First Council of Nicaea

The First Council of Nicaea was the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325 in the small town of Nicaea ( Iznik today, Turkey) at Constantinople Opel (now Istanbul) convened to settle the dispute erupted in Alexandria over Arianism. Participants were 200-318 bishops, almost all came from the East of the Empire, so that the dispute over the nature of Jesus and the Trinity would be terminated because Constantine hoped to use Christianity as a stabilizing factor in his empire. The council ended with the ( temporary) victory for the opponents of Arianism and the formulation of the Nicene Creed, although the Arian bishops were in the majority. But when the Emperor thus ending the discussion, that " the son of one Being with the Father" was, gave all the bishops who had been of a different opinion, the word of the Emperor to, who described himself as " bishop of bishops ".

The canons of the Council are the first doctrinal decisions of the Christian Church as a whole, which had a far greater importance only by the joint signatures of more than 300 bishops from across the former distribution area of Christianity, when the previous decisions of individual bishops or local episcopal assemblies. By the authority of the emperor, who had convened the council, they were mandatory for the entire Church in the empire.

In church history, the Council of Nicaea is counted as the first Ecumenical Council and is considered one of the main reference points of the Church's history, so the history of the early church is often divided into pre- Nicene and post- Nicene theology. However, the historical significance of the church council crystallized only during the course of the fourth century out, and the decisions of the Council were often made ​​after the death of Constantine in 337 question before they were confirmed in 381 by the first Council of Constantinople Opel.

The day of remembrance for the First Council of Nicaea in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod June 12. In the Orthodox Church it is celebrated on the sixth Sunday after Easter.

• 3.1 Time and Place
• 3.2 The participants
• 3.3 History
• 3.4 Council documents 3.4.1 creed of Nicaea
• 3.4.2 canons of the Council
• 3.4.3 the date of Easter

• 7.1 sources
• 7.2 secondary literature

Swell

At the Council itself no protocol was performed, even if subsequently some alleged protocols have emerged. However, there are contemporary documents and reports about it, so that the essential processes are historically uncontested in the Council today:

• Get to official reports, the twenty canons of Nicaea and the confession of the official decree of the Council.
• Preserved are reports of three council participants in the council, which belonged to different directions, Eustathius of Antioch (anti- Arians ), who may have been one of the chairs, Eusebius of Caesarea ( Arians ) and Athanasius (anti- Arians ) (see primary sources).
• Furthermore, there are several letters about the Council of Alexander of Alexandria and of Emperor Constantine I.
• From the late fourth and fifth centuries there have been reports of church historian Rufinus of Aquileia, Theodoret, Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen.

Circumstances of the time

The Roman Emperor Constantine I had privilege Christianity since about 313 ( Edict of Milan ). Constantine hoped probably from Christianity a stabilizing effect for only just regained unity of the Roman Empire. This unifying function was compromised by the Arian controversy. A threatened split in the church. Since the problem of the Church alone could not be solved, urged the Emperor to an end to the dispute. He also attacked with compromise formulas active in the council course. From the perspective of Constantine the assurance of religious peace was an essential imperial task with political implications (see also Pax romana ).

A precursor: The Council of Antioch

In the 20th century, the filing of a local council were discovered, which has (now Antakya / Turkey) took place half a year before the Council of Nicaea in Antioch. This council is considered by some researchers ( JND Kelly, Edward Schwartz) viewed as an essential precursor of Nicaea. Participants were 59 bishops from Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia and Cappadocia. The line had Ossius of Córdoba, who played a leading role in Nicaea. The occasion for the Council was the election of a new bishop of Antioch, but next to it was a clear statement to Arianism and a detailed antiarianisches creed written, but which has no literary relationship to the Nicene Creed. Three of the bishops, among them Eusebius of Caesarea, refused to sign the confession, and were therefore excommunicated provisionally, with the chance to change their mind before the " great and holy synod " of Ancyra ( which took place in Nicaea ).

The Council

Place and time

The council was held in Nicaea, today's Iznik, then the second largest city of Bithynia and only about 30 km from the former imperial residence Nicomedia, a place that was easily accessible by land and sea. The localities probably belonged to the imperial palace.

