Old artwork depicting the First Council of Nicea.
A Baptist Approach to the Nicene Creed of 325
The year 2025 marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Council and Creed. This creed has been embraced and used across nearly every religious tradition, from Catholics and Eastern Orthodox to Lutherans, Anglicans, and Reformed groups.
Even secularists have taken an interest, often portraying the events at Nicaea as a way to suppress alternative views about Jesus.
Famously, the fictional bestseller The Da Vinci Code claims this council hotly debated the books of the Bible and debated whether Jesus was God or merely man, with the divinity of Jesus being affirmed by “a relatively close vote,” none of which is actually true!
- You have reached the end of this article preview. This article was published in the Fall 2025 Baptist Bulletin. Subscribe to the Baptist Bulletin or purchase a gift subscription. If you already subscribe to the print edition, sign up for free digital access.
Jeriah D. Shank (PhD, Midwestern) is pastor of Slater (Iowa) Baptist Church and adjunct professor
of apologetics at Faith Baptist Bible College. You can follow his ministry at jeriahshank.com.
