Podcasts about Nicene Creed

Faith deconstruction has become one of the defining conversations in modern Christianity—but what does it actually mean to deconstruct your faith? In this episode of The Biblical Mind Podcast, Dru Johnson sits down with pastor, YouTuber, and book reviewer Joel Wentz to explore why so many Christians are questioning their beliefs and how those questions can lead to deeper spiritual maturity rather than cynicism.Drawing from his own experience growing up in evangelical Christianity, Joel shares how wrestling with doctrines like hell, eschatology, and biblical interpretation led him through a season of deconstruction before discovering a richer understanding of historic Christian faith. Together, Dru and Joel discuss the difference between sincere faith exploration and tearing down beliefs for their own sake, the role of church culture and church hurt, why asking difficult questions is deeply biblical, and how the Nicene Creed and church history provide stability amid uncertainty.The conversation also explores theological humility, the importance of Christian tradition, the dangers of intellectual arrogance, and how pastors, churches, and Christian communities can create safe spaces for honest questions without abandoning biblical orthodoxy.Whether you're personally deconstructing your faith, walking alongside someone who is, or simply want to understand one of today's most important conversations in Christianity, this episode offers thoughtful, compassionate, and biblically grounded wisdom.Visit Joel's youtube channel (Click Here), or his Patreon (Click Here)Contact us at The Biblical Mind: Click HereWe are listener supported. Give to the cause here:https://thebiblicalmind.org/give/For more articles:https://thebiblicalmind.org/Social Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThoughtInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthoughtThreads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthoughtX: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThoughtBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.orgChapters:00:00 Introduction to Deconstruction and Faith04:56 Different Understandings of Deconstruction06:03 Interrogating Inherited Beliefs Without Negativity08:16 Biblical Questions and Cultural Fears09:39 The Skeptical Mood of Scripture10:53 Questioning in the Bible: Examples from Scripture12:26 Personal Stories of Faith and Questioning16:30 Deconstruction of Eschatology and Hope19:11 The Compelling Vision of the Renewed Earth21:24 The Impact of Eschatology on Personal Hope23:42 Starting the YouTube Journey During COVID25:03 Sharing Faith and Books Online27:24 Encouraging Questions and Faith in Community28:51 Balancing Questions and Faithful Answers30:38 The Dangers of Going to Foundations Without Humility31:48 The Role of Sincerity and Humility in Deconstruction33:10 The Pool Analogy: Standing in the Water34:41 Rich Christian Thought on Deconstruction Questions36:24 Historical Answers to Faith Questions38:31 Healing Through Confession and Love40:30 Trust and Gentle Care in Discipleship42:00 The Continuum of Beliefs and Non-negotiables44:32 The Nicene Creed and Core Doctrines45:58 Evolving Views on Doctrine of Hell49:00 The Journey from Open Theism to Classical Theism52:31 The Impact of Doctrine on Prayer and Spiritual Life55:09 The Richness of Christian Thought and TraditionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is an interview from ‪@billschlegel1‬ where Bill Schlegel interviewed me about the Cappadocian Fathers. Original video :    • The Trinity is from the Cappadocian Father...  00:00:00 - Introduction & Gaps in Church History00:03:59 - The Myth of Nicaea vs. Late Trinitarian Development00:06:59 - The Culture, Wealth, and Geography of Cappadocia00:11:31 - Meet the Fathers: Elite Pedigree & Radical Charity00:24:22 - The Arian Crisis & Stacking the Bishoprics00:41:00 - The Edict of Thessalonica & Imperial Orthodoxy00:48:01 - Tweaking Definitions: Usia vs. Hypostasis00:59:00 - Political Infighting at the Council of Constantinople01:06:45 - The Surprising Transmission & Forgery of the "Nicene" Creed01:26:06 - Non-Biblical Language, Final Reflections & Recommended ReadingCappadocian Fathers, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, Church History, Doctrine of the Trinity, History of the Trinity, Council of Nicaea, Council of Constantinople, Nicene Creed, Arian Crisis, Arianism, Unitarianism, Biblical Unitarianism, One God Report, Sam Tedman, Transfigured podcast, Ousia vs Hypostasis, Homoousios, Triune God, Edict of Thessalonica, Emperor Theodosius, Council of Chalcedon, Saint Augustine On the Trinity, Saint Ambrose, Athanasius of Alexandria, Arius, Battle of Adrianople, Church Councils history, Filioque Controversy, Richard Rubenstein When Jesus Became God, RPC Hansen, early church history, development of the trinity, Cappadocia Turkey history, church fathers history, how the trinity developed

