What was the council of Nicaea?
It was a meeting of bishops to resolve the Arian controversy. This council produced the Nicene creed.
What was the Arian controversy?
This was a disagreement in how to understand the person of Christ.
- The Arians taught that Jesus was was created by God the Father.
- The orthodox belief was that Jesus was co-eternal with the Father.
How did the church respond to this?
There was a long and bitter controversy over the doctrine of the person of Christ. Eventually the Roman emperor summoned a council at Nicaea to resolve the issue.
What did the council decide?
This council published the Nicene creed which firmly established the divinity of Jesus.
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance of the Father, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made, of the same substance with the Father [homousion], through whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth…
How did this controversy get started?
It started with Arius who was an elder in the city of Alexandria, Egypt. He objected to the teaching of his bishop, a man named Alexander. Arius taught that Jesus was subordinate to the Father. He agreed that Jesus was the Creator of the world, but he also taught that Jesus Himself was created by God the Father and was not eternal and not fully divine. He accused Alexander of being Sabellian (see here).
How could Alexander be accused of Sabellianism?