First Council of Nicaea

The First Council of Nicaea was held in Nicaea, in Bithynia in 325. Nicea is now the city of Iznik, in Turkey.

Roman Emperor Constantine I called the bishops of the Roman Empire to the first ecumenical council^[1] of the early Christian Church. It had as most important result the first uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed.

With the creation of the creed, a precedent was established for subsequent general (ecumenical) councils of bishops (synods) to create statements of belief and church law. The purpose was to define unity of beliefs for the whole of Christendom.

Constantine I called the bishops of the Christian Church to Nicaea to deal with divisions in the Church. (mosaic in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, c. 1000)

Agenda

These items were on the agenda of the synod:

1. The Arian question
2. The celebration of Passover
3. The Meletian schism
4. The Father and Son one in purpose or in person
5. The baptism of heretics
6. The status of the lapsed in the persecution under Licinius

Main points

The purpose of the council was to resolve disagreements in the Church of Alexandria over the nature of Jesus in relationship to the Father: in particular, whether Jesus was of the same substance as God the Father or merely of similar substance. Alexander of Alexandria and Athanasius took the first position; the popular presbyter Arius, the origin of the term "Arian controversy", took the second. The council decided against the Arians (of the estimated 250-318 attendees, all but 2 voted against Arius). Howeber, many of the eastern bishops, who were supported Arius, were prevented from reaching the council until after the vote had been taken.

Another result of the council was an agreement on the date of the Christian Passover (Pascha in Greek; Easter in modern English), the most important feast of the ecclesiastical calendar. The council decided to celebrate the resurrection on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, independently of the Bible's Hebrew calendar, and allowed the Bishop of Alexandria to announce annually the exact date to his fellow bishops.

The Council of Nicaea was historically significant because it was the first effort to come to a consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.^[2] "It was the first occasion for the development of technical Christology."^[2] Further, "Constantine in convoking and presiding over the council signaled a measure of imperial control over the church."^[2] With the creation of the Nicene Creed, a precedent was established for subsequent general councils to create a statement of belief and canons, which were intended to become guidelines for doctrinal orthodoxy and a source of unity for the whole of Christendom, a momentous event in the history of the church aand subsequent history of Europe.

Character and purpose

The First Council of Nicaea was called by Emperor Constantine I upon the recommendations of a synod led by Hosius of Cordoba in the Eastertide of 325.^[3] To most bishops, the teachings of Arius were heretical and a danger to the salvation of souls. In the summer of 325, the bishops of all provinces came to Nicaea, Bithynia (now İznik, Turkey), a place easily accessible to the majority of them, particularly those of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Greece and Thrace.

Approximately 300 bishops attended from every region of the Roman Empire except Britain. It was the first general council in the history of the church since the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem.^[4] In the Council of Nicaea, “The Church had taken her first great step to define doctrine more precisely in response to a challenge from a heretical theology.”^[5] The resolutions in the council, being ecumenical, were intended for the whole church.

Attendees

Constantine had invited 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. Eusebius of Caesarea counted 250,^[6] Athanasius of Alexandria counted 318,^[7] and Eustathius of Antioch counted 270^[8] (all three were present at the council). Later, Socrates Scholasticus recorded more than 300,^[9] and Evagrius,^[10] Hilarius,^[11] Jerome^[12] and Rufinus recorded 318.

The bishops were given free travel to the council, as well as lodging. The bishops did not travel alone; each one had permission to bring with him two priests and three deacons and so the total number of attendees would have been above 1500. Eusebius speaks of an almost innumerable host of accompanying priests, deacons and acolytes.

A special prominence was also attached to this council because the persecution of Christians had just ended with the February 313 Edict of Milan by Emperors Constantine and Licinius.

The eastern bishops formed the great majority. Of these, the first rank was held by the three patriarchs: Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch, and Macarius of Jerusalem. The Latin-speaking provinces sent at least five representatives: Marcus of Calabria from Italia, Cecilian of Carthage from Africa, Hosius of Córdoba from Hispania, Nicasius of Dijon from Gaul, and Domnus of Stridon from the province of the Danube. Pope Silvester I did not attend and said that he was he was ill, but he was represented by two priests.

Athanasius of Alexandria, a young deacon and companion of Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, was among the assistants. Athanasius eventually spent most of his life battling against Arianism. Alexander of Constantinople, then a presbyter, was also present as representative of his aged bishop, Metrophanes of Byzantium.