Are Mormons Christians? In a recent viral interview, Christian and cultural commentator Allie Beth Stuckey sat down with Latter-day Saint (LDS) apologist Jacob Hansen to answer that exact question. While the conversation used a lot of shared vocabulary, a deeper dive reveals that historic biblical Christianity and Mormon theology are built on completely different foundations. In this episode, Bryan breaks down the interview, defines the terms, and untangles the crucial, unbridgeable gaps between the LDS worldview and the biblical gospel. Whether you are a Christian wanting to understand your faith better or a Mormon evaluating your own traditions, this episode will help you look past the vocabulary to see the actual theology. --The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--ARE MORMONS CHRISTIANS? In a recent viral episode, cultural commentator Allie Beth Stuckey hosted Jacob Hansen, a prominent Latter-day Saint (LDS) apologist, to tackle a question that has long puzzled many believers and observers alike: Are Mormons Christians? While the conversational surface appeared agreeable, a deeper exploration reveals that beneath shared terminology lies a radically different foundation.For listeners on Spotify or viewers over on our YouTube channel, this breakdown is designed to untangle the terminology and clarify the crucial, unbridgeable gaps between biblical, classical Christianity and Mormon theology.1. The Context of Wisdom: Joseph Smith and James 1:5The foundational story of the LDS movement begins in 1820 with a 14-year-old Joseph Smith who, confused by denominational infighting, read James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God..." Smith went into a grove of trees to pray, leading to what Mormons call the "First Vision," where he claimed God the Father and Jesus Christ told him all existing churches were corrupt and lacked ecclesiastical authority.However, extracting James 1:5 to validate a brand-new revelation takes the text entirely out of context. James was writing to persecuted Jewish Christians scattered abroad, encouraging them to seek God's wisdom to endure trials—not establishing a formula to discover a new gospel. Furthermore, if we look just two chapters later, James 3:13 tells us that true godly wisdom is proven by "living an honorable life."When examining the life of Joseph Smith, the historical reality is deeply troubling. The LDS church has openly admitted over the last decade that Smith practiced polygamy, marrying multiple women, including a 14-year-old girl. From a biblical perspective, this lifestyle fundamentally contradicts the honorable fruit of divine wisdom described by James.2. The Ontological Gap: Same Species or Creator and Creation?During the interview, Hansen noted that while Mormons consider themselves Christians, they are not "creedal Christians." Creedal Christians adhere to historical, biblical summaries like the Nicene Creed, which outline the biblical nature of God.While the official LDS website uses deeply Christian-sounding language—stating that Jesus is our Savior and God loves us—digging deeper reveals a completely different ontology (the study of being):Biblical Christianity teaches an infinite, unbridgeable gap between God and humanity. God is the eternal, uncreated Creator; we are His finite creation.Mormon Theology teaches that God and men are the same species. They believe God the Father was once a man who progressed to Godhood, and that human beings can undergo "eternal progression" to eventually become gods themselves.To call this a minor difference is to miss the entire point of biblical revelation. This is not a secondary issue; it is a fundamentally different view of who God is.3. The Gospel: Simple Grace vs. Priesthood KeysOn paper, an LDS person might agree with a basic definition of the gospel: that Jesus died for our sins to rescue us. But the deception lies in how terms are defined.In biblical Christianity, salvation is a straight line: we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift, entirely independent of institutional alignment.In Mormonism, a distinction is made between "general salvation" (resurrection) and exaltation (reaching the highest level of heaven to become a god). To get the "fullness" of relationship with God and achieve exaltation, Hansen explained that an individual must participate in specific ordinances (like temple marriages and secret rituals) that can only be performed by someone holding the "priesthood keys" of the LDS church.When you tell people that Jesus's sacrifice isn't enough on its own, and that they must add a checklist