Today we remember and given thanks for the Ecumenical
Council of Nicaea that began meeting in the early summer of 325 A.D. at Nicaea,
modern day Iznik, Turkey. The Roman
Emperor convened the council in order to address theological questions
regarding the Son of God. The heretic
Arius had said that the Son of God was the highest creation of the Father and
there had been a time when the Son did not exist. This teaching had greatly
disturbed the Church as many were led to believe that the Son was not truly
God. Alexander the bishop of the
Egyptian city of Alexandria and especially his deacon and secretary Athanasius
(who became bishop in 328 A.D. after Alexander’s death) opposed this teaching and
affirmed the biblical truth that the Son is truly God. The council produced the Nicene Creed which
explicitly confessed that the Son is truly God by saying that He is “of one
substance with the Father.”
Collect
of the Day:
Lord God, heavenly Father, at the first
ecumenical Council of Nicaea, Your Church boldly confessed that it believed in
one Lord Jesus Christ as being of one substance with the Father. Grant us courage to confess this saving faith
with Your Church through all the ages; through Jesus
Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
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