Today was the first Sunday after Easter. Just like last year, it was cold and misty on Mount Olympus. At church, it was and about 54°F. We had 19 members who braved the cool wet weather to worship our Lord.
Father Acker’s Pre-Service Class - Around the Bible in 140 days by popular demand
Today continued the twenty week tour of the Bible, 10 minutes of teaching each Sunday, beginning at 8:30am. The class started with one of the Collects for the Day, applicable to the subject at hand, in this case the Second Sunday in Advent:
BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Second Sunday of Advent BCPp92
We have been making our way through the Bible and are now at the Second of the two Books of Samuel. The First Book of Samuel covered the story of David and Goliath, the fall of Tall Saul. The Second Book of Samuel tells us how David forges a united monarchy, the story of David, Bathsheba and Uriah and finally David’s conflict with his son Absalom.
Before we go further, the question of dating should be discussed. The dates that are derived from the biblical records are close, but do not coincide completely with archeological dating. That is not so surprising given the distance in time and the lack of historical records due to the coming and going of civilizations. Based on dates derived from the Bible, the Exodus occurred in the year 1446 BC. Archeological data indicates the date was more likely actually 1290 BC during the rein of Ramses II. Given the errors in going back to establish the Year of Our Lord (Anno Domine) which resulted in the date actually being off by three to six years. The real point is given the Bible’s intention was not to track time, it is amazingly close.
David’s rise to kingship took some time, he lamented the death of Saul and his son, his close friend Jonathon. David’s kingship started in the south, in the Judean Hill Country and spread over all Israel. He moved his capital to Jerusalem and established a unified kingdom. He began a series of strategic battles for the Via Maris (Way of the Sea) the commerce route.
Anointed King & Sinner
The following spring, “at the time of the year when kings usually go to war”, David sent Joab with his officers and the Israelite army…David himself stayed behind in Jerusalem. (2Sam11.1) David got up from his nap…as he walked [on the palace roof] he saw a woman taking a bath in her house…David sent…to get her... (vss.2-4)
Bathsheba was daughter of Eliam, who became the wife of Uriah the Hittite, and afterward of David, by whom she became the mother of Solomon. The real meaning of the Hebrew form of the name "Bathsheba" is not clear. The story of David's seduction of Bathsheba, told in II Samuel 11: et seq., is omitted in Chronicles. The king, while walking on the roof of his house, saw Bathsheba, who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, taking a bath. He immediately desired her. David then committed adultery with her and she conceived. In an effort to cover up his sin, David summoned Uriah from the army (with whom he was on campaign) in the hopes that Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba, and thus the child could be passed off as his. However, Uriah was unwilling to violate the ancient kingdom rule applying to warriors in active service. Rather than go home to his own bed, he preferred to remain with the palace troops. After repeated efforts to get Uriah to lie with Bathsheba, the king gave the order to his general, Joab, that Uriah should be abandoned during a heated battle, and left to the hands of the enemy. Ironically, David had Uriah himself unknowingly carry the message that ordered his death. After Uriah was gone, David made the now widowed Bathsheba his wife.
David's action was displeasing to the Lord, who accordingly sent Nathan the Prophet to reprove the king. After relating the parable of the rich man who took away the one little ewe lamb of his poor neighbor (II Samuel 12:1-6), and exciting the king's anger against the unrighteous act, the prophet applied the case directly to Da vid's action with regard to Bathsheba. The king at once confessed his sin and expressed sincere repentance. Bathsheba's child by David was smitten with a severe illness and died at a few days old, which the king accepted as his punishment. However, Nathan also noted that David's house would be cursed with turmoil because of this murder. This came to pass years later when one of David's much-loved sons, Absalom, led an insurrection that plunged the kingdom into civil war. Moreover, to manifest his claim to be the new King, Absalom had sex in public with ten of his father's concubines - which could be considered a direct, tenfold Divine retribution for David's taking away the woman of another man. In David's old age Bathsheba secures the succession of her son Solomon instead of David's eldest surviving son, Adonijah. (I Kings 1:11-31).