of institutional works and ordinances to be fully reconciled to God, you are no longer preaching the biblical gospel. As Paul strictly warned in Galatians 1:8, anyone preaching a altered, different gospel is under a divine curse.4. Universalism vs. The Reality of JudgmentFinally, the interview exposed a strong current of modern universalism within modern LDS thinking. Hansen argued that the traditional Christian view of a binary Heaven and Hell is too rigid, preferring a "spectrum" of three celestial kingdoms where almost everyone ends up happy. He downplayed the concept of "Outer Darkness" (the LDS version of Hell), claiming it's tough to know who actually goes there.Yet, historical Mormonism is quite clear. Second LDS President Brigham Young explicitly stated in the Journal of Discourses that apostate Mormons—those who leave the LDS faith—are the ones destined for Outer Darkness.More importantly, Jesus Himself repeatedly warned of a definitive, binary reality regarding eternity: those who are in Christ inherit eternal life, and those who reject Him face eternal separation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). True love doesn't rewrite the blueprint of eternity to sound pleasant; it tells the truth about the cancer of sin and points faithfully to the only True Doctor, Jesus Christ.

When we hear the word 'church,' what comes to mind? Perhaps comfort, frustration, cherished memories, or even heartbreak. This exploration of the Nicene Creed's declaration that we believe in 'one holy Catholic and apostolic church' challenges us to reconsider what church truly means. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:9 and Ephesians 2 and 4, we discover that the church is not primarily a building or an event, but the community of Jesus followers that God Himself is building. The profound truth is that our unity, holiness, and identity as church are not human achievements but divine gifts. We are being built together by God, brought near through Christ's blood, and made into a holy temple. When we confess belief in the church, we're not claiming perfection or denying our failures. Instead, we're acknowledging that God has made us one in Christ, regardless of our differences in worship style, cultural background, or even opinions about tacos. Our unity transcends politics, preferences, and personalities because it's rooted in the one Lord, one faith, one baptism we share. The call isn't to create unity but to keep it, to live into the reality God has already established. This means sitting beside those we disagree with, learning from believers worldwide who worship differently, and recognizing that anyone who names Christ as Lord is our brother or sister. The church's existence and identity flow from God's work, inviting us to declare His praises and become what He has already declared us to be.

Episode 236 is a sermon I preached in April on the first line of the Nicene Creed, “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” I also discuss how this essential Christian doctrine can often prove helpful when witnessing to Mormons. Rate/Review our Spotify Channel - Reclaiming the Faith Apple Podcasts Channel - Reclaiming the Faith Phil's Website – https://philsbaker.com Patreon Page - patreon.com/philsbaker The Faithful Podcast with Stephanie Baker Contact me – philsbaker@protonmail.com The Ante-Nicene Writings - https://thehistoricfaith.com/en/library

At the heart of Christian faith lies a profound mystery that has shaped believers for centuries: Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human. This exploration of the Nicene Creed invites us into one of the most beautiful paradoxes of our faith. We discover that when God chose to enter our world, He didn't simply wear humanity like a costume, the way Superman pretends to be Clark Kent. Instead, Jesus experienced everything we experiencehunger, exhaustion, grief, betrayal, and even death. The passage from Philippians 2 reveals the stunning depth of God's love: though Jesus was in very nature God, He didn't cling to His divine privileges but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant. This isn't just theological language; it's deeply personal. When we cry out to God in our suffering, we can know with certainty that He understands. He's been there. He's walked in our shoes. Every struggle we face, every tear we shed, every moment of loneliness or painJesus has experienced it all. And because He took on our full humanity while remaining fully divine, He can truly save us, restore us, and love us in the specific, particular details of our individual lives. This mystery of the incarnation tells us that God's love isn't generic or abstractit's concrete, personal, and directed at each one of us in our unique circumstances.

