What is the origin of the early Nicene-Constantinople creed?

Answer 1

The Nicene creed was established during the first Council of Nicaea, held in 325. This was the first worldwide council of the Church, and it was called to try to resolve a dispute in the Church over the nature of God. It was a very significant event.

As was the case with all Roman Emperors, Constantine considered that the safety of the state depended upon the proper conduct of religion. Before Constantine, the emperors tried to ensure that the traditional cults were correctly followed, both in Rome and throughout the Empire. Constantine tried to ensure that the Christian religion prospered.

After he became a Christian, and decided to trust the Christian god for his own safety, and for the safety of the Empire, Constantine believed that it was important for the sake of the Empire (and himself) that the Christian Church be united, and not divided. As a result, the emperors involved themselves in resolving matters of doctrine in the Church, thus adding a political element into the consideration of Church doctrine and Christian belief.

For a little more on Constantine, see the related question, "Why was Constantine's conversion to Christianity so important?"

Before holding the Council of Nicaea, Constantine had already intervened in a dispute in North Africa, but had failed to bring about a peaceful resolution. So when he defeated his colleague Emperor Licinius in 324, and came into control of the eastern half of the Roman Empire (and not just the Western half), he was determined to do better. He quickly moved to try to resolve the dispute that was dividing the whole of the Greek-speaking Church. This was the so-called Arian controversy.

One of the most difficult questions for Greek Christians of those times was whether God could ever suffer: they had been taught by their philosophers that God should be thought of as entirely transcendent (above everything). Aristotle even taught that God was not concerned with this world at all, but was entirely engaged in self-contemplation. So the fact that the Gospel of John teaches that Jesus is divine, the Son of God, and the entire expression of God (his Word), while at the same time Jesus suffered and died, was a difficulty.

A solution had been proposed, and was already widely accepted amongst philosophically-minded Christians. This was that Jesus Christ is the "image" of God (Colossians 1:15), but not quite the same as God. The intention of this proposal was not to denigrate Christ, but to safeguard the "remoteness" of God, namely, remote from any idea of suffering, or anything that in mentioned about Jesus in Philippians 2:5-11.

Arius, who accepted this solution, also exposed its weakness. For he followed this doctrine to its logical conclusion, and began to teach that Jesus could not really show us the Father (John 14:5-14). This was because Arius believed that Jesus did not fully know the Father, since he was of a different "essence." Not surprisingly, most Christians were appalled by Arius' statement, although those who knew the philosophical basis for this statement were inclined to rush to his defence. These included many bishops from the leading cities in the eastern half of the Roman Empire.

Since the matter could not be resolved easily within the regional councils of the Church, Constantine decided to call a worldwide council, with all the bishops summoned, and with state paying for the travel. It was held in Nicaea in 325.

Although Constantine was probably inclined to the side of the leading bishops who supported Arius, it was obvious that an overwhelming majority of bishops did not support Arius' statements. The creed that was established was specifically intended to exclude Arius' doctrine, since the creed declares that the Father and the Son are of the same "substance." This awkward expression meant that one could say that the relationship between Jesus and God was truly Father and Son; at the same time, the creed also maintains that God is One.

While this is a logically difficult doctrine, it reflects the clear teaching of the Bible on both of these matters. It also meant that those who accept the Nicene Creed cannot remove God from any idea of suffering: the Bible teaches that he is involved with us, and is not a remote being as taught by Aristotle.

Answer 2

The origin was at the Council of Nicaea which issued the original Nicene Creed, it was very short, and ended with "and in the Holy Spirit" with an accompanying four anathemas against Arianism in A.D. 325. The Nicene-Constantinople Creed, based on it, was issued by the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D. without the added phrases "and the son," and "died", which were added later.