-6 Min Read
Introduction
Being at the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.), we have decided to go back in time and appreciate this great Christological statement (see part #1 here). Here at HBC, we enjoyed moving from The Apostles’ Creed to reciting the Nicene Creed in our worship throughout the months of November and December. We especially enjoyed it while remembering the incarnation of our Lord during the Christmas season. This is because the Nicene Creed is full of rich language concerning who the Son of God is and helps us understand how to best speak of Him in relation to the other divine persons of the Trinity.
“Homoousios”
…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…
In the previous article, we briefly mentioned some of Origen’s contributions to the development of Trinitarian theology. We are aware of the errors he also produced but still must acknowledge that he helped put forth the formation of eternal generation (also known as eternal begetting). Origen recognized the distinction amongst the Godhead, in that the Father was not begotten, nor the Spirit, but only the Son. Even more, the Spirit does not beget the Son, the Father begets the Son. Origen would write;
“God is the Father of his only-begotten Son, who was born indeed of him, and derives from him what he is, but without any beginning.”
– Origen [1]
This idea of the Son being eternally begotten, (eternal generation), by the Father would help theologians formulate the proper and biblical language of discussing God’s triunity. Origen maintained “the unity of nature and substance belonging to the Father and Son” [2]. What Origen and the Nicene Council affirmed is that the Father, Son, and Spirit have the same substance. They are indeed all three divine in nature and that nature is shared amongst the three.
The Father is truly God, the Son is truly God, and the Spirit is truly God; while not being three different gods but three distinct persons who share the same divine essence and having no beginning. This is why in the Creed we read that the Son of God is “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.”
The Greek word used is homoousios. Homoousios means: “of the same substance or same essence”. Another way we speak about this is through the English word “consubstantial,” which means the same thing as the Greek word homoousios; “of the same substance or same essence.” If one affirms the consubstantiality of the Godhead they are Pro-Nicene in their understanding of the Trinity.
No one throughout church history had to battle more for the Trinity than St. Athanasius. Athanasius himself would put forth a creed and devoted most of his life to defending the deity of Christ from the Arian heresy. It was this language that Athanasius chose to use to combat the false teaching of his day. As Greg Allison notes it was indeed a precise unbiblical language, it was “nonetheless important” and necessary for Athanasius to use [3].
Processions
…And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God.
begotten of the Father before all worlds…
…And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified…
Once we have determined the consubstantiality of the Godhead we need to further discuss the divine processions. The Creed is written in such a way that the signer must affirm the unity of the three divine persons as having a shared nature, all the while affirming their distinctions. The Father did not die on the cross, nor did the Spirit, and nor did the Son send the Father into the world, nor the Spirit.
“We can also confidently affirm that the divine processions uphold the consubstantiality of Father, Son, and Spirit while also maintaining a clear differentiation. Father, Son, and Spirit have the fullness of Godhead, but they are not identicals. The processions suggest intimacy between Father, Son, and Spirit, with uniqueness with regard to how this intimacy is expressed. Eternal generation in particular also entails that the Son is not Son due to the incarnation or resurrection but is eternally so and is therefore best known by this title.”
– Glenn Butner Jr. [4]
Theologians use language such as “begetting” and “breathing” to help articulate the relationship amongst the Godhead. This is because these words are biblical words. Since “spirit” means “breath,” saying that the Father breathes the Spirit fits well, and so we say: “The Father begets the Son and breathes out the Spirit” [5]. This is known as eternal processions. Another word synonymous with “breathing” regarding the Spirit is “spiration”. The Son is eternally generated from the Father and the Spirit is eternally spirated from the Father. Generation and spiration are keywords put forth and used in Pro-Nicene theology by the church fathers.
And yet, we also affirm that the Spirit proceeds “from both the Father and the Son,” as the Creed states. This is known as the Filioque clause of the Nicene Creed. Filioque is a Latin term that means “and the Son” and was added to the Creed in 589 A.D. in Spain. This clause was not in the original Greek text of the Nicene Creed and was so added for clarity.
The best place to go in the Bible to see this teaching is in the Gospel of John. When teaching about the coming of the Holy Spirit Jesus says; “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). But when we turn to the next chapter we find even more clarification.
When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me, and you will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
– John 15:26-27 (LSB)
Conclusion
The theology of the Nicene Creed is far from trivial or optional. One is forced to come to grips with the doctrines and propositions put forth in the creed. There is no middle ground on who the Son of God is and how He relates to the united three-in-one Godhead. The creed is rich and precise in its language, which we can use to our benefit. Reciting the creed is not only helpful for calibrating our minds to properly speak of God, but it is a joy to the Christian! May we continue to recite the Nicene Creed and ponder upon God; Father, Son, and Spirit.
Works Cited
[1-2] Origen, First Principles, 1.3.7, in ANF, 4:255
[3] Gregg R. Allison, Historical Theology, (Zondervan Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 2011), 237
[4] D. Glenn Butner Jr., Trinitarian Dogmatics, (Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI, 2022), 62
[5] Fred Sanders, The Deep Things of God, (Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2017), 97