Al, Zach, John Luke, and Christian connect the hidden influence of faithful mothers from Constantine's mom to Miss Kay with the way one unknown believer can change history through a single faithful conversation. The guys look at Constantine's complicated legacy, from the Nicene Creed and the spread of Christianity to his violent family history and deathbed baptism. They also connect ancient Rome's struggle over faith, power, and paganism to modern America's temptation to make Jesus smaller than politics, party loyalty, personal peace, or cultural identity. In this episode: 1 John 4, verse 8; 1 John 4, verse 10; John 1, verses 1–14; Philippians 2, verses 5–11; 1 John 2, verses 18–23; 2 John 1, verse 7; John 17, verse 3; Acts 17, verse 24 Today's conversation is about Lesson 10 of Ancient Christianity taught by visiting Hillsdale Professor of History Kenneth Calvert. Take the course with us at no cost to you! Sign up at http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/. More about Ancient Christianity: Christ entered the world during the reign of Caesar Augustus. The tensions between Christianity and the Roman Empire shaped the daily practice of the Christian faith and led many Romans to distrust and persecute the early Christians. But Christianity also benefitted from the Roman world. And when Rome collapsed in the West, Christianity provided the hope for preserving civilization. In this free, eleven-lecture course, Professor Kenneth Calvert will explore: How the Jewish, Greek, and Roman cultures all contributed to preparing the world to hear the Gospel. Why many Romans distrusted and persecuted the early Christians. The inspiring stories of Christ, His apostles, and faithful ones throughout the first four centuries of Christianity. The arguments of key early Christian apologists—Ignatius, Irenaeus, Justin, Athanasius, and more—who defended and defined the Christian faith amidst the animosity of the Roman world. The conversion of Constantine and how he brought stability to Rome, and how the rivalry between his sons almost returned Rome to paganism. How Augustine's writings helped preserve the message of Christianity during the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West. You will discover the uncertainties, trials, and triumphs of the earliest Christians as they confronted controversies within the faith and persecutions from outside it. Join us today to discover the improbable and miraculous story of Christianity. Sign up at ⁠http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters 00:00 Constantine's Mom & the Holy Sites 06:07 Unknown Christians Who Changed History 12:09  Constantine's Deathbed Baptism 16:57 A Violent Empire After Constantine 23:20 Arianism, Paganism & the Fight over Jesus 28:17 Politics without God Turns Tyrannical 34:04 America's Debt to the Nicene Creed 39:14 Athanasius Stands for the Incarnation 44:10 Jesus Is Bigger Than Any Government — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Micah Klutinoty preaches from 1 John 4:1-6 that false teaching is a real threat to the church, which is why believers must remain alert and carefully test every message by the truth of who Jesus Christ is. Yet Christians do not face this challenge alone, through the indwelling Holy Spirit and the unchanging truth of God's Word, we are able to discern error and stand firm in the faith. The message closes by reciting the Nicene Creed affirming the historic truths of Christianity that have anchored believers for centuries.

