John: WEEKEND RECHARGE!

Reflective Applicational Questions: John 1:1-18

1. Consider how John moved from a “Son of Thunder” to the “apostle of love.” How has God reshaped your heart over time? In what areas do you still need some reshaping?
2. John wrote his gospel so that we may believe and have life in Jesus. Reflect on how your faith in Christ influences your choices, relationships, and response to challenges. 
3. What areas of your life still draw you to “darkness,” things that distract or distance you from Jesus? What steps will you take to address these areas? 
4. How does understanding Jesus as both the Creator of everything and your personal Lord and Savior change the way you see your identity and purpose?
5. Are there parts of your life where you still feel the pressure of “law-keeping” instead of fully embracing God’s grace? What steps will you take to begin accepting God’s grace completely? 

The Arian Controversy

Church historian Nick Needham says that the “Arian controversy was the greatest theological controversy in the history of Christianity.” In his excellent series, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power, which I strongly recommend, he devotes a lengthy chapter to this controversy that threatened to split the church in the 3rd century. 

This was the Arian issue: Was Jesus God in the flesh, or was he a created being like you and me?

A popular preacher from Libya named Arius (256-336) started teaching that only the Father was truly God and that the Logos was a created being. At first, Arius claimed that the Son did not exist. Later, he changed his view and said that the Son was the first and most important of God's creations. The Son was closer to God than all other created beings, and the rest of creation related to God through the Son. 

The controversy was summarized with two Greek words. Was Jesus homo-ousios (the same essence as the Father) or homio-ousios (similar essence of the Father)? This debate continued for many years.

In 381, Emperor Theodosius convened a church council in Constantinople to revise what was known as the Nicene Creed. The council created a new version of the creed (the original was adopted in 325) to affirm that Jesus was of the same essence as the Father. As you read this creed, pay attention to the emphasis on Jesus being homo-ousios—the same essence as God the Father. You may notice other statements in this creed that are confusing or misleading. These issues were addressed later, and I have comments on that below. 

The Nicene Creed (381 AD)

We believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds—
Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory,
to judge the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Note that there is a problematic statement about “one baptism for the remission of sins.” This led to the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, which was not corrected until the Reformation.

Another issue with the wording of this creed is the statement that the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father.” The Roman Catholic Church updated the creed to correctly read, “proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The Greek Orthodox Church maintained that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone. This became known as the “Filioque Controversy,” with “Filioque” being a Latin term meaning “and the Son.” This disagreement ultimately led to the “Great Schism” in 1054, when the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church separated. 

Isaiah Zoom Call
We’ve spent many weeks in Isaiah together—thank you for walking through these daily devotions! We’re excited to invite you to a special Zoom call where we’ll talk about what God taught us through the study. Tomorrow, Monday, July 7 at 7:00 pm. Zoom call details will be at the bottom of tomorrow’s Daily Devotion.