Super Constantine

SteveJ said:

“For example, Constantine did not invent the deity of Christ.”

No, but his presence at the Council of Nicea certainly helped influence the outcome of the debate.

3/22/2006 10:55 AM

I’m simply amazed at how many people believe this lie as of late. No, no matter how many times it is asserted proudly as if it were true, nor how many times it appears in fiction novels, it does not become true. I’m curious if SteveJ is able to give us a single piece of documentation that would support this statement of his (works of fiction excluded, of course). Apparently, those who make this assertion feel that the onus is on the Christians to disprove it, rather than having the burden to prove their own assertions. In fact, history tells us the direct opposite of this claim. Athanasius of Alexandria makes it clear that the presence of the emperor had no effect on the outcome of the council. So, we have the records of history against the undocumented assertions of SteveJ. But let’s simply examine the rationality of such a claim:

1. Many of those present at the council had suffered greatly from the last persecution. Many were missing eyes, fingers, and other body parts. The persecution of these Christian bishops was performed by the hands of preceding Roman emperors. In fact, many had suffered because of their refusal to hand over copies of the text of Scripture to the Romans, where they would be destroyed. If these Christian men were so unwilling to even hand over a copy of Scripture in the face of persecution, and if they had been so persecuted by the hands of past emperors, do you really think that they would have simply given in to the slightest persuasion to change their entire fundamental doctrine? I mean, if they refused to do so in past even in the face of persecution, do you think they would do so now with the absence of it? It is only the arrogant who are so willing to slander the past, telling us that the early Christians were gullible idiots that would believe whatever they are told.

The propagators of this lie wish to transform Emperor Constantine into some type of super hero: “Super Constantine! Able to leap centuries in a single bound! Single-handedly proclaiming the deity of Christ!” Well, historically, such is not the case. But do you know what Constantine did do to help the Christians? He donated money in order to help replace the copies of the Scriptural text that past emperors had burned.

2. The nature of the claim that Constantine’s initial presence “certainly helped influence the outcome” of the “debate” should be evident in the actual results. But it simply isn’t. Out of (we believe) 318 members, only two (Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais) chose not to sign. Hardly the “close call” that fiction author Dan Brown would have us believe.

3. SteveJ’s assertion depends on the notion that prior to Constantine the belief in the deity of Christ was not widely accepted, for in order for the “debate” to be influenced by a presence of a certain emperor, the results would have had to have been different if he were absent. In other words, SteveJ’s assertion would have us believe that the early church did not hold to the doctrine of the deity of Christ. But such a notion is absolutely contrary to the evidence. First of all, the evidence is contrary to that of the New Testament. SteveJ’s only choice, then, is to attack the historical accuracy of the New Testament. But if that was his intention all along, why not just start there rather than bringing up the ol’ Constantine-Nicea canard? In any case, the New Testament evidence alone destroys this myth:

Rom 9:5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Tit 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

2Pe 1:1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ

Oh…but that’s right. The New Testament can’t serve as evidence, right? Wrong. But even if that is the case, consider the extra-biblical, post-New-Testament documentation of the early church fathers, starting with the writing of Ignatius (notice how these statements do not follow some long argument for the deity of Christ, but are simply made in passing. The deity of Christ was so widely accepted that Ignatius could make these statements so easily):

My spirit is but an offscouring of the cross, which is a scandal to the unbelieving, but to us it is salvation and life eternal. Where is the wise man? Where is the disputer? Where is the boasting of those who are called understanding? For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived by Mary according to a dispensation of God, from the seed of David, yes, but of the Holy Spirit as well. (Ignatius’ Epistle to the Ephesians, 18)

Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, unto her that hath found mercy in the bountifulness of the Father Most High and of Jesus Christ His only Son; to the church that is beloved and enlightened through the will of Him who willed all things that are, by faith and love towards Jesus Christ our God; even unto her that hath the presidency in the country of the region of the Romans…(Romans 1)

For our God Jesus Christ, being in the Father, is more plainly seen. The work is not of persuasiveness, but Christianity is a thing of might, whenever it is hated by the world (Romans 3).

Await the One who is above every season, the Eternal, the Invisible, the One who for our sake became visible, the Untouched, the Impassible, who for our sake suffered, who endured in every way for our sake (Polycarp 3).

I give glory to Jesus Christ the God who bestowed such wisdom upon you; for I have perceived that ye are established in faith immovable, being as it were nailed to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, in flesh and in spirit, and firmly grounded in love in the blood of Christ, fully persuaded as touching our Lord that He is truly of the race of David according to the flesh, but Son of God by the Divine will and power, truly born of a virgin and baptized by John that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him, truly nailed up in the flesh for our sakes under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch (of which fruit are we–that is, of His most blessed passion); that He might set up an ensign unto all the ages through His resurrection, for His saints and faithful people, whether among Jews or among Gentiles, in one body of His Church….Let no man be deceived. Even the heavenly beings and the glory of the angels and the rulers visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ [who is God], judgment awaiteth them also (Smyrneans 6).

There is one physician, of flesh and of spirit, generate and ingenerate, God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first passible and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ephesians 7)

But we don’t need to only quote from Ignatius, do we? Perhaps you remember the headlines on the finding of an ancient Christian church in Israel, one pre-dating Constantine:

Two mosaics inside the church — one covered with fish, an ancient Christian symbol that predates the cross — tell the story of a Roman officer and a woman named Aketous who donated money to build the church in the memory “of the God, Jesus Christ.”

But here is my favorite one. This sermon was preached by Melito the bishop of Sardis approximately 145 years prior to Nicea, 130 years prior to Constantine’s battle at the Milvian Bridge:

And so he was lifted up upon a tree and an inscription was attached indicating who was being killed. Who was it? It is a grievous thing to tell, but a most fearful thing to refrain from telling. But listen, as you tremble before him on whose account the earth trembled!
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.
The Sovereign is insulted.
God is murdered.
The King of Israel is destroyed by an Israelite hand.
This is the One who made the heavens and the earth,
and formed mankind in the beginning,
The One proclaimed by the Law and the Prophets,
The One enfleshed in a virgin,
The One hanged on a tree,
The One buried in the earth,
The One raised from the dead and who went up into the heights of heaven,
The One sitting at the right hand of the Father,
The One having all authority to judge and save,
Through Whom the Father made the things which exist from the beginning of time.
This One is “the Alpha and the Omega,”
This One is “the beginning and the end”
—the beginning indescribable and the end incomprehensible.
This One is the Christ.
This One is the King.
This One is Jesus.
This One is the Leader.
This One is the Lord.
This One is the One who rose from the dead.
This One is the One sitting on the right hand of the Father.
He bears the Father and is borne by the Father.
“To him be the glory and the power forever. Amen.”

The nail in the coffin, indeed.

4. One truly has to wonder what is gained by asserting this ridiculous lie. It’s no secret that SteveJ denies the deity and Lordship of Jesus Christ. He makes that clear on his blog site “Christology Questions.” But it makes me curious why the argument seems to lie here. Why must SteveJ persist in slandering the past and rewriting history to simply come up with an excuse to not submit to the Lordship of Christ? I believe the Bible gives us an answer for that.

Evan May.