Excuses, excuses: The Parable of the Banquet St. Luke 14:16-24 & Deuteronomy 20:1-9 by The Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin I am often asked about “application” in sermons. “I enjoy a good sermon,” someone will say, “but I need to have application so I know what to do with it.” Well, you will notice that neither Fr. Bill nor I, his understudy, do very much with “application.” The pulpit is not the place to give you “ten steps to a better marriage” or “key principles of childrearing” or “the blueprints to build a Christian business.” Rather, we are concerned with the Biblical story, and we want to apply you to it, so that you read the Bible as your story. When Paul says, “These things happened as examples for us, upon whom the ends of the ages have come,” he means that to follow Jesus, we need to understand ourselves as being part of the story of the people of God. That is why Hebrews 11 gives us the “hall of faith”; it is why Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 sums up the entire history of Israel; it is why, when Peter is telling Christian wives to respect their husbands, he calls them “daughters of Sarah.” We are consistently told to inscribe ourselves into the story of God's people Israel. There is nothing more practical. Indeed, if we do not get this right, no amount of “application” will work. Our lectionary for this morning pairs Deuteronomy's laws about exemption from military service with Jesus' parable of the banquet and the excuses made by those who were invited. It is, if we think about it, a very odd transposition, rather as though military language had found its way into a wedding or some similar occasion: “WILT thou have this Woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?” “Yes, sir, corporal, SIR. Hoo-ah!” So what is going on here? To understand the parable, we need to think about the nature of banquets and the nature of the excuses. Let's start with the excuses. Verse 20's excuse, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come” is an allusion to Deuteronomy 24:5. That passage gives the grounds for the exemption of any newly married bridegroom from military service for a year: “that he may bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken.” There is here something of the logic of the law against boiling a kid in its mother's milk: in both cases, one must not mix up life and death, joy and sorrow. In verse 18, we should understand “I have bought a field and must go out and see it” to mean that the transaction needs to be complete. It is the “closing” of a real estate purchase, not an inspection at leisure that could just as easily be postponed for another day. Legally, socially, this is a very good excuse. Verse 19's excuse about needing to test “five yoke of oxen” recalls the calling of Elisha by Elijah in 1 Kings 19:19. There, Elisha is actually in the middle of plowing when Elijah throws his mantle over him: “Tag, you're it!” This is an act of sudden investiture. Elisha responds to it with alacrity: “he left the oxen and ran after Elijah” and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” The excuses are such powerful ones that they actually have statutory warrant in Biblical law. Legally, socially, by all the etiquette of ancient Israel, these excuses are golden, unimpeachable, valid. But in the parable, they are not good excuses in the eyes of the host. Who is he? He is introduced as ἄνθρωπός τις, “a certain man.” Immediately, we recall other parables: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went in a far country for a long time.” (Mt 21:33) “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.” (Lk. 13:6) “A certain man had two sons.” (Lk. 15:11) “A certain rich man had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.” (Lk. 16:1) There are other instances where “a certain man” is someone else, but this is a pretty good sample of instances where “a certain man” is instantly known to stand for God. The parable, then, shows us God's response to the excuse-makers. Note that the “certain man” operates through servants. God is frequently depicted this way, sending his angels and human prophets to do his bidding and deliver his messages. God's reaction to the refusal of his invitations is anger (ὀργισθείς). This requires some explanation. In Matthew's gospel, the banquet is a wedding feast for a king's son, and the invited guests behave much like the wicked vinedressers: they “lay hold of his servants and treat them violently and kill them.” But Luke's version has a different emphasis. It is less allegorized and is designed rather to highlight the reversal of fortune and the approaching deadline. “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and bring here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” — all of them likely to be beggars, likely to smell bad, likely to be shabbily dressed. Precisely the sort of unsightly people one does not want at a banquet, any sort of banquet. They would never have been invited had not the originally invited guests refused. Just as Esau rejected his birthright and Jacob received it; just as the majority of the Jews rejected the Messiah so that the gospel might be preached to the gentiles, so here, as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 1:28, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no flesh might boast in the presence of God.” This is someting God did in history. Unlike every other religion on earth, the Bible makes public