King though he was, David was a flawed man. He forced himself on Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, an officer in his army who was in battle, while he stayed in Jerusalem. David impregnated Bathsheba. When it became apparent she was with child, he arranged the murder U riah in battle and covered up that murder by having Uriah’s squad killed in a similar manner. We know this because while you can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, you can’t fool God.
Nathan the Prophet came forward to put David straight. David repented but suffered the consequences, nonetheless.
David’s favorite son, Absalom, was set to be the next king. Absalom’s sister is raped by another of David’s sons. Absalom kills the rapist. For some reason, it is considered “murder” rather than just punishment. An arrest warrant is issued, rather than execute the warrant, David flees to avoid killing his favorite son. General Joab of David’s army kills Absalom and David is a broken man.
Jan Macauley read the Epistle which came from the first general epistle of Saint John, beginning at the Fourth Verse of the Fifth Chapter:
WHATSOEVER is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
The Gospel for this Sunday came from the Twentieth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint John beginning at the Nineteenth verse:
THE same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Sermon
From today’s Gospel, “The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. … Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost …”
To fulfill the promise of Christ and the promise made to Him, we must live our lives as true Christians. The world searches anxiously for role models. Wherever we are and whatever we do, we must to it to the Glory of God and in a manner which will reflect great credit upon ourselves and the World of Christ. For in us, Christ can be seen, even so I send you.
“What can I do, I’m only a kid?” The younger you are, the greater the effect you can have on the world around you. The world expects you to be self-centered; Christ does not.
The “Peace” that Christ left us is not the feel good hippy ‘peace’, the flower power all for me ‘peace’, rather He left that “Peace of God, which passeth all understanding that we might keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and thus receive continually the Blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost who will be amongst us and remain with us always, that we as Christians might continue on that mission upon which Christ as sent us.”
Jesus asks us to commit to a life of personal holiness. Not a life of ‘holier than thou’, but a life as the instrument of God’s grace to not only bring ourselves closer to Him, but others also. He expects we will fall short, but not aim low.
Take the Peace which Christ gave you and do something with it TODAY.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
We had no reported anniversaries today. We did celebrate Father Acker’s 52nd birthday with him. As Senior Warden, Ben Lizak traditionally does the birthday prayer with the priest.
Father Acker was apparently a math minor in college and made the counting as hard as he could. Ben, ever the gentleman, promises not to get even, but rather to get ahead!
After Church Hospitality
Alice Acker brought manifold goodies today. There was gingerbread cake (low carb / diabetic friendly and very tasty, with whipped topping, two kinds of cookies, both with chocolate, one with M&M’s and for those who don’t like the foregoing, huge strawberries. And mentioned separately because they were so good, malt and lightly chocolate robin’s eggs [the very best!].
Command Master Chief Brewer Macauley was back brewing wonderful coffee while Barista Ben Lizak stood by. Father Acker managed to get up early enough to make his famous low carb lemonade.
New Nametags
We had no new nametags today.
People in our Prayers
If you are on our prayer list, or you have submitted a person for us to pray for, please update Father Acker in person, by telephone or e-mail. It helps to be able to pray specifically for these individuals including their specific needs; plus if they get better, it is good to give thanks!
Please note that on the green or orange cards at church, you can ask that those to be prayed for have their names disseminated to the “prayer team”, those names will be said in church and appear here. Or, your can ask that the names and purpose be kept confidential, then only Father Acker will know to pray for them.
Travel
Ken is on travel this week.
Sick or in need of healing
Repose of the Soul
Annie’s brother Raymond passed away on Tuesday 18 March 2008
Walt and Fran’s friend Jack Mathias
Healing
Caroline (age 10 leukemia reoccurrence), Betty, Annie, Salvador (cancer), Betty, Marge, Uni, Bethany (collision), Greg (shoulder surgery), Kathy, Richard, Christian, Trish, Marie, Wanda, Sarah, Tina, Mark, Lois, Jennette, Linn, Gary, Delores, Anna, Ruth, Theresa, Don (post surgery), Melanie, Connie, Tom, Crystal, Thomas, Hadley, Diane, Norm, Gregory, Terri, Mary, Edward, Bert, Jesusa (difficult pregnancy), Sheila, Michele, Marybeth (broken foot, stroke), Bill (infection), Kevin, Bruce, Susanne, Paul (stroke), Ralph (eyes), Allison (kidney)
Kay Denton (Mrs. Kay) – Hospitalized with heart, kidney and lung difficulties with fluid buildup on the lungs and what may be a form of septic arthritis. Please pray for the fluid to dissipate and for her heart to regain regularity. Also, please pray for her to regain her positive attitude. As always, she retains her trust in the Lord, she is just a bit down on things of this earth. Pray also for Mrs. Kay’s family and her close friend Len who are under great stress that they might also keep their trust in the Lord.
