Sunday, August 5, 2012

The Nicene Creed Part 3 - In One God

 Deut 5:7
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

Deut 6:14
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;


In a world where many gods have been worshipped throughout human history and in an age where concepts like there is no God or all religions are the same are not uncommon to encounter, we maintain our belief that our God is the true God and that there are no others beside Him. We don't believe that all religions are equally true or entirely compatible with each other. This is an underlying theme in the Old Testament as it records the history of the struggle of Israel between serving the true God and other gods. It was with Israel that God established His covenant where He would be their God and they would be His people as recorded "With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them: But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice." and "Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works". Warfare was styled to keep Israel from worshipping other gods, and it was the worship of the true God that gained victory and brought peace. It was for idolotry that Israel was taken captive, and the return from captivity was centered around returning to the worship of God. We find the worship of one God explained in The Catechism of St Philaret1 explained like this...
82. Why is it not said in the Creed simply, I believe in God, rather than with the addition, in one God?

In order to contradict the error of the heathen, who, taking the creature for God, thought there were many gods.
And explained by C N Callinicos in The Greek Orthodox Catechism...
For, though there be many that are called gods and lords - as is the case with the polytheists - yet to us there is but One God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and we unto Him.(1 Cor. viii.5-6.)... The idolotrous idea of dividing the indivisible God up into different limited deities, of which one reigns in Heaven, another on earth, a third over the sea, a fourth over the underworld and so on, is an anthropomorphic fancy, derogatory to the Supreme Being.
Early apologists often had to refute charges of atheism that were made based on the refusal to worship and offer sacrifices to other gods. Justin Martyr gave this defense in his First Apology2 addressed to the Roman Emporer and Senate.
And we confess that we are atheists, so far as gods of this sort are concerned, but not with respect to the most true God, the Father of righteousness and temperance and the other virtues, who is free from all impurity. But both Him, and the Son... and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth, and declaring without grudging to every one who wishes to learn, as we have been taught.
Athenegoras also gave this response to charges of atheism in his Plea For Christians3.
As regards, first of all, the allegation that we are atheists... with reason did the Athenians adjudge Diagoras guilty of atheism, in that he... openly declared that there was no God at all... But, since our doctrine acknowledges one God, the Maker of this universe, who is Himself uncreated... but has made all things by the Logos which is from Him, we are treated unreasonably in both respects, in that we are both defamed and persecuted.
As stated in the above quote, the Christian God is the Holy Trinity of God the Father eternally existing with His Word and Spirit. Just as scripture says "No man hath seen God at any time", we also confess the nature of God to be beyond our own and the nature  of what is uncreated to be entirely different than the nature of what is created. Yet at the same time, we find "that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead", and "The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory". So while, due to our limitations, it is impossible for us to fully know something without limitation, God still reveals Himself to us, interacts with us, and makes Himself known to us. It is in this revelation of God, primarily in Jesus Christ who said "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father", that we speak of the nature of God. Scripture tells us that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" and also speaks of  "the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father". We can find this explained in The Catechism of St Philaret.
84. Can we know the very essence of God?

No. It is above all knowledge, not of men only, but of angels.

85. How does holy Scripture speak on this point?

The Apostle Paul says, that God dwelleth in the light, which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see. 1 Tim. vi. 16....

90. How are we to understand these words of the Creed, I believe in one God the Father?
This is to be understood with reference to the mystery of the Holy Trinity; because God is one in substance but trine in persons--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost--a Trinity consubstantial and undivided....

93. How is one God in three Persons?

We can not comprehend this inner mystery of the Godhead; but we believe it on the infallible testimony of the Word of God. The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. ii. 11.

94. What difference is there between the Persons of the Holy Trinity?

God the Father is neither begotten, nor proceeds from any other Person: the Son of God is from all eternity begotten of the Father: the Holy Ghost from all eternity proceeds from the Father.

95. Are the three Hypostases or Persons of the Most Holy Trinity all of equal majesty?

Yes; all of absolutely equal divine majesty. The Father is true God, the Son equally true God, and the Holy Ghost true God; but yet so that in the three Persons there is only one Tri-personal God.
The nature of God as the Trinity, personal characteristics of the three Persons, and the manner of the incarnation of "the Word became flesh" are among what will be discussed in the rest of the Creed.

For Thou art our God, and we know no other than Thee.

1http://www.pravoslavieto.com/docs/eng/Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret.htm#ii.xv.iii.i.p41

2http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.viii.ii.vi.html

3http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf02.v.ii.iv.html