The Nicene Creed at 1700: A Faith Once Delivered

In the year 325 A.D., bishops from across the Christian world gathered in the ancient city of Nicaea, called there by the Emperor Constantine. The purpose of this convocation was not political pageantry, but theological clarity. The Church, less than a generation removed from centuries of persecution, was now called to define the boundaries of the apostolic faith. What emerged from that Council—revised slightly at Constantinople in 381—was the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, commonly known today as the Nicene Creed. In 2025, we mark the 1700th anniversary of this historic confession.

Far from being a mere liturgical formality, the Nicene Creed remains the cornerstone of Christian orthodoxy. Its concise, bold affirmations safeguard the heart of our faith: the triune nature of God, the full divinity and full humanity of Christ, and the foundational truths of the Church, baptism, resurrection, and the life to come. For Anglicans and all true Christians, the Creed is not only a historical relic but a living confession—a guardrail and a guide.

The Heresy that Provoked a Creed

To appreciate the Nicene Creed, one must understand the context from which it arose. At the center of the controversy was a priest from Alexandria named Arius, who taught that the Son of God, though exalted and unique, was a created being—not co-eternal with the Father. "There was a time when He was not," said Arius. This teaching, spreading rapidly through preaching and song, threatened to divide the Church and unravel the apostolic faith.

The danger of Arianism lay in its subtlety. Arius did not deny Christ outright but diminished Him. His Jesus was close to God, but not God. This demotion struck at the very heart of the Gospel. For if Christ were not truly God, then He could not truly reconcile man to God. The salvation offered through His incarnation, death, and resurrection would be nullified. Only one who is fully God and fully man could stand as Mediator.

Homoousios and the Fight for Orthodoxy

The Council of Nicaea met to address this heresy and to preserve the unity of the Church. Led by figures such as Athanasius, the young deacon and eventual Bishop of Alexandria, the Council insisted that the Son is of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father. This term became the linchpin of the Nicene confession. It declared, without ambiguity, that Jesus Christ is "God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father."

This was no academic exercise. Many of the bishops who gathered at Nicaea bore on their bodies the marks of persecution—scars from chains, beatings, and torture for the sake of Christ. These were not men interested in theological innovation or political gain. They were defenders of the truth who knew that error in Christology is fatal to the Church. They codified the faith they had suffered for.

A Creed for the Whole Church

Unlike local or sectarian confessions, the Nicene Creed was ecumenical in the truest sense. It was meant for the whole Church, East and West, in all places and at all times. Its clauses were drawn directly from Scripture and its truths from the apostolic deposit. Unlike later confessions, it does not emphasize secondary matters or cultural peculiarities. Instead, it articulates the essentials—the pillars upon which Christianity stands or falls.

This universality is why Anglicans, along with Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most classical Protestants, all affirm the Nicene Creed. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer rightly includes it in the liturgy of Holy Communion, underscoring its role in shaping not just doctrine but worship.

A Creed Under Fire

In our time, the Nicene Creed is again under attack—not from Arians with parchment and ink, but from modern theologians, cultural revisionists, and even some clergy who find its claims uncomfortable. The notion of objective truth, a God who is Father, and a Christ who will return to judge the living and the dead—all strike modern ears as quaint at best or offensive at worst.

The temptation is to soften the Creed, to reinterpret it symbolically or mythologically. Yet to do so is to fall into the same error as Arius: to make Jesus less than He is. The Church must resist the cultural pressure to rewrite the Creed, for in doing so, we rewrite the Gospel.

A Creed for the Remnant Church

As the Church in the West confronts post-Christian culture and internal decay, the Nicene Creed offers a rallying point for the remnant faithful. It anchors us to the historic faith when fads and trends threaten to sweep us away. It calls us back to the essentials—God the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of life.

In times of uncertainty, the Creed becomes a shield. When we speak it together, we stand with Athanasius against the world, with the martyrs and confessors, with saints and apostles. We proclaim that the Church is not built on shifting sand but on the rock of revealed truth.

Teaching the Creed Anew

It is imperative that we teach the Creed anew to each generation. Children must learn it by heart, not as a mere recital, but as a lifeline. Adults must understand it—not just its words, but its meaning and implications. Clergy must preach it, not only on Trinity Sunday, but whenever Christology or the doctrine of God is at stake.

Catechesis must return to the foreground of parish life, and the Creed must be its backbone. The Church cannot afford to assume that modern Christians understand who Jesus is or why the Trinity matters. The Nicene Creed answers both with clarity and power.

A Faith Worth Fighting For

As we commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, we do more than remember a historical milestone. We affirm that what was true in 325 is true in 2025. The Creed remains a bulwark against heresy, a summary of the Gospel, and a confession of the faith once delivered to the saints.

Let us not treat it lightly. Let us not mumble it through our teeth or relegate it to ceremony. Let us say it with conviction, live it with courage, and teach it with clarity. For in these words—proclaimed around the world each Lord’s Day—we find the voice of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church echoing through the ages.

And by God’s grace, may we be found faithful.