Council of Nicaea

OBJECTIVE

  • The objective of today's lesson is to introduce the Eighth Graders to the Arian heresy, the Church's and Empire's approach to the issues caused, the formulation of the Nicene Creed, and the legacy of the Council thereafter.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

  • In a school district in a small town, a certain high school teacher told his students that (something wrong/inaccurate)
  • People started to hear about what the teacher was telling his students, and when the principal of the school found out, he had him removed. The teacher, however, got a job at another school district that seemed to agree with what he was teaching.
  • Confusion was growing in the city, as many parents and students from different parts of the city were hearing multiple rumors. So, the mayor held a conference with all of the principals and teachers from the local districts to discuss and settle the situation. At the large conference, one of the principals took the lead and made the case as to why what this teacher was saying was incorrect. After a long debate and a vote, and the schools and their leaders decided to come up with a mission statement to clearly identify their values and philosophies.
  • Just like this group of educators gathered and discussed what was being taught in their school, the Church Fathers gathered in the ecumenical councils to resolve disagreements in the Church over what was being taught about Christ. Similar to the leading principal in the story, Pope Alexander presided over Nicaea.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:10-25).

Memory Verse: "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Co. 1:10)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

Arian Heresy

  • In 318, a Melitian priest named Arius taught that the Son was not coeternal with the Father
  • Arius was very confused by the expression that Jesus was the Only-Begotten of the Father and thought it meant that the Father created the Son as the perfect creature, above humans but below the Father
  • Ultimately his heresy could be described in the phrase "There was a time when the Son was not"

Dispute between Alexander and Arius

  • Pope Peter heard Arius' teachings, condemned him, and did not allow him to serve as a priest
  • Peter's successor Achillas allowed Arius to be restored as a priest
  • Following the departure of Achillas, Arius nominated himself as his successor, but the Church decided on Alexander to become her next patriarch
  • Arius raged against Alexander and attempted to gain popularity with his heresy
  • Alexander attempted to reason with Arius, but when the patriarch realized the heretic could not be convinced, he called together a local council of one hundred Egyptian bishops to condemn the heretical teachings
  • Ultimately, Arius was removed from his priestly office and excommunicated from the church in 321 AD.
  • Despite this ex-communication, Arius continued to spread the Arian heresy with the support of Eusebius of Nicomedia, particularly throughout Alexandria

Events Leading up to Nicaea

  • Emperor Constantine, in an effort to resolve the discord, asked his religious counselor, Bishop Hosius, to deliver a letter to Alexander and Arius asking them to make peace
  • Emperor Constantine had already decided as early as 324 that he would call together an ecumenical council
  • When Bishop Hosius failed to resolve the issue, he called together a council at Antioch in 325 to consider and endorse Alexander's Alexandrian Council of 321
  • Constantine decided to call together the churches of the East and West for an Ecumenical council in Nicaea to be set for May 325

Attendees of the Council

  • The Council of Nicaea was the First Ecumenical Council.
    • An ecumenical council is a council where every church sends a representative to meet.
    • The Church spread across the Roman Empire, which was divided between the East and the West
    • Therefore representatives from the East and West attended this Council
  • There were 318 bishops present, as well as deacon Athanasius, Emperor Constantine, and Arius.

Events at the Council

  • Since only Bishops were allowed to speak and since Arius was not a bishop, his ally Eusebius of Nicomedia presented the Arian case
  • Eusebius believed once he explained Arius' position, everyone would agree with him and turn against Alexander
  • However, once Eusebius explained the Arius heresy, the council turned against Eusebius and Arius and began to come up with a "formula" or "Creed" that expressed the Orthodox Faith