Guidance
Christiana, Alexander, Breyana, Vie, Asha, Cory, Heather, Holly, Ken, Maruja, Stella, Shelly, William, Joe, Alexander, Jonathan, Phil, Sandy, Larraine, Brad, Brian, Cindi, Uni, Jennifer, Greg, Ed, Ruthie, Rick, Carol, Susan, Curtis, Stephen, Donny, Chris, Andrew, Keith, Jeff, Penny
Homebound/Aged and Infirm
Mary, Donna, Betty, Noko, Adelaide, Evelyn, Lorraine, Ellie, Walter
Armed Forces & Contractors
Tillman, Patrick, Justin, Tim, Evan, Jim, Jason, JR, Matt, Phillip
The Nicene Creed
Every Sunday, Father Acker says, let us say together the statement of our faith, The Nicene Creed, found on Page 71 of the Book of Common Prayer. If we are going to call it the Statement of Our Faith, perhaps we should have a better understanding of what it means. First, the 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 his 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 and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father: And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both 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 proceedeth from the Father and the Son; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets: And I believe one 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.
What does it mean? Three explanations follow
The First Explanation
The Nicene Creed: Ancient Symbol of the Catholic Faith
The Nicene Creed is the symbol of belief for Christians of all regions and denominations. The Nicene Creed is also called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, because the complete present form of the creed was defined by bishops in both Nicaea and Constantinople. Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants all revere the ancient Nicene creed. The Nicene creed was written in AD 325 and completed in its present form in AD 381. Over 300 Church leaders from all over the world gathered to write the creed. It was written in response to a heresy called "Arianism" that denied Jesus was fully God. The Nicene Creed is ultimately about the Trinity, but it also affirms historical realities of Jesus' life. The creed is purposely based on the Bible, and its ideas are found in Scripture. We have broken the creed down line by line with explanations.
I Believe in One God
As Christians, we, like Jews and Muslims, believe that one God exists. The creed states the assumption of the Shema: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Notice the English translation of the creed says "we" believe. The creed is an act of unity, and is both my confession and our confession.
The Father Almighty
Jesus frequently calls God "Father" in the Scriptures, and this usage implies a loving God active within His creation. God the Father is the first person, or distinction, within the Godhead. The Father is in a sense the "origin" or "source" of the Trinity. God the Father is often called "God Unbegotten" in early Christian thought.
Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible:
We believe that God created the visible and invisible elements of the cosmos. Thus, God created everything. Some early sects, the Gnostics and Marcionites, believed that God the Father created the spirit world, but that an "evil" god (called the demiurge) created the similarly evil material world. The creed dispels such a notion.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Lord of all. The title Lord means Jesus is master of all, and the title has connotations of deity, since the Hebrew title adonai and Greek title kyrios (both meaning Lord) were applied to Yahweh in the Old Testament. However, unlike earthly rulers, Jesus is a friend to the oppressed and a servant.
the only-begotten Son of God
Jesus is in a unique relationship with God. While Hebrew kings were considered sons of God symbolically (see Psalm 2), Jesus is the only true Son of God.
Begotten of his Father before all worlds
Begotten has the meaning of born, generated, or produced. God the Son is born out of the essence of God the Father. Just as a child shares the same humanness as his or her parents, the Son shares the essential nature of God with the Father. Since God is eternal, the Son, being generate from God, is also eternal. The Son is often called the Only-Begotten God in early Christian literature, including John 1:18 in many manuscripts.
