1. Tony Arsenal July 20th, 2014 – Windsor Locks Congregational Church
The Nicene Creed and the Chalcedonian Definition: What They Are, and Why You Should Care
Tony Arsenal
July 20th, 2014 – Windsor Locks Congregational Church

2. Where Are We In Terms of Understanding the Trinity and the Incarnation?
If pressed to explain the logical coherence of the Doctrine of the Trinity, could we do so?
If pressed to explain the logical coherence of the Doctrine of the Incarnation (Hypostatic Union), could we do so?
What analogies or explanations might we use?
“If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

3. Where We are Going: Today’s Objectives
Explain the historical development of the Niceno-Constantinoplitian Creed and the Chalcedonian Definitions
Describe and explain the content of these vital statements of Christian faith
Provide a practical account of the role these doctrines play in our doxology
Provide concrete boundaries to protect us from heretical ways of thinking

4. Organizing Principle
Jesus had to be who he was, to do what he did, to save us the way the Bible describes
If Jesus wasn’t God, he couldn’t be a worthy sacrifice
If Jesus wasn’t Human, he couldn’t be a proper substitute
Therefore: Jesus must truly be God and truly be human
Originally a modification by Donald Fairbairn used in class to expand on a statement by Jaroslav Pelikan as an Organizing Principle in The Christian Tradition, I have further modified it
Pelikan, Jaroslav (1973), The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition ( ), University of Chicago Press

5. The Allegory of the Cave – Plato’s Republic: Book VII
A group of people are chained in place facing the wall of a cave
On the wall a shadow is projected of various shapes
One day, one is freed and turns around realizing that the shadows were just a representation of the shapes being projected
As he leaves the cave he sees actual examples of the things the shapes were patterned after, and realizes that the shapes were just representations
He uses his reasoning to surmise that the actual examples he sees must be representations of something even more real

6. Important Terms Threeness Oneness Prosopon Hypostasis Physis Ousia
Face / Mask: Referred to the mask used by Greek actors in the theater
Not used by any orthodox group
The shadows on the wall
“Personality / Center-of-Consciousness”
Hypostasis
A concrete, discrete, and discernable entity who is defined or classified by the kind of nature it bears
Came to be used in reference to the way that the divine persons are different from each other
The shapes projecting the shadows or the things the shapes were fashioned after
“Person / Entity”
Physis
The internal nature of a Hypostasis
Sometimes refers to the unique nature of a Hypostasis
The examples of things found outside the cave
“Nature”
Ousia
The ultimate nature of a Hypostasis
That which makes two entities of a given type related to each other
That which the Cave-Dweller reasoned must exist
“Essence / Substance”
These two terms came to be used as interchangeable Synonyms
Oneness

7. Chronological Landscape
As the New Testament documents began to be viewed as a cohesive whole, the Church was confronted with the fact that there were two seemingly contradictory truths that were being taught
There is one God
There are three entities that are called God
The Three are not the same entity by called by different names
These two truths were held together in early Trinitarian statements
Most prominent is Tertullian’s statement in Adversus Praxean (Against Praxeus)
First to explicitly use the term Trinitas
Also first to use terms “Substance” and “Subsistance” to describe the Oneness and Threeness
Classical Definition is that there is one divine nature, and that this one nature is shared by three eternal persons

8. Chronological Landscape
As the Church began to grow, competing understandings of the unified Biblical presentation of one God and three Persons began to emerge
Modalism / Static Monarchianism / Unitarianism
There is one Person who presents himself in three different ways at three different times
Adoptionism / Arianism / Dynamic Monarchianism
The God of the Old Testament is the Father
The Son is a lesser being who is either divine in a subordinate way to the Father, or was elevated to a place of divinity at some point (Baptism, Transfiguration, or Resurrection are the most common)
These positions were rejected at the first Council of Nicaea in AD 325