claims about events that took place at particular times: “In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against the fortified cities of Judah and took them.” “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Or even in our Nicene Creed, where week after week, we make mention of the name of a corrupt Roman official named Pontius Pilate. Contrast the claims of other religions: that Mohammad was out there in the desert and an angel appeared to him and dictated the Quran. That Joseph Smith was guided by an angel named Moroni and found gold plates inscribed with “Reformed Hieroglyphics” which he translated into King James English. That Siddartha Gautama was meditating under a fig tree and became enlightened. The Mary Baker Eddy or L. Ron Hubbard or some other guru has discovered the secrets of the universe. Even in antiquity, the Stoic sage or Epicurus or the philosopher in Plato's Republic is never about history. It is always private revelation or special understanding of timeless truths or the realm of forms or deep insight into nature. By contrast, the assumption of Jesus' parables is that God deals with Israel in time. The invitation to the banquet and the host's angry reaction to the invited guests refusal, and the verdict at the end of the story that “none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet” — all presuppose that Israel is facing a decisive crisis in its history. The invitation to the banquet is the gospel summons to follow the Messiah — and this is appropriate, since Jesus is so frequently shown feasting during his earthly ministry. He feasts so much that he incurs the charge of being a glutton and a winebibber. Everywhere he goes, he feasts. He feasts in the house of the Pharisee named Simon; in the house of a tax collector named Zacchaeus; at a wedding at Cana; in company with immoral women, and with “tax collectors and sinners.” This was unusual even by Jewish standards, so that some come to Jesus and ask him, “The Pharisees and the disciples of John fast a lot, but your disciples do not fast.” Jesus explains that the disciples of Jesus do not fast because the bridegroom is with them. What is the appropriate response to the invitation? What do etiquette and emotional rightness and social expectation dictate? Jesus' words about John's ministry and the Jews' reaction to it, in Luke 7:32, are couched in similar terms: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not weep.” The refusal to recognize Jesus as the one Israel has been waiting for is like the refusal of the invitation to the feast. It is a rejection of the good ending of the story, a refusal to take part in the consummation. It is as if all the actors walked off the stage of a Shakespeare play after act 4. There are times when we want to describe a process has failed to produce its intended fulfillment and consummation — say, when I am talking to my Greek students who are struggling with Greek grammar and vocabulary. If they never go on to actually read Greek literature, I say it is like “a courtship without a marriage.” This is not about timeless truths or Buddhist spiritual enlightenment. A marriage is a historical event. That is the language that God uses about his relationship with his people. The coming of Jesus is the climax of Israel's story. And to everyone, the invitation poses the stark alternative: either enter into the banquet, or be excluded. Remember the older brother of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15: Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in•. (Luke 15:25–28, ESV) Or we may recall the words of Jesus after he has healed the centurion's servant in Matthew 8:11: I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. (Matthew 8:11–12, ESV) Or there is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (Matthew 25:10–12) Or we may remember what C.S. Lewis calls the “unforgettable words” in John's gospel's account of the Last Supper, once Jesus has handed the sop to Judas and told him, “What you are going to do, do quickly”: So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.  (John 13:30, ESV) It was night. Judas is literally in the outer darkness. To be excluded from the banquet, to be shut out in the darkness, away from the light and joy of the wedding or the feast or the Passover meal, is all the more tragic in light of the fact that those who are excluded are the very ones who had been invited. Jesus “came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” The result is a crucial difference between Judaism and Christianity over the place of Jesus in the story of the people of God. Can you be a Jew and believe in Jesus? It is a silly question. All the original disciples were Jews. As Peter says, “The promise is to you and to your children” and “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' (Acts 3:25, ESV) But can you follow Rabbinic Judaism and believe that Jesus is the Messiah? That is a different question. The Church places Jesus at the hinge of history, dating our years with the words “Anno Domini” from his first coming and looking forward to his second coming, when he will judge the quick and the dead. Judaism, by contrast, denies that Jesus is the Messiah, and insists that all the passages of Scripture that point to him — the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, Joseph and his brothers, the suffering servant in Isaiah, “behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”, Zechariah's “behold your king comes