God of God, Light of Light
God the Son exists in relation to God the Father. The Son is not the Father, but they both are God. Just as a torch is lit one to another, the Father and Son are distinct, but both light. Some Christians, called Sabellians or Modalists, said that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were one God who changes roles. So when God creates, he is Father, while on earth, he is Son, and so forth. However, the Scriptures have all three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, interacting at the same time, as shown at Jesus' baptism. The language of scripture also suggests that the Father and Son are somehow two as well as one. In John's gospel, the Father and Son testify as two witnesses, not one (John 8:17-18). Related to this, St. Athanasius, writing during the Nicene era, reportedly said that the Father and Son are one as "the sight of two eyes is one." Another illustration is the musical chord. Think of a C-chord. The C, E, and G notes are all distinct notes, but joined together as one chord, the sound is richer and more dynamic than had the notes been played individually. The chords are all equally important in producing the full, dynamic, sound of the chord, but the sound is lacking and thin if one of the notes is left out.
Very God of very God
God the Son is not a half-god or inferior to God the Father. God the Son is fully and utterly God, distinct from the Father, yet not divided from the Father. The ancient Arians believed Jesus could be called god but not true God. In other words, they believed the Logos (the Word) was the first creation of God, necessary to mediate between the unknowable distant God (a concept borrowed from Platonic thought) and creation. Because God knew the Logos would be perfect, the title god could be given to the Son "by participation," but "true God" was a reality reserved only for the unknowable Father. This is the Ante-Nicene "Logos Theology" of St. Justin and Athenagoras taken to an unintended extreme.
Begotten, Not Made
Some Christians today (Jehovah's Witnesses) and in the past (Arians) have suggested that God created Jesus like God would an angel. The creed tells us that just as when a woman gives birth she does not create a child out of nothing, being born from God, the Son is not created out of nothing. Since the Son's birth from the Father occurred before time was created, begotten refers to a permanent relationship as opposed to an event within time.
Being of one substance (homoousia) with the Father
God the Father and God the Son are equally divine, united in substance and will. Father and Son share the same substance or essence of divinity. That is, the Father and Son both share the qualities and essential being that make one in reality God. However, sharing the same substance does not mean they share identity of person. While certainly an inadequate example, think of you and I. We are both fully human, possessing the essential qualities and essence of humanity, but not the same person.
By Whom All Things Were Made
The Bible tells us that through The Son, as Word of God, all things have been created. As Logos, the Son is the agent and artificer of creation.
For Us Men and for Our Salvation Came Down from Heaven
Jesus came from heaven, from a numinous reality other than our own. While the creed says "down," it is important to remember that our language is limited by our own time and spatiality. Heaven is not up, anymore than God is biologically a male father. However, due to the limits of language, we are forced to describe heaven spatially.
And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man
God the Son became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He was born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit. God truly became man in Jesus Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was and is a real human being, not simply a spirit or ghost. The incarnation of God in Christ is the ultimate act of love, because rather than sending an angel or good human to accomplish the redemption and restoration of creation, God Himself became human. Some religious groups denied that Jesus was born of a virgin, such as the Jewish-influenced Ebionites. The virgin birth seems to be the first doctrine many modern day skeptics reject. Even today, many who say the creed weekly do not believe Mary was a virgin. However, in the mind of the Church, Mary's status as virgin remains an essential Christian belief.
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried
Jesus died on a cross, suffered as humans do, truly died, and was laid in a tomb. Despite what some critics will level against it, the Nicene is creed is more than just metaphysical speculation, and includes important historical confessions. Notice that in addition to being "Very God of very God," Jesus is fully human as well. The early Docetists, named from the Greek word dokeo, "to seem," believed Jesus only seemed to be human, but was not, and simply went through the motions of being human. Thus, when Jesus ate, they said, he only pretended to eat. Docetism is a very early heresy, addressed by the Gospel and Letters of St. John, as well as in St. Ignatius' letters in AD 110.
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures
Jesus was resurrected bodily as the scriptures say. One day he was dead, the next day alive. The bodily resurrection is the keystone of Christian doctrine and experience. Jesus was not just physically resuscitated as was Lazarus, but rather his body was transformed at the resurrection. Rejection of the bodily resurrection is a rejection of the foundation of Christianity.