Nicene Creed

  • All the Fathers of the Council gathered together with Constantine and drafted a document that expressed the correct faith of the Orthodox Church, highlighting the equality between the Father and the Son and maintaining the divinity of the Son as the second person of the Trinity
  • This document is known today as the Nicene Creed and expresses the true faith understood by the Fathers at Nicaea
    • Although the Nicene Creed accurately reflects our Orthodox Faith, it is not the same Creed that we recite today in Liturgy
    • The Creed we recite today in Liturgy is associated with the Constantinopolitan-Nicene Creed, known as the "Orthodox Creed," which will be discussed next week
  • Constantine and Bishop Hosius suggested that the word "Substance" or "Homousious" be used to express the relationship between the Father and the Son
    • The Creed explains that the Father and the Son are one substance, meaning both persons are God
    • This answers Arius' heresy, which purported that the Son was of a different "substance" than the Father i.e. not God but a perfect creature
  • The Nicene Creed also included a section called "Anathemas," which outright condemned the Arian heresy and any person who claimed that "there was a time when the Son was not"

Signing of the Creed

  • All the bishops present signed except for two Libyan bishops and Arius.
  • As a result, Arius was exiled by Constantine.
  • Fearing exile, Bishop Eusebius of Nicomedia, Bishop Theognios of Nicaea, and Bishop Maris of Chalcedon signed the Creed but not the Anathemas.

Canons

  • Besides the Orthodox Creed, the Council looked to other issues such as Church Structure, celebration of Easter, forgiveness of those who lapsed during persecutions (denied their faith), and other heresies still practiced from that time since the third century
  • A canon is a rule by the church for everyone to follow
  • There were twenty Canons in total, which are organized as follows:
    • Church Structure: Canons 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, and 16.
    • Dignity of the Clergy: Canons 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, and 17.
    • Reconciliation or acceptance of those who denied the faith during persecutions: Canons 11, 12, 13, and 14.
    • Reconciliation or readmission of heretics and schismatics: Canons 8 and 19.
    • Liturgical matters: Canons 18 and 20

Aftermath

  • The doctrinal definition of the Nicene Council was not universally accepted throughout the Church for a long time.
  • The Arian controversy raged for over five more decades, and several Christian emperors in this period gave their support to Arianism.
  • Because of this, those who believed in the Nicene Faith were greatly persecuted.
  • Arius would eventually be allowed to return, but would die before ever taking communion
  • Athanasius would go on to defend the Nicene faith and further compel support of the Creed till his departure in 373 AD.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

  • What is an Ecumenical Council?
  • What document came out of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, and why was it important?
  • What do you think is the best way to handle disagreements? What are the important topics to disagree about, and what are not? (Examples) *** *** Important: matters of the faith, upholding Christian values, etc. Not important: which movie to watch, etc.

LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes

  • The Fathers of the church preserved the faith handed down to them by the Apostles, who received it from Christ
  • Nicaea demonstrated a time when the Church united against heresy to preserve the Orthodox faith and memorialize its belief in the Nicene Creed so that all Christians may know and live according to the true and accurate faith
  • The Church emphasizes the unity of faith to baptism, having all persons baptized learn and study the Creed
    • Even in the Agpeya and Liturgical prayers, we continue to recite the Creed so that we may continue to affirm our faith everyday in the Holy Trinity
  • Our faith is not only demonstrated in our words, but also in our actions
    • We continue to put the works of salvation before us everyday as we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Human Knot

  • The ideal group size is around ten players, but the game works well with from seven to twenty players.
  • The more people playing the game, the more difficult it is to unravel the Human Knot due to complexity and physical proximity.
  • If your group is larger than twenty, divide the players into two groups to form the knots. Make sure there is plenty of space between the two groupings.
  • When the group(s) have been formed, ask players to form a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder.
  • Have each player extend their left hand and take the left hand of another player in the group, but NOT of the person immediately next to them.
  • Then have each player extend their right hand and take a different person's hand.
  • Explain to the players that they are not to let go of each other's hands while they untangle themselves.
  • Players may change their grip to be able to move comfortably, but they are not to unclasp and re-clasp their hands, because then the circle would be broken.
  • The goal is for the students to work together to untangle their human knot as a group/team.
  • There will come times where different members disagree on the next appropriate step.
  • Tell the students to practice gently, patiently, and humbly addressing these disagreements.

SERVANT RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Please encourage and help your child to learn and memorize the Orthodox Creed if they have not already
  • Consider reciting the Orthodox Creed with your child during the Agpeya prayers in the morning and midnight hours