The opening session was held on 20 or 25 May 325, and the council ended in late July of the same year with a banquet to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the enthronement of Emperor Constantine.

The participants

Emperor Constantine had ( about 1000 in the Greek and 800 in the Latin -speaking ) invited all 1800 bishops of the former Christian church by letter to participate and took over the travel expenses of about 300 bishops, who accepted the invitation.

Since each bishop could bring two presbyters and three deacons who are likely to have participated in the Council up to two thousand people. Most of the eastern provinces of the empire were well represented. However, of the Latin Church came only seven: Ossius of Córdoba, Nicasius of Dijon, Caecilian of Carthage, Domnus of Strido, Mark of Calabria and the two presbyters Victor ( or Vitus ) and Vicentius as Members of the old Bishop of Rome New Year's Eve I.

Among the bishops were some, such as Paphnutius of Thebes, mutilated Potamon of Heraclea and Paul of Neo - Caesarea, visible through the only 15 years past persecution of Christians. Noteworthy are James of Nisibis, the. Hermits, or Spyridion of Cyprus, who had lived as a bishop nor as a shepherd In addition, Nicholas of Myra, a Persian bishop John, a Gothic bishop Theophilus were present.

On the orders of the Emperor and the Alexandrian presbyter Arius took part.

When Emperor Ossius expected of Córdoba and Eusebius of Caesarea most influence have had.

The participants had regarding the main question essentially three positions:

• The Arians or Eusebius were about twenty bishops under the leadership of the influential Eusebius of Nicomedia, the future Patriarch of Constantinople Opel, which was connected with the imperial family, and the presbyter Arius.
• The Homoousianer (from homo - ousios, consubstantial ) clung to the perfect divinity of Christ. At the top of the Patriarch Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch and were Macarius of Jerusalem, to Ossius of Córdoba, the court bishop, and in particular the young archdeacon Athanasius of Alexandria, although it had neither seat nor voice, but with respect to persistence, reasoning and zeal distinguished.
• The majority of the recorded one way or another a middle position. An important group among the disciples of Origen, who were theologically in the middle ( both parties used arguments they herleiteten of Origen ). Many had an anti- Arian instinct, but little theological discernment, others had only uncertain opinions and changed sides depending on the arguments or external influences.

Course

Initially brought many bishops inputs over private disputes before the emperor, who burned all these papers without talking about them, and exhorted the participants to reconciliation and harmony.

First, the Arians proposed a confession, which was, however, torn according to Eustathius, under riots by those present, to which sixteen of the eighteen signatories changed sides.

Arius argued from the position of an absolutely monotheistic theology, which should allow any violation of God's unity and uniqueness. Consequently, he said the person of Jesus Christ (as merely homoiousios = " essentially similar" to ) the deity from, and had her only the role of the noblest of all creatures to. In his philosophical arguments he went out of Platonic and Neo-Platonic premises.

The opponents of Arius on page of Athanasius, however, argued with the term homo - ousios, a character ( consubstantiality ). The Homoousianer argued that Arianism the Christian doctrine of God not be replaced by monotheism, but by a polytheism, God and Jesus Christ for the Arians are completely different beings, both are worshiped. In addition, by liturgical traditions, such as the baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit or prayers to Jesus Christ would be senseless. Moreover, perhaps most importantly, when Arianism the Christian concept of salvation in Christ is not feasible because only a truly Divine Mediator reconciliation of creation could bring about with God - for a creature is not possible.

Then Eusebius of Caesarea suggested, who had received Arius after his banishment from Alexandria in itself, an old palästinisches confession before that confirmed the divinity of Christ in general biblical expressions. According to recent findings, due to the Council of Antioch, however, that should not have been a suggestion of a confession for the meeting, but a justification of his orthodoxy before the council because of his excommunication (which Eusebius understandably not emphasized in a letter to his congregation especially).

His statement that the emperor was his profession for good, should be factual ( it remains unclear whether it was accepted as a proposal or as a justification ).

