Christian-History.org does not receive any personally identifiable information from the search bar below.

Homoousios: One Substance of God

At the Council of Nicea it was homoousios that was at issue. Is the Son "one substance" with the Father?

If the Son was the Word inside of the Father before his begetting in eternity past, then he is one substance with the Father. In other words, he's made of the same divine "stuff," "substance," "material," or "essence" as the Father because he came out of the Father.

If he was created from nothing, then God must have used something to create him; probably whatever he created the angels with. Greek Christians simply called that substance "matter." If that's what the Son was made from, the Nicene council reasoned, then he's not really God.

Ad:

Our books consistently maintain 4-star and better ratings despite the occasional 1- and 2-star ratings from people angry because we have no respect for sacred cows.

Athenagoras, a 2nd century apologist, addressed the issue of matter and God long before Nicea, claiming to speak for all Christians:

Because the multitude, who cannot distinguish between matter and God … pray to idols made of matter, should we who do distinguish and separate the uncreated and the created … come and worship images? (A Plea for the Christians 15)

He makes it clear that Christians would never worship matter. But he has also already said that they do worship the Logos of God.

We are not atheists … because we acknowledge one God, uncreated, eternal … by whom the universe has been created through his Logos… . We acknowledge a Son of God. Nor let anyone think it ridiculous that God should have a Son… . The Son of God is the Logos of the Father… . The Nous [mind] and Logos of the Father is the Son of God. (ibid. 10)

The doctrine of Arius, that the Son was created from nothing, made him matter and not the substance of God. Arianism denied homoousios.

The Nicene Creed answers Arianism directly. If you already read the page on the Logos of God, then you should be able to understand exactly what's being 

… the Son of God, only-begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten, not made, one in substance [homoousios] with the Father … 

The Son, because he is the Logos of God, and always was the Logos of God, is of the Divine substance. Therefore he is "God from God … true God from true God."

This is an ad written by me, Paul Pavao: I get a commission if you buy Xero shoes, which does not increase your cost. Barefoot running/walking is the best thing for your feet--if we did not walk on cement, asphalt, and gravel. Normal shoes compress your toes and do a lot of the work your lower leg muscles should be doing. Xero shoes are minimalist and let your toes spread and your feet do the work they are supposed to do. More info at the link.
spacer

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Early Church History Newsletter

You will be notified of new articles, and I send teachings based on the pre-Nicene fathers intermittently.

Back issues availabel

When you sign up for my newsletter, your email address will not be shared. We will only use it to send you the newsletter.

Email

Name