And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father
In ancient science, heaven was thought to be situated above the sky dome (notice how on a starry night the sky looks like a dome that one could pierce through if one could get that high, e.g. by building a large tower). So in the scriptures, Jesus is said to ascend to heaven. Whatever happened that day, Luke had to render the event into his own scientific paradigm, so he said Jesus "went up" to heaven. Again, we are limited by our concept of spatiality. Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, i.e. sharing authority with the Father, and not literally sitting next to the Father.
And he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end
Jesus is coming again to righteously judge the living and dead. His kingdom cannot be destroyed, despite all of mankind's efforts. The creed says Jesus is coming; it does not say when or how, nor does it say to speculate on the date or make money doing so!
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord, and Giver of Life
The Holy Spirit is also called "Lord." The Holy Spirit sustains our lives as Christians, illuminating us after the new birth. The original Creed of Nicaea simply ended with "We believe in the Holy Spirit." The other additions were approved at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. However, most scholars believe that the text of the full creed dates prior to this council, and that the bishops simply gave their approval to a creed already in use.
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son
The Son is said to be begotten, while the Spirit is said to proceed. Both words are used to say that the Son and Spirit are in special relationships to the Father, yet also fully divine. The phrase "and the Son," in Latin, filioque, is not in the original creed, but used in many Western Churches. The addition developed over time, probably as a tool against Arians in the Gothic lands. There are theological and historical justifications for the addition or exclusion of the filioque. The Eastern Churches oppose the addition of the filioque. Actually, despite current division on the matter, the issue has been pretty much theologically resolved. The Catholic Church acknowledges that the Father is the sole source within the Trinity, and admits that "proceeds from the Father and the Son" means "proceeds from the Father through the Son." They also acknowledge that the procession through the Son is not metaphysical, but refers to a sending forth. Also, Eastern Catholics (those Eastern Churches in communion with Rome) do not say the filioque, and remain in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Churches seem willing to allow the interpretation "through the Son," because it does not destroy the monarchy of the Father within the Holy Trinity. However, the filioque remains a major division between Eastern and Western Christianity, mainly because the filioque was added to the Western version of the Nicene Creed without Eastern input. Hopefully it will be resolved in the future, as the current environment is far less political than it was a thousand years ago.
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified
The Holy Spirit is God as are the Father and the Son, and worthy of the worship due to the Father and Son. These additions at Constantinople in AD 381 were directed at various heresies, particularly those who denied the full divinity of the Holy Spirit. The names given to these heretics were Macedonians (named after a heretical bishop) or pneumatomachi ("fighters against the Spirit").
Who spake by the Prophets
The Spirit inspired the prophets of old, and inspires the Church today.
And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church
We believe in the holy Catholic (universal) Church, whose origins are ancient and historical. The church was built upon the faith and witness of the apostles. This witness survives through Apostolic Succession, wherein apostles appointed leaders, who appointed leaders, who appointed leaders, etc, to the present day. This line survives today primarily in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins
We believe that sacramentally through the waters of baptism, God forgives our sin, and that there is only one baptism necessary. This belief in baptism's power is ancient and practically universally acknowledged in the early Christian writings. If someone has been validly baptized in the name of the Trinity, then that baptism definitely "took" and rebaptism is unnecessary.
And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: And the Life of the world to come.
We as Christians look with hope and anticipation for the end, where the universe is fully reconciled to God. The creed affirms both the existence of a soul-filled heaven and the resurrection of the dead when soul meets glorified body.
The Second Explanation
As approved in amplified form at the Council of Constantinople (381), it is the profession of the Christian Faith common to the Catholic Church, to all the Eastern Churches separated from Rome, and to most of the Protestant denominations.