Because on the one hand the Arian page for each biblical expression that suggested the Trinitarian side, a them a modern interpretation found, and on the other hand, the Trinitarians were not willing to leave open the decision by an ambiguous commitment further, the emperor agreed expressly for the Arius rejected term " consubstantial " ( homoousios ὁμοουσιος Greek, latin consubstantialis (of the same substance) ) and ordered to revise the confession accordingly. Eusebius writes that the Emperor personally have this expression designed so that it could be possible widely accepted: (?) " He explained that ὁμοουσιος should not be understood in the sense of physical relations, as subject to an immaterial spiritual and not physical nature not physical relationships could be. These things need to be understood as a spiritual and ineffable meaning. "

Since different very similar-sounding Eastern confessions exist, can not be decided which of them was the basis for the newly developed confession. The over -working group under Ossius of Córdoba was not satisfied with the expression of the unity of God the Son with the Father, but also added largely all formulas against which the Arians had made ​​in recent years. Included the following formulas: " begotten from the essence of the Father ," " begotten and uncreated " and " consubstantial with the Father ". The Council stressed that the Son is person of the Trinity and not part of creation. Then there was an accessory that explicitly condemned the Arian heresy.

Council acts

Confession of Nicaea

Practically all the bishops signed the proposed Ossius nicäische Creed, first Ossius and after him the two Roman presbyters in the name of their bishop. Even Eusebius of Caesarea signed after a day to think about and defended his signature in a letter to his diocese. Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis of Nicaea signed the confession, but without the addition of condemnation of the Arians, and were deposed and exiled for a time, but eventually joined the decisions of the Council. Only two Egyptian bishops, Theonas and Secundus refused consistently to sign and were banished with Arius to Illyria.

The books of Arius were burned, provided the possession of his writings under penalty of death, and called his party as enemies of Christendom - the first case in which a different doctrine was viewed not only as an offense against the Church, but also as an offense against the state.

Canons of the Council

In addition to the main theme of Arianism, the council on other issues that have been discussed in the former church decided. These are listed in the canon of the council:

• Canon 1: eunuchs can - except when they have castrated themselves - become a priest. Prohibition of self- castration.
• Canon 2: People who were ordained after a short catechumenate against 1 Tim 3:6-7 EU simultaneously with the baptism of a priest or bishop can maintain their status, but in the future will no longer happen that. If such an ordained minister is transferred by two or three witnesses a sin, he will be suspended.
• Canon 3: The Council prohibits absolutely, that bishops, priests and deacons live with a woman, except of course her mother, sister or aunt or a raised above suspicion woman.
• Canon 4: A bishop is to be ordained by all the bishops of the province. If this is not practicable, at least three bishops make the ordination after the other have given their written consent. In any case, the Metropolitan has the right to confirm the procedure.
• Canon 5: The excommunication of a priest or layman must be respected by all the bishops of the provinces. However, it should be an investigation by the other bishops of the province, to ensure that no one was excommunicated for personal reasons by a bishop. To perform these investigations ordered that bishops should meet every province twice a year at a synod.
• 6 Kanon: The traditional authority of the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch and Rome over their provinces is confirmed. A bishop election without the consent of the Metropolitans is invalid. However, if there are two or three dissenting votes among the elected bishops, the majority decides.
• Canon 7: The bishop of Aelia (Jerusalem) will be honored in the traditional way, but without restricting the rights of the Metropolitans.
• Canon 8: cleric Novatians, which openly in the Church, may keep their spiritual rank, if they agree in writing to accept the decrees of the church and follow. However, they are subordinate in rank any possible local clergy of the Church.
• Canon 9: If people were ordained without examination as a priest and later confess a sin that disqualifies them for the ordination is invalid.
• Canon 10: If it is discovered that a priest is his time fallen under the persecution and subsequently was ordained to the priesthood, the ordination is invalid.
• Canon 11: If people have fallen away from the faith without risk, they should be treated mildly, although they do not deserve such mercy: they are to be re-admitted after a penance of twelve years for Communion.
• Canon 12: If Christians who have only renounced the military service, returned to the army (which under Licinius sacrifice for pagan gods -related ), they are to be re-admitted after thirteen years penance for Communion. This penitential period may be shortened by the bishop in the case of genuine remorse.
• Canon 13: A dying man can the Eucharist be given if he then demanded, even though he was not admitted to communion.
• Canon 14: catechumens who have fallen may, after a penance of three years pray with the catechumens.
• Canon 15: Bishops, priests and deacons may not wander from city to city, but should be, if they try to, be returned to the church where they were ordained.
• Canon 16: priests and deacons who leave their Church, may not be picked up by another church. Bishops may ordain anyone who belongs to another diocese.
• Canon 17: Anyone who demands exorbitant rates should be discontinued.
• Canon 18: Deacons must not give the Eucharist priests, but to receive the Eucharist by Bishop or priest.
• Canon 19: followers of Paul of Samosata, who seek refuge in the church are to be baptized again in any case. Ministers can be re- ordained after testing.
• Canon 20: On Sunday and in the season of Pentecost is not to be prayed kneeling, but standing.

