Let me ask you this: Is Jesus the literal son of God or just a figurative one? This crucial question was the cause of a major schism within the Church in Alexandria, Egypt, on this day in AD 325.

On the side of the first were St. Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius; on the other, the popular presbyter Arius.

May 20th marks the 1684th anniversary of the first time since the early church’s first major schism–the controversy centered on whether circumcision was required of all Christians (Acts 15)–when an assembly representing all of Christendom convened.

In the summer of AD 325, Roman Emperor Constantine I called for the top Christian leaders at the time–bishops representing Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Assyrian Church of the East, Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, Lutheranism and Calvinism–to assemble in what is now present-day Turkey.

To most bishops, Arius was seen as heretical and dangerous to the mission of bringing people to Christ. According to Wikipedia, he believed “that Jesus, “the Son of God,” was not consubstantial or coeternal with God the Father, but that there was once a time, before he was begotten, that he (Jesus) did not exist.” Essentially he posited that Jesus was not a true son of God the Father, but a figurative one.

And while he and his followers were excommunicated, fiery debate over the literal vs. figurative Christ controversy continued to spread throughout the Eastern Roman Empire.

Fourth-century Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus lamented about the state of Christendom at the time: “the enmity of the Christians towards each other surpassed the fury of savage beasts against man”.

Fear grew throughout Christendom that the controversy would grow like a virus, unless the council could do something.

Unanimously the council voted against Arius. Basing their conclusions on Christian tradition handed down from the Apostles, the Council declared that the Father and the Son were, indeed, of the same substance and were co-eternal.

To prevent further controversies, the council needed to come up with a universal agreement or oath that provided unquestionable clarity into what Christians truly believed. It needed to provide Christians a universal identity, no matter if you were Anglican or Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic.

Through the collective wisdom of this group, Christendom took its first step in defining doctrine more precisely as a challenge to heretical theology from the Arians. The resolution passed in their meetings would apply to all churches.

By June of that year, they reached consensus. (Well, almost. The two bishops from Libya that sided with Arius still provided dissent. But no historical proof of this dissent exists: their signatures were simply absent.)

The council–the First Council of Nicaea, which is believed to have been the first Ecumenical council of the Christian Church–called it the Nicene Creed.

While the wording has changed slightly over the years, the Nicene Creed today has continued to be a touchstone of true Christian faith.

“And Jesus made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”–The Apostle Peter before his fellow church leaders, Acts 15:9-11

The intent of Road to Priesthood is to challenge how we Christians view and interact with the world around us, transcending our religious and political differences. It covers topics as diverse as politics, religion, love and marriage, and the Church itself. Subscribe to this blog at http://roadtopriesthood.wordpress.com/feed