Soon after the Council of Nicaea new formulas of faith were composed, most of them variations of the Nicene Symbol, to meet new phases of Arianism. There were at least four before the Council of Sardica in 341, and in that council a new form was presented and inserted in the Acts, though not accepted by the council. The Nicene Symbol, however, continued to be the only one in use among the defenders of the Faith. Gradually it came to be recognized as the proper profession of faith for candidates for baptism. Its alteration into the Nicene-Constantinopolitan formula, the one now in use, in usually ascribed to the Council of Constantinople, since the Council of Chalcedon (451), which designated this symbol as "The Creed of the Council of Constantinople of 381" had it twice read and inserted in its Acts. The historians Socrates, Sozomen, and Theodoret do not mention this, although they do record that the bishops who remained at the council after the departure of the Macedonians confirmed the Nicene faith. Hefele (II, 9) admits the possibility of our present creed being a condensation of the "Tome" (Greek tomos), i.e. the exposition of the doctrines concerning the Trinity made by the Council of Constantinople; but he prefers the opinion of Rémi Ceillier and Tillemont tracing the new formula to the "Ancoratus" of Epiphanius written in 374. Hort, Caspari, Harnack, and others are of the opinion that the Constantinopolitan form did not originate at the Council of Constantinople, because it is not in the Acts of the council of 381, but was inserted there at a later date; because Gregory Nazianzen who was at the council mentions only the Nicene formula adverting to its incompleteness about the Holy Ghost, showing that he did not know of the Constantinopolitan form which supplies this deficiency; and because the Latin Fathers apparently know nothing of it before the middle of the fifth century.
The following is a literal translation of the Greek text of the Constantinopolitan form, the brackets indicating the words altered or added in the Western liturgical form in present use:
We believe (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, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess (I confess) one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for (I look for) the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen."
In this form the Nicene article concerning the Holy Ghost is enlarged; several words, notably the two clauses "of the substance of the Father" and "God of God," are omitted as also are the anathemas; ten clauses are added; and in five places the words are differently located. In general the two forms contain what is common to all the baptismal formulas in the early Church. Vossius (1577-1649) was the first to detect the similarity between the creed set forth in the "Ancoratus" and the baptismal formula of the Church at Jerusalem. Hort (1876) held that the symbol is a revision of the Jerusalem formula, in which the most important Nicene statements concerning the Holy Ghost have been inserted. The author of the revision may have been St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-386). Various hypotheses are offered to account for the tradition that the Niceno-Constantinopolitan symbol originated with the Council of Constantinople, but none of them is satisfactory. Whatever be its origin, the fact is that the Council of Chalcedon (451) attributed it to the Council of Constantinople, and if it was not actually composed in that council, it was adopted and authorized by the Fathers assembled as a true expression of the Faith.
The Third Explanation
The Nicene Creed is the definitive statement of Christian orthodoxy.
Origins of the Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed was formulated at the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in AD 325 to combat Arianism, and it was expanded at the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople in AD 381 to balance its coverage of the Trinity by including the Holy Spirit. It is the only creed that was promulgated by any of the seven ecumenical councils and thus it is the only creed that is truly ecumenical and universal. In the Orthodox Church, it is the only creed.
The New Testament and the Nicene Creed are deeply entangled with each other. The wording and the concepts in the Nicene Creed come from the New Testament—in fact, one of the most important debates at the Council of Nicea concerned whether it is proper to include a word in the Nicene Creed that does not occur in the New Testament. On the other hand, at the time that the Church issued the official canon of the New Testament, it customarily compared writings to the Nicene Creed to determine if they were orthodox. So you are correct if you say that the Nicene Creed proceeds from the New Testament, and you are correct if you say that the New Testament is certified by the Nicene Creed.
To put it more precisely, the Nicene Creed and the canon of the New Testament were formed together as part of the same process.
The Nicene Council and the Trinity
The Nicene Council did not invent the Trinity in the early fourth century, as some people imagine. A full century before the Nicene Council, Tertullian wrote a voluminous explanation and defense of the Trinity and was viewed by his third-century contemporaries as defending the orthodox Christian faith to nonbelievers. A couple of decades before Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Irenaeus, bishops at opposite ends of the Mediterranean basin, both taught the Trinity. A half century or more before Irenaeus and Clement, we find Trinitarian teachings in the authentic works of Justin Martyr, who died in 157. St. Ignatius, a respected bishop, was martyred in his old age. On his way to his martyrdom, he wrote epistles to the churches along the way, making theological statements that are best understood in the context of Trinitarian theology. It is important to note that Ignatius was born about AD 33 and that during his adulthood, people who had known the apostles were still alive. Finally, the Didache, an ancient manual of church discipline that could possibly date from the middle of the first century, quotes the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:19 in its instructions for baptism.