to you, meek and having compassion, lowly and riding on a donkey,” David's beloved son Absalom suspended from a tree and pierced by a spear, and all the rest — are really not about him. Christians say, with Paul, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; therefore, let us keep the feast.” In saying this, we are saying that Christ is the climax of the story. It is the natural function of feasting to mark consummations. Weddings, coronations, graduation, retirements, anniversaries, birthdays — all are marked by parties, cakes, feasting, toasts, ceremony. And that is the difference between Christianity and Judaism: Has the story of Israel reached its climax? Has the bridegroom come? Does history now stand revealed as His story? Or are we, with the Rabbis, in the position of insisting that the messiah has not come, and that the Passover does not point to him. God had promised Moses that “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”  (Deuteronomy 18:18–19, NKJV) And the rabbis say, “Jesus is certainly not the prophet like Moses, but unfortunately he is so much like Moses that we had better delete Moses from the Passover liturgy, lest Christians start using the haggadah to persuade Jews to follow Jesus.” And that is what they have done. David Daube says, “…[T]he figure of Moses, dominating the Biblical narrative of the exodus from Egypt and, naturally, at one time prominent, too, in the celebration of the deliverance on Passover eve, is radically eliminated: in the Passover eve liturgy as it stands, his name is not mentioned once in any of the prayers and recitals woven around the Biblical record, and, more than that, no Biblical passage mentioning it is quoted. It is a fantastic tour de force. Think  what it means. It is as if one were to spend annually a night commemorating Britain's rescue in the Second World War, rehearsing the main course of events as well as telling elaborate stories about them — without once mentioning Churchill. A fantastic tour de force: but there must be no human Mediator. We are left with a religion full of pointers that were designed to lead us to Jesus as the climax of the covenant, but the rabbis insist that they do not; a religion of tabernacle and temple that are all about God dwelling with His people, but now that Jesus has come, and ascended and sent the Holy Spirit, complete with the sound of “a mighty rushing wind that filled the whole house where they sat” just like God moving into the temple of Solomon and the tabernacle of Moses — now, no, the rabbis say, it is not about Jesus. But then, Judaism no longer has a temple, and the entire system that God gave in the Torah does not work without the Temple. The emperor Constantine's grandson, Julian the Apostate, hated Christianity and decided he wanted to prove it false, and the way he decided to do it was by rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecies on the Mount of Olives. Julian died before he could do it. Again, Judaism is a religion whose Scriptures promised the forgiveness of sins, so that God's people could live with him, and that demonstrated, as though by a gigantic show and tell of continual slaughter of animals for centuries, of daily splashing of blood against the altar, of red heifers sacrificed every year on the day of atonement, that the forgiveness of sins would happen through blood. But now, the rabbis tell us, the death of Christ was not the fulfillment of the sacrificial system — and oh, by the way, you can't offer sacrifice anymore, anyway. There are still people named “Cohen” or “Cohn” — my mother in law's family, for instance — but they are more likely to be making movies than sacrificing animals. They continue to set out a cup for Elijah, that forerunner of the Messiah promised in Malachi. And Jesus says, “But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. (Matthew 17:12, NKJV) The church father, Athanasius of Alexandria puts it this way in his On the Incarnation: So the Jews are telling fables, and putting off the time which is actually now… They are suffering like one, maimed in mind, who might see the earth illumined by the sun, but denies the sun which illumines it. For what more has he who is expected by them to do when he comes? Call the Gentiles? But they have already been called. To make prophet and king and vision to cease? This has already happened. To refute the godlessness of idols? It has already been refuted and condemned. To destroy death? It is already destroyed. What then must christ do, which has not been done? Or what is left unfulfilled, that the Jews now rejoice and disbelieve? For if, as we see, they have neither king, nor prophet, nor Jerusalem, nor sacrifice, nor vision, but the whole world is filled with the knowledge of God, and those from the Gentiles are abandoning godlessness, and henceforth taking refuge in the God of Abraham through the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, it should be clear even to those who are exceedingly obstinate that Christ has come, and that he illumines absolutely all with his light and teaches the true and divine teaching concerning his Father. We are about to partake of Holy Communion, which is rightly understood as a continuation of Jesus' meals with his disciples, and an anticipation of the great wedding feast of the Lamb at which “many will come from east and west and recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The Holy Communion is thus truly the consummation of the story of people of God. By partaking in it, we share in Christ our Passover. We have been crucified with Him, so that we may also share in his resurrection. We locate ourselves in the story of Israel, which is the story of the Messiah. And we recite the shape of the story and inscribe ourselves in it when we say, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

