I have a pdf version of the original scan of Clark's handwritten sermon notes that I can share with those who want to comment below and have me email it to them. If anyone reads or has read the notes and thinks that they might be able to decipher parts or has come to a different interpretation than I have, they are also welcome to comment below.
1940. Nicene Creed, The (Jun. 9.) (Re-Preached:1943, 1945, 1947)
1940. Nicene Creed, The (Jun. 9.) (Re-Preached:1943, 1945, 1947)
The Nicene Creed
Intro.
The basis of the Christian faith is the Trinity.
Atonement central; the nature and value of the work on Calvary depends on the Person
The crux of the Trinity is the Deity of Christ. Implications show wisdom of "upon this rock I will build my Church etc."
The history of Christ confirms the logical analysis of Scripture that the Trinity is basic. It had to be the first doctrine settled. And it is appropriate to remember the human [ingw] that God used: Athanasius.
I Life of Athanasius 293-373
Secretary to Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, at whose death in 326 he was consecrated. Egypt was "with schisms rent asunder - " and Athanasius' decided stand made enemies.
After Nicene Council, the Emperor demanded readmission of Arius in the Church. Athanasius refused. Charged with preventing shipment of grain to Constantinople. Long case proved him innocent. Then he was charged with murdering a man and using his bones for magic. The investigation found the alleged victim alive.
N.B. expect false charges.
The Emperor considered him an obstacle to peace and banished him to Trier[?] 335. Death of emperor 337 and Athanasius returned.
Accused of graft. Acquitted and banished in 337-345.
Soldiers broke in his church in 356 to arrest him: he escaped to his 3rd exile. Arians given important posts.
Julian Apostate recalled all exiled bishops to cause church greater confusion but Athanasius too powerful for Julian and was exiled again the same yet 362.
Many "peaceful" men urged compromise but the Bible says first fire[?], then peacefulness.
Emperor Jovian brought him back for the 4th time, 364.
Valens' policy cause another mob to break into Athanasius' church and he fled for his 5th exile.
The people now began to ask for his return and he came back in 366 for the last 7 years of his life.
N.B. 1) Some people want peace and make it a policy[?] never to oppose anyone. In contrast, Athanasius is honored because he stood against. He opposed. How can one stand for, unless also against. If we are for Christ, we have His enemies. Let us live peaceably with all men as much as in us lies. But it does not lie in a true Christian to tolerate attacks on, or indifference to, fundamental doctrines.
2) Had there been no heresy, no Creed. God brought good out of evil. The Arians unwittingly taught orthodoxy. We too can learn by seeing Christ the Nicene Creed denies.
3) The Arians were powerful - Emperor, all eastern Church, Arian. Most missionaries Arian. Orthodox were persecuted - even after Athanasius died, by Arian Teutons. But Christ had said, upon this rock, I will build my church.
II The Doctrine
1+1+1=3
1x1x1=1
Not 1 and 3 in same sense.
The discussion centered on the meaning of the title Son of God and generation. The Arians held "the Son was not before his generation" and he came from nothing. The Son is not true God.
In opposition, to polytheism - well known - a strong monotheist would naturally be attracted to Arianism.
Is Christ Son in same sense as we are cf. Deuteronomy 14:1 "Ye are the children of the Lord your God." or John 1:12 "to them gave he power to become the sons of God." This is a moral or religious sonship.
Or is Christ Son as Isaac was of Abraham a natural sonship.
cf. Genesis 22:2 "thy son, thine only Son, whom thou lovest"
If a moral sonship, is Christ only begotten
The Arians reply: he is not only begotten because he came from the Father alone, all others are begotten by the Father then the Son. i.e. the Son created the world.
But God did not need an agent in creation for fear of getting tired. cf. Isaiah 40:28 "The everlasting God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary."
Creation must be ascribed to the Father and the Son so similarly that the Son is no mere external instrument. The Son is more than Hand of God. Rather than agent or [?]
Isaiah 66:2 "For all those things hath my hand made."
No need for God to have an agent to avoid contamination [transcendence] for then he could create the first mediatory -
If Christ were merely first and we follow from him, then we would be sons of Christ and Christ would separate us from God rather than unity us to God.
Christ is Son as Isaac was - natural, not moral sonship.
Anthropomorphisms will not confuse one who attends to the sense rather than mere words
The Nicene Creed has to us an unscriptural phrase "of the substance of God" because the Arian insisted "from God" had but one sense - that in which all these are from God. The purpose of the word substance is to distinguish between Christ and human beings.
Phrases Like the Father, Image of the Father, can be used of men.
Even unalterable can be used of men, for nothing can separate us from the love of God. They said one in substance.
Like is very ambiguous. Tin is like silver, brass like gold. But the Son and the Father are the same in substance.
III Conclusion:
Why bother about metaphysics and [?]. Let's be practical.
1. Gospel = good news. News must be told truthfully. We have no authority to alter - by [?] - It is not good news that a man died in Palestine 1900 years ago. - useless information. To say an archangel died is false. We must say who died. The Person - that given value to the death.
2. We ourselves must grow in grace. The purest form of sonship in to think correctly about God. Meditation is worship. Thinking is one thing. But this is not desirable. To think falsely is an offense to God. = To know him as he isn't. Those who are doctrinally indifferent are blind leaders of the blind. Hindrance in study does not equal antagonism or indifference to truth.
The true Christian desires to know God as he is and long for the day when he shall know even as he is known.
Tab. 6/7/40
Tiskilwa 6/-/43
Bridgeton OPC 10/29/44
Cin. 8/19/45
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