We can trace the dogma of the Trinity straight back to apostolic times. We have it from the pens of bishops and theologians who were charged with preserving and passing on the faith and who lived all over the Mediterranean basin. From this we can only conclude that mainstream theology in the ancient church before the Council of Nicea was Trinitarian.
The filioque Clause
In AD 589, a church council in Toledo, Spain, modified the Nicene Creed so that the Holy Spirit is said to proceed from the Father and the Son. (In Latin, and the Son is filioque, so this is known as the filioque clause.) There may not have been any particular motive for this change, because it looks like something a scribe would do to mend the text. It is also possible that the change was intended to strengthen the defense of the Trinity. The filioque clause spread through the western part of the church. In 796, Paulinus of Aquileia defended the filioque clause at the Synod of Friuli, which indicates that it was opposed, and after about 800 it crept into the liturgy in the Frankish Empire. Some Frankish monks used the filioque clause in their monastery in Jerusalem in 807, but eastern monks disputed it as improper. Because the Frankish monks were from the west, the matter was escalated to the bishop of Rome (Pope Leo III). He approved of the sentiment, but he opposed the change in the wording. Leo arranged for the creed in its original form (without the filioque clause) to be engraved on silver tablets and he had them placed at St. Peter’s tomb. After the split between Rome and Constantinople, the filioque clause became part of the Nicene Creed in the Roman Catholic Church. This happened at the Council of Lyons, in France, in 1274.
In 1439, at the Roman Catholic Council of Florence, the Roman Catholic Church invited the Eastern Orthodox Churches and attempted a reunion. There were many issues, some of which seem trivial today, but the most important ones were the papacy and the filioque clause in the Creed, which is our subject here.
The Orthodox delegates to the council agreed to everything the Catholics wanted, but they were under pressure. At the time, Islam was spreading by warfare, and Orthodox lands were under attack. All attempts to make peace had failed. The Orthodox wanted military aid from the west, and the pope agreed to help them, but only if they signed the agreement. So they all did, except for Markos Eugenikos, the titular bishop of Ephesus. He did not sign the agreement because he thought it was a sell-out. The pope announced that without Markos’ signature the deal was off. When the Orthodox delegation returned home, only Markos was hailed as a hero, because he was the only one who did not compromise his integrity—the others regretted their actions. In the west, Markos is viewed as the man who prevented the unity of the church. In the east, he is St. Mark of Ephesus, “the conscience of Orthodoxy.”
The Orthodox do not accept the filioque clause for scriptural, theological, and procedural reasons:
Scriptural Reasons
The Orthodox argue from Scripture that the Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name (John 14:26). Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will come, not that He will send the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit only proceeds from the Father. Saying “and the Son” adds to the Scriptural revelation. Catholics feel that Scriptural references to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ validate the filioque clause.
Theological Reasons
To the Orthodox, saying that the Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son has the effect of collapsing the Trinity in on itself. The relationship between the Father and the Son is begetting and the relationship between the Father and the Spirit is procession. Catholics feel the filioque clause strengthens the dogma of the Trinity.
Procedural Reasons
The Orthodox maintain that one part of the Church does not have the authority to change what is the property of the whole Church. Since Canon VII of the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus in AD 431 is still in effect, the Nicene Creed can only be changed by a true Ecumenical Council. The Catholics believe that the Council of Lyons in 1274 was ecumenical. Whether or not it was ecumenical depends on your view of the jurisdiction of the pope, so that goes back to the issue of the papacy.
Protestants inherited the filioque clause from the Roman Catholic Church. After recent consultations with the Orthodox, the US Episcopal Church (TEC, not a real church. They adore compromise. They stand for everything and thus nothing.) agreed to drop the filioque clause from the Nicene Creed in their next version of the Book of Common Prayer.
