basic confession of our faith.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