9. Chronological Landscape
Once it was established that the Son was coessential, coeternal, and conglorious with the Father questions began to rise regarding the human nature of Jesus, as well as the status of the Holy Spirit.
Apollinarianism – The divine Son / Logos takes the place of the human rational soul (seat of the Intellect) rendering Jesus a human / divine hybrid
Gnosticism – The Son inhabits a human body or human person temporarily but abandons/escapes that human body or person on the cross
Docetism – The Son appears to be human, but in reality is not (Comes from the Greek Word δοκέω / dokeō)
Pneumatomachian / Macedonians – Resisted the idea that the Holy Spirit was Homoousious with the Father.
Semi-Arians – Tended to affirm that the Son was coeternal and conglorious, but resisted the idea that he was coessential
Homoians / Homoiousians – Due to (primarily) linguistic challenges, resisted the use of Homoousious to describe the coessential status of the Son.

10. Chronological Landscape
These positions (except the Homoiousians) were rejected at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381
(Primarily) linguistic dispute between Homoousians and Homoiousians was resolved by a synod in AD 367
The original Creed of Nicaea was slightly modified and reaffirmed at this council, leaving us with what is now known as the Niceno-Constantinoplitian Creed.
This creed has been used with essentially no modification since it was ratified in AD 381

11. Chronological Landscape
Once the Trinitarian Controversy was resolved, the question turned to the unique reality of the Incarnation
It was difficult to understand how a single person could genuinely possess two natures
The Church had held from a very early point that Christ was truly God and truly Man
Once again, various explanations of how this was possible began to develop contrary to the general, albeit broadly defined, concensus

12. Chronological Landscape
Nestorianism
Denied the use of the term Theotokos (God-Bearer) in reference to Mary
Argued that Jesus is not only a union of two natures, but is actually a union of two persons bearing those natures
Primarily argued against by Cyril of Alexandria who argued that Jesus must be a union of two natures in a single person in order to avoid Soteriological problems regarding atonement (if only a human person died, then the sacrifice was not sufficient)
Nestorianism was declared heretical by the Council of Ephesus in AD 431

13. Chronological Landscape
Eutychianism
Argued that although Jesus possessed two natures, the human nature was so insignificant in relation to the divine nature that it effectively did not exist
Compared the relationship between the natures as a drop of vinegar placed into the ocean
Effectively posited a scenario where rather than two genuine human natures, there was instead a hybrid nature that was mostly divine
This position was rejected by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451
The Church formulated a definition of the Hypostatic Union in AD 451 which came to be known as the Chalcedonian Definition
This definition was considered formally binding, but did not hold the same force as the Creed
Seen primarily as an explanatory statement clarifying what the Nicene Creed meant in its Christological statements

14. The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. 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, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

15. Content of the Nicene Creed – The Father
The Father, as an individual hypostasis, is given priority in the Creed
Following the New Testament language, which nearly always refers to the Father when using the word “God,” considers the Father to be the one God
It also establishes God as the primary Agent in the creative act, and sources all created beings in the will of the Father
The use of the phrase “visible and invisible” is a mereism which means “all things” and includes both the material and immaterial

16. Content of the Nicene Creed – The Son
The section on the Son is the longest, and operates to establish the divinity of the Son in three specific ways
By stating that the Son shares in the sovereignty of the Father
By stating that the Son shares a common nature with the Father
By stating that the Son participates instrumentally in the Father’s creative act
It affirms that the Son was begotten, but not made, affirming that the Son has an eternal personal origin in the Father, but was not created
It also includes a section which identifies specific historical events that were central to the work of Christ, rendering them prerequisite for orthodoxy
It closes by including specific yet-to-come events that also are required for orthodox Christian faith

17. Content of the Nicene Creed – The Spirit
Like the section regarding the Son the divinity of the Spirit is primarily established by connecting the Spirit with the nature and activity of the Father and Son
Associated with the shared sovereignty of the Father and Son
Associated with the shared nature of the Father by means of procession / ex- spiration
The Creed indicates that we are to worship the Spirit along with the Father and Son
Indicates that the Spirit was the primary inspiration of the Prophets, and by extension the Scriptures
The Filioque (and the Son) was added formally in the 12th century, bringing about the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches

