Category: Church History

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(Nicene Creed): On the Third Day He Rose Again, In Accordance with the Scriptures

“And rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” This portion of the Nicene Creed concisely describes what Christians have historically recognized as the linchpin of our faith – the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The resurrection was foretold by the Scriptures, and by the Lord Himself, and is celebrated … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): On the Third Day He Rose Again, In Accordance with the Scriptures

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(Nicene Creed): For Our Sake He was Crucified…He Suffered Death and was Buried

He who hung the earth in place is hanged. He who fixed the heavens in place is fixed in place. He who made all things fast is made fast on a tree. (Melito of Sardis, 2nd Century Bishop of Smyrna) In his magisterial work Dominion, Tom Holland traces the enduring influence of Christianity on the … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): For Our Sake He was Crucified…He Suffered Death and was Buried

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(Nicene Creed): He Came Down From Heaven; Was Incarnate By The Holy Spirit…

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… Indeed Christ came down. Jesus, not created by but equal with God the Father was “born in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6). The fact that God became man distinguishes … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): He Came Down From Heaven; Was Incarnate By The Holy Spirit…

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(Nicene Creed): God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God

As we continue in our series on the Nicene Creed, we come to a section that is the crux of the entire Creed. The phrase “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God” is carefully crafted to affirm the biblical, orthodox (dare I say catholic) understanding of the divinity of Jesus Christ, … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God

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(Nicene Creed): We Believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God…

The Council of Nicaea was convened in 325 AD by Emperor Constantine to resolve doctrinal issues raised by Arius, a prominent elder of the church in Alexandria, Egypt. The issues largely revolved around the Greek word monogenes. The term literally means, “only generated” and is translated “only begotten Son” in the King James Version. The term … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): We Believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God…

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(Nicene Creed): Maker of Heaven and Earth, of All Things Visible and Invisible

“We believe in one God…maker of heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible:” the second theological statement of faith of the Nicene Creed. For many Christians, this point of doctrine is somewhat ho-hum. It’s just such a given in Christian circles, that God created all that exists, that many glaze right over … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): Maker of Heaven and Earth, of All Things Visible and Invisible

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The Feast Day of St. John Henry Newman: A Doctor of the Church

Today we mark the Feast Day (Church of England) of St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890). He was born in London in 1801 to a banker and a mother from French (Huegonot) descent. At the age of 15, Newman underwent a conversion experience and became an evangelical Anglican. During the eighteenth century the Church of England … Continue reading The Feast Day of St. John Henry Newman: A Doctor of the Church

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(Nicene Creed): We Believe in one God the Father, the Almighty…

“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” These ancient words from the Nicene Creed might sound formal, but they speak to a very personal trust – the kind of trust that we can have in God as our Father. They describe the foundation of our faith, the solid ground we can … Continue reading (Nicene Creed): We Believe in one God the Father, the Almighty…