At the heart of our faith lies a question that has echoed through the centuries: Who is Jesus? This exploration takes us deep into the Nicene Creed's profound declaration that Jesus is 'God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made.' While these ancient words may sound like theological gymnastics, they address something deeply personal and transformative. The Gospel of John opens with a paradox that challenges our understanding: the Word was with God, and the Word was God. How can someone be both with God and be God simultaneously? This mystery isn't meant to confuse us but to reveal something extraordinary about the nature of divine love. When we confess that God has eternally existed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we're saying that love itself has always been at the core of God's being. God didn't become loving at some point in history; God has always existed in perfect relationship. This matters profoundly for our daily lives because when we encounter Jesus in Scripture, we're not meeting a messenger or a created being, but God Himself. Every word Jesus speaks carries the full weight of divine authority. Every action reveals God's heart. When we want to know what God is like, we don't need to guess or imagine; we simply look at Jesus. This transforms how we read the Gospels, how we pray, and how we understand our relationship with the divine. The invisible God has made Himself visible in Christ. When Jesus asked His disciples 'Who do you say I am?', how would you personally answer that question based on your own experience and relationship with Him? The sermon explains that if the Son is not eternal, then God would have changed from not being Father to being Father. How does understanding God's unchanging nature affect your view of His relationship with you? If Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, what specific aspects of Jesus' character and actions reveal to you what God the Father is truly like? The Nicene Creed uses phrases like 'God from God, light from light' to describe Jesus. How do these metaphors help you understand the relationship between the Father and the Son? How does knowing that Jesus is not just a great teacher but fully God change the way you read and apply His teachings in the Gospels? The sermon mentions that God has been eternally loving because God has always existed in relationship as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How does this eternal divine love affect your understanding of God's love for you? If confessing that Jesus is Lord of the universe brings comfort in times when things feel out of control, what current situations in your life or the world need to be surrendered to His lordship? Many people say they like Jesus but don't believe in God. How would you use the truth that Jesus perfectly reveals God to engage in conversation with someone who holds this view? The sermon acknowledges we cannot fully understand the mystery of how Jesus can be both with God and be God. What other mysteries of faith do you struggle to understand yet still believe and confess? How does understanding that Jesus shares the exact same nature and essence as the Father strengthen your confidence in approaching God through prayer and worship?

Many Catholics can describe their relationship with Jesus and God the Father—but feel vague when it comes to the Holy Spirit. In this episode, Joe Rockey and Father Boniface Hicks address that gap head-on: the Holy Spirit is not an “it,” but a Person, and learning to relate to Him changes how you pray, discern, and grow. Through the lens of relationships—with self, with others, and under God—they show how the Holy Spirit quietly does what we cannot: transforms us day by day into Christlikeness and draws us deeper into the Father's love.Father offers language and images that make the mystery workable: you don't “see” the Holy Spirit the way you see a person—you see His effects (like wind). The Holy Spirit's joy is to glorify Jesus, and when we become more like Jesus, we are cooperating with the Spirit's work. They also use a practical “triangle” picture: the Holy Spirit is often the “third point” that completes the connection—not by replacing Jesus or the Father, but by uniting us to them through lived relationship, guidance, and interior transformation.Key IdeasThe Holy Spirit is a Person, not a concept—and He wants real relationship, not vague acknowledgment.We often don't see the Spirit directly; we see the effects (like wind): conviction, guidance, growth, attention drawn back to Christ.The Holy Spirit's delight is to glorify Jesus; becoming more like Jesus is cooperating with the Spirit.Relationship is hard to “diagram,” but it's real—especially in God: Father, Son, and Spirit as communion.Healthy spiritual life includes both speaking and listening: not only talking at God, but making room for promptings and guidance.Scripture Mentioned (no links)John 3:8 (the wind blows where it wills)The Creed language about the Holy Spirit (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed themes)Links & References (official/source only)