18. Content of the Nicene Creed – The Rest
One holy, catholic, and apostolic Church
One: The Church is a single entity, not a collection of independent entities
Holy: The Church is an entity that is made and being made holy by God
Catholic: The Church is universal, primarily meaning that it is not geographically restricted
Apostolic: The Church is an entity that finds it origin in the Apostles of Jesus Christ
One Baptism
Baptism is a sacrament that is not to be repeated
This was confirmed in a later controversy with the Donatists
This includes people who were baptized in Christian denominations that we disagree with (Roman Catholic) or were baptized as infants when we believe they should be baptized as adults
This would not include people who were baptized in “Christian” cults that deny specifically the content of this Creed (Trinity and Hypostatic Union)
Coming Hope
We will be bodily raised from the dead
We will live in a renewed heaven and earth

19. The Chalcedonian Definition
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body;of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

20. Contents of the Chalcedonian Definition
Prologue / Introduction
Establishes that this is considered a continuation or explanation of the Nicene Creed
Interaction between the two natures of Christ
Both natures are complete contra Eutychianism
His divine nature is complete, but his human nature is also complete
The Four Negations
The One Affirmation

21. The Four Negations
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

22. The One Affirmation
Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

23. The Trinity
There is one God, who is the Sovereign and Creator of all created things
This one God has a Son who shares in the activity, nature, and sovereignty of his Father, meaning that he is also God
From this one God also processes a Spirit who shares in the activity, nature, and sovereignty of God, meaning that he is also God
The radical and unparalleled unity of these three Persons is such that even though they are three Persons, they do not constitute three separate Gods
We worship these three divine persons rather than worshiping the divine nature
There are three subjects who act in the Trinity, not one

24. The Incaration (Hypostatic Union)
The Second person of the Trinity existed eternally as a distinct, concrete, and complete person in whom subsisted the divine nature
The Second person of the Trinity took on a complete human nature without sacrificing any properties of the divine nature
This Second person of the Trinity was born, lived, died, was raised, and eternally subsists according to that nature
The person who lived, died, was raised, and in whom eternally subsists a human nature is the same person who eternally existed and in whom eternally subsists the divine nature
There is only one subject who acts, not two

25. Trinitarian Doxology
We almost instinctively worship in proper Trinitarian fashion
Typical Kevin Prayer
Dear God…
Thank you for giving your Son…
Thank you for sealing us with your Holy Spirit…
Hymnology
Many hymns follow a Trinitarian model with one stanza each dedicated to each Person and a final stanza dedicated to the Godhead or Trinity as a group
Interpersonal Relationships
We instinctively know that the God we worship is a Person, not an impersonal abstract nature. Where we sometimes go wrong is we treat God as one person, rather than as a community of three persons.

26. Orthodox Christian Theology
Mind the Bumpers
Unitarianism / Modalism
Too Much Oneness
Three Divine Persons Sharing a Single Divine Nature
Eutychianism
Orthodox Christian Theology
Nestorianism
Natures Not Distinct
Natures Treated as Persons
One Divine Person Who Added To Himself a True Human Nature
Tritheism / Polytheism
Too Much Threeness

27. For Further Study
Fairbairn, Donald (2009), Life in the Trinity, Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press
Ferguson, Everett (2013), Church History: From Christ to the Pre- Reformation I, Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Nichols, Stephen (2007), For Us and for Our Salvation, Wheaton: Crossway Books
Trueman, Carl (2012), The Creedal Imperative, Wheaton: Crossway Books
Young, Frances; Teal, Andrew (2010), From Nicaea to Chalcedon (Second ed.), Grand Rapids: Baker Academic

28. Bibliography
Fairbairn, Donald (Summer 2013), Course: Patristic Theology, South Hamilton: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
– (Summer 2011), Course: The Trinitarian and Christological Controversies, South Hamilton: Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Ferguson, Everett (2013), Church History: From Christ to the Pre- Reformation I, Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Pelikan, Jaroslav (1973), The Christian Tradition: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition ( ) I, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Trueman, Carl (2012), The Creedal Imperative, Wheaton: Crossway Books
Young, Frances; Teal, Andrew (2010), From Nicaea to Chalcedon (Second ed.), Grand Rapids: Baker Academic