Many people believe that the Council of Nicaea in the year 325 was the first time people talked about the doctrine Trinity in a clear way. Some go so far to say that those at the council invented the idea! Is there any truth to this?
Thankfully, no. Besides there being an incredible amount of truth in Scripture that communicates that God is Trinity, the council of Nicaea did not claim to be inventing anything new, because they weren’t. They were trying to make clear what Christians already believed. They did this because some people were challenging the idea that Father, Son, and Spirit are One God, while being three Persons.
There is more than this, though. Someone might say: “Yeah, you believe in the Trinity today, and you point to the Bible. But it is only because of the Nicene Creed. If that Creed had never been written, there would be no concept of the Trinity. Afterall, the first time a proper definition of the Trinity came about was in 325 at that council.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
A theologian named Gregory Thaumaturgus, writing in the mid-200s, wrote his “Declaration of Faith.” I am going to list both the Declaration and the Nicene Creed below. If you compare them, I think you will conclude what I did: Nicaea was wanting to make clear what Christians already believed. They were not inventing anything.
A Declaration of Faith, by Gregory Thaumaturgus
There is one God, the Father of the living Word, who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image:19 perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son. There is one Lord, Only of the Only,20 God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word,21 Wisdom comprehensive22 of the constitution of all things, and Power formative23 of the whole creation, true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Incorruptible of Incorruptible, and Immortal of Immortal and Eternal of Eternal.24 And there is One Holy Spirit, having His subsistence25 from God, and being made manifest26 by the Son, to wit to men:27 Image28 of the Son, Perfect Image of the Perfect;29 Life, the Cause of the living; Holy Fount; Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader,30 of Sanctification; in whom is manifested God the Father, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, who is through all. There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged.31 Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude32 in the Trinity;33 nor anything superinduced,34 as if at some former period it was non-existent, and at some later period it was introduced. And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son;35 but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abideth ever.36
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The reality of the Trinity is the central truth of Christianity. It is clear in the New Testament and revealed most clearly in Jesus. It was not invented but revealed by God in His Word and acknowledge to be the truth by Christians throughout history.
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