First Council of Nicaea

Icon depicting Emperor Constantine, accompanied by his bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325), holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381 which is impossible. Constantine was instituting a new Church maintaining some of the teachings of Christ for his own purposes that often strayed considerably from the Doctrines of Jesus altering The Way of righteousness.

The First Council of Nicaea was a council of bishops who were convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea by the order of the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325.

Constantine upon the recommendations of a synod led by Hosius of Cordoba had called all 1800 bishops of the Christian church (about 1000 in the east and 800 in the west), but only 250 to 320 bishops actually participated.

This council was called ecumenical as the first effort to attain consensus in a group identified as a church through an assembly representing a new form of Christendom.

Leaders such as Eustathius of Antioch, Alexander of Alexandria, Athanasius, and Marcellus of Ancyra all adhered to the Homoousian position.

The Council of Nicaea, in May 325, would declare Arius a heretic after he refused to sign the formula of faith stating that Christ was of the same divine nature as God.

Arius asserted a dissimilarity between the Son and the Father. Arianism holds that the Son is distinct from the Father and therefore subordinate to him which is concluded from Jesus conversation and prayers with God the Father and submission to His will.

In spite of his sympathy for Arius, Eusebius of Caesarea adhered to the decisions of the Council, accepting the entire creed.

If we take into consideration Christ's prohibition to His followers concerning exercising authority one over the other a serious concern may arise as to the authority of such a council.

These men were assembled by Constantine who convoked men into a council that chose to banish Arian leaders from their churches for heresy. There is no doubt that under the Perfect law of liberty christian laity, ministers, deacons and bishops have the right to state they believe Arian leaders were heretics. Arianism was a doctrine that held that Christ was not divine but was a created being. That certainly may be incorrect for many reasons but did they have a right to banish people because they disagreed with them?

They also established the equality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in what they identified as the Trinity and asserted that only the Son became incarnate as Jesus Christ.

There were at least 7 other councils.

Many of these bishops like Ambrose were not chosen as Christ had commanded nor were the people claiming to be believers in Christ who were electing them true [followers]] of The Way of Christ.

They were still fond of the legal charity provided by Constantine which was the wages of unrighteousness.

The idea of banishing a minister is certainly not compatible with the free practice of religion nor the directives of Jesus.

The early Church was organized in small groups of ten families as Christ commanded. Those group also gathered with each other through a network of ministers including deacons and bishops.

This was essential for a righteous daily ministration as needed or as practical. Christians would not partake of the free bread or dainties or welfare offered by the governments of the world because they exercise authority one over the other which Christ forbid.

Without that network of tens, hundreds and thousands Paul and Barnabas would not have been able to bring the relief provided by them as we see in Acts and the Epistles and survival without the "reward of unrighteousness" would have been near impossible during the dearths spoken of in the Bible.

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