First Council of Nicaea

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.

A synod Antioch where, bishops who were supporting Arius were suspended and a general synod was announced by Hosius of Cordoba^[1] would be held in Ancyra that would divide the Church.

Emperor Constantine eventually moved the convocation to the First Council of Nicaea which opened on 20 May 325. H

Constantine, upon the recommendations of the synod at Antioch led by his advisor Hosius of Cordoba^[1] 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^[2] as the first effort to attain consensus in a group identified as a church through an assembly representing a new form of Christendom.

Leaders attended such as Eustathius of Antioch^[3], Alexander of Alexandria^[4], Athanasius^[5], and Marcellus of Ancyra^[6] all adhered to the Homoousian position. ^[7]

The council and most of its participants wanted to exercise authority one over the other and what they could believe, such as, who could be ministers of the people and who should be exiled. They also wanted to continue to receive financial support from Constantine.

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^[8] 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.^[9]

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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Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Hosius of Corduba, also known as Osius or Ossius, was a bishop of Corduba and an important and prominent advocate for Homoousion Christianity in the Arian controversy that divided the early Christianity. He probably presided at the First Council of Nicaea and also presided at the Council of Serdica. After Lactantius, he was the closest Christian advisor to Emperor Constantine the Great and guided the content of public utterances, such as Constantine's Oration to the Saints, addressed to the assembled bishops. He was willing to exile others he was also exiled remain obstinate in his support of Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, an anti Arian trinitarian Coptic exiled no less than 5 times.
↑ An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters. "Council Christianity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
↑ He detested the Arian heresy, and would not receive those who held Arian opinions, an attack on him was made so that he died in exile, after the return of Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis from exile.
↑ Was given the authority to settle the dating of Easter, judge the actions of Meletius of Lycopolis, and opposed Arianism. He thought he should not serve as both presiding official and chief accuser of Arianism allowing the presidency to go to Hosius of Cordova. After lengthy discussion, the council issued a decision which, among other things, confirmed the anathema of Arius, authorized Alexander, at his urging, to allow Meletius to retain his episcopal title, but not be able to exercise any episcopal powers.
↑ Was the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Coptic Christian (Egyptian) leader who was exiled for cutting off essential grain supplies to Arians of Constantinople in need. There were several other times he was exiled from his "episcopal see" which was said to be an "ecclesiastical jurisdiction".
↑ Marcellus was deposed at Constantinople in 336 at a council under the presidency of Eusebius of Nicomedia, the Arian, and Basil of Ancyra appointed to his "episcopal see". Marcellus sought redress at Rome from Pope Julius I, who wrote to the bishops who had deposed Marcellus, arguing that Marcellus was innocent of the charges brought against him. In his Ecclesiastical History, Sozomen noted that Marcellus, in order to convert the pagans more easily in Apamea, “destroyed the temples of the city and its villages".
↑ Eusebius of Caesarea counted 250, Athanasius of Alexandria counted 318, and Eustathius of Antioch counted 270 (all three were present at the council). Later, Socrates Scholasticus recorded more than 300, and Evagrius, Hilarius, Saint Jerome and Rufinus recorded 318.
↑ call together or summon (an assembly or meeting)
↑ Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.

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[hosius-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Hosius of Corduba, also known as Osius or Ossius, was a bishop of Corduba and an important and prominent advocate for Homoousion Christianity in the Arian controversy that divided the early Christianity. He probably presided at the First Council of Nicaea and also presided at the Council of Serdica. After Lactantius, he was the closest Christian advisor to Emperor Constantine the Great and guided the content of public utterances, such as Constantine's Oration to the Saints, addressed to the assembled bishops. He was willing to exile others he was also exiled remain obstinate in his support of Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor, an anti Arian trinitarian Coptic exiled no less than 5 times.

[ecumenical-2] An ecumenical council, also called general council, is a meeting of bishops and other church authorities to consider and rule on questions of Christian doctrine, administration, discipline, and other matters. "Council Christianity". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2020.

[3] He detested the Arian heresy, and would not receive those who held Arian opinions, an attack on him was made so that he died in exile, after the return of Eusebius of Nicomedia and Theognis from exile.

[4] Was given the authority to settle the dating of Easter, judge the actions of Meletius of Lycopolis, and opposed Arianism. He thought he should not serve as both presiding official and chief accuser of Arianism allowing the presidency to go to Hosius of Cordova. After lengthy discussion, the council issued a decision which, among other things, confirmed the anathema of Arius, authorized Alexander, at his urging, to allow Meletius to retain his episcopal title, but not be able to exercise any episcopal powers.

[5] Was the chief defender of Trinitarianism against Arianism, and a noted Coptic Christian (Egyptian) leader who was exiled for cutting off essential grain supplies to Arians of Constantinople in need. There were several other times he was exiled from his "episcopal see" which was said to be an "ecclesiastical jurisdiction".

[6] Marcellus was deposed at Constantinople in 336 at a council under the presidency of Eusebius of Nicomedia, the Arian, and Basil of Ancyra appointed to his "episcopal see". Marcellus sought redress at Rome from Pope Julius I, who wrote to the bishops who had deposed Marcellus, arguing that Marcellus was innocent of the charges brought against him. In his Ecclesiastical History, Sozomen noted that Marcellus, in order to convert the pagans more easily in Apamea, “destroyed the temples of the city and its villages".

[7] Eusebius of Caesarea counted 250, Athanasius of Alexandria counted 318, and Eustathius of Antioch counted 270 (all three were present at the council). Later, Socrates Scholasticus recorded more than 300, and Evagrius, Hilarius, Saint Jerome and Rufinus recorded 318.

[8] together or summon (an assembly or meeting)

[9] Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681 and finally, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.

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First Council of Nicaea

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