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First Ecumenical Council

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The Palestinian creed had included the Biblical phrase "Firstborn of all creation" in its [[Christology|description of Christ]], but that phrase does not appear in the Nicene Creed, probably because, taken out of its context in the [[Apostle Paul]]'s [[Colossians|letter to the Colossians]], it could be interpreted in an Arian manner. This phrase gets replaced with the famous ''[[homoousios]]'', a philosophical term meaning that the Son of God is ''of one essence'' with the Father.
It is particularly interesting that this term was used, despite it previously having been employed by the heretical [[Sabellianism|Sabellians]] (notably [[Paul of Samosata]]) in the 3rd century during their conflict with St. [[Dionysius of Alexandria|Dionysius the Great]]. As with much terminology from philosophy, however, the [[Church Fathers]] co-opted ''homoousios'' and gave it a new, Orthodox meaning. It was originally introduced at Nicea by Hosius (or possibly even Constantine), then supported by "a small group of bold and far-sighted theologians who understood the inadequacy of merely condemning Arius and the need to crystallize Church tradition in a clear concept" (Schmemann, p. 78).
Besides the basic format of the Creed (''see'' [[Nicene Creed]]), four explicitly anti-Arian [[anathema]]s were attached, as well. All the bishops at the council signed the Creed except for two, Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais, who were subsequently deposed by the Church and then exiled by the emperor, along with [[Arius]], who also refused to accept the decrees of the council. Schmemann remarks regarding the exiles that Constantine was "thus again confusing the judgment of the Church with that of Caesar" (p. 79), recalling perhaps the previous unfortunate use of his civil power that St. Constantine had exercised when he persecuted the [[Donatism|Donatists]].
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