I mentioned Creeds the other day. I also mentioned Athanasius. History records that the Church Council of Nicaea had written the Nicene Creed which contains these lyrical words, “God of God , Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, one substance (or being) with the Father.”
As soon as it was written, it was attacked. A Greek theologian named Arius argued that God alone was without beginning, and therefore the Son (Jesus) could not be equal to the Father. He called Jesus a demigod, and that was familiar to the world, for Emperors had their demigods, all of them. And Arianism began to take hold as a way of understanding Christianity. It soon had supporters even in government circles.
During this time, Athanasius became Bishop of Alexandria , one of the great centers of learning of the ancient world and one of the outstanding centers of Christianity. Athanasius began to launch broadside after Scriptural broadside against Arianism. He was attacked by Arian sympathizers. They moved to quash him. He prevailed. The emperor, no theologian, ordered Athanasius to accept Arius himself as a priest. Not on your life, was the reply, and the emperor backed down.
The turmoil caused emperor Constantine to exile Athanasius for two years. The first of many, for he was thrown out of his diocese 5 times. A record. His fellow bishops, trying to reach agreement, waffled and wavered, and finally condemned him. But Athanasius kept up a drumbeat of Scripture truth. Finally, in 364, after 39 years of struggle, the pope in Rome confirmed Athanasius in his teaching.
Today, millions of Christians confess their faith in the words of the Nicene Creed, “very God of very God.”
[I quote liberally from “Condemned to Repeat” by Allison, Adams & Hambly]
GPD 3/29/09
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