The Importance of the Nicene Creed Today
The Church formulated the Nicene Creed before it selected certain apostolic writings, called them the New Testament, and declared them to be Holy Scripture. Another way of looking at it is that God chose the people who were bound by the Nicene Creed to affirm the contents of the New Testament, thereby endorsing the theology of the creed. The Nicene Creed is therefore a reliable test of our interpretation of the New Testament. If we are at variance with the Nicene Creed, we are in error. So whoever denies the Trinity must also deny the New Testament, and whoever upholds the New Testament as Holy Scripture must also affirm the Trinity.
In the beginning, the Church did not have a formal creed, nor did it have a formal list of the books in the New Testament. Then it formulated the Nicene Creed to express its doctrines and to serve as a test of orthodox teaching. So for a while there was a Church with the Nicene Creed but, even though it used the books of the New Testament as Holy Scripture, it had no official statement saying that they were. After the Church was bound by the Nicene Creed, it made a formal list of the books in the New Testament. Therefore, whoever attempts to reconstruct the ancient Church with an official list of New Testament books but without the Nicene Creed is reconstructing an imaginary church that never existed. This doesn’t mean their church is invalid, it just means that it isn’t a historic reconstruction, because in any part of Church history in which there was an official list of New Testament books, the Nicene Creed was the official expression of faith and the final test of orthodoxy.
The Nicene Creed in Worship
Traditional liturgical worship always includes the Nicene Creed whenever there is Communion. It is a corporate proclamation that corresponds to the Schema (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one”) in the synagogue liturgy. Note that the creed uses the word ‘catholic’ in its dictionary meaning of ‘universal.’
Question that only you can ask
What would you like to know about our history, what we believe, what we do or how we operate? Father Acker is looking for material for the continuing education class and the Beadle is looking for Thought for the Day material. Help us help you. Please send your question to the Beadle so we all can get an answer. Just because you don’t know the answer to your question doesn’t mean you are the only one who doesn’t know. But, if you don’t ask, no one will know.
I’d like to get a different point across or announce something
If you have a different point of view, I would be happy to give you room to get your point across. While this publication is my perspective on events, I recognize not everyone may agree and that some people would like to express their own opinion.
If want to write an article or make an announcement, please forward your item to the Beadle (with a note as to whether or not you would like editing help) to the following address: thebeadle@mac.com.
Epistle Readers
We post the list of Epistle Readers in the Beadle’s Report each week so you can either plan your attendance or your pre-reading as the spirit so moves you.
Date Reader
6 April 2008 Hap Arnold
13 April 2008 Dru Arnold
20 April 2008 Jack Arnold
27 April 2008 Alice Acker
4 May 2008 Emilie Springer
11 May 2008 Alex Springer
18 May 2008 Jack Arnold
25 May 2008 Jan Macauley
The near future, as well as Next Sunday
Next Sunday is the Second Sunday after Easter. It seems a sure bet the sermon trend will continue on the Risen Lord, in one form or another. On the other hand, it isn’t a bet if it is sure! Still, what about the pre-service class? Will we have one? Will it pick up where we left off in the Old Testament with Kings and Chronicles or will Father Acker lose his place? Will it be about Kings and Chronicles? What about Ezra? Will he overshoot all the way to Job?
Hey! Next Sunday is also the first Sunday of the Month – The Free Teen Guitar Class plays – Who will show up and play?
Also, on the First Sunday of the Month, the Core Singing Group Meets after church. Who will show for that?
Unless you come to the service, you will have to wait until you read the Beadle’s Report to find out.
See you next week on Sunday!
Alternate Sources of The Beadle’s Report
Father Acker posts a .pdf version of the current Beadle’s Report on the church website:
http://alpineanglican.com/BeadleReports.htm
An alternative version of the Beadle’s Report a single photograph and simple text is available at:
http://thebeadle.blogspot.com/
or with one photograph per issue and colorful text at
http://web.mac.com/thebeadle/iWeb/BeadleBlog/Blog/Blog.html
All back issues of the Beadle’s Reports are available on request from:
thebeadle@mac.com