Date of Easter

The literal canon concerning the date of Easter is not obtained, the decision can also be reconstructed from various comments received from authors of the fourth century (eg Epiphanius of Salamis, Socrates Scholasticus ). Then it was decided:

• Easter must be celebrated in all churches on the same day.
• Easter is to celebrate after the beginning of spring.
• Easter is to celebrate on a Sunday after the Jewish Passover.
• The bishop of Alexandria is to calculate the date of Easter and early report it to the Pope in Rome, so it can be displayed from here all the other churches annually. The Alexandrian science was best kept as the Math and astronomical calculations enabled. The Pope should, however, choose from the differing results of competing methods of calculation or to reach an agreement through negotiations.

Follow

Despite the council decision Christendom was divided by the Arian controversy, and a number of signatories later recanted. For example, wrote of the Arians, Eusebius of Nicomedia, in a letter to the Emperor: " We acted sinful, O Prince, as we agreed, for fear of you a blasphemy. "

Influence of the Emperor on the result

By all means Konstantin investigated the stability and unity of the empire to consolidate. The dynamically growing Christian church offered itself as an integrating factor, which he used.

Constantine was baptized only on his deathbed. His mother was a Christian, while he himself worshiped the sun god Sol. From his mother he had heard of " Christos ". According to a legend, he should before the battle against Maxentius when looking into the sun, have seen during the prayer to Sol " bar", which he brought with " Christos " in conjunction. After the surprising victory, he explained this to the Pope and so united church and state. He identified the Christian God with his sun god. From his behavior in the years following the Council, where he once Trinitarians and then again supported the Arians, depending on what seemed to him to provide supporting for peace, suggesting that he dogmatically neither on the one nor on the other side stood.

There is evidence that the Emperor in the first place of peace and unity in the Church - and the empire - was. In a letter he wrote: "My goal was to bring together the different judgments among all nations who worship the deity, to a state of unity adopted, and secondly, the healthy tone in the world system restore. " This goal has the Emperor However, neither the council nor achieved in subsequent years.

Advocates of imperial influence believe that Constantine was so long vote on Jesus' equality with God, to all dissenters had left, so Jesus was made ​​quasi manipulated by a majority decision to God.

Against an imperial dictation speak the following arguments:

• The Council of Antioch is, without any imperial influence, theologically come to the same result
• The Trinitarians had no real government support: Constantine himself was anything but an energetic advocate of Nizäanums: he banished several years later Athanasius, was baptized by the Arian Eusebius of Nicomedia and was on the verge of Arius, he recalled already 327 from exile had to be rehabilitated as a priest (which by Arius ' death was obsolete ). Most emperors in the fourth century supported Arianism, and pursued the Trinitarians massive.
• Many of the bishops present had never seen and been through the last persecution of the Christians, were not so easily put therefore under pressure.
• In subsequent years, many Trinitarian bishops were exiled because of their teaching, without being changed, therefore, to the Arians.
• In the next Ecumenical Council of Constantinople Opel the doctrine of Nicaea was fully confirmed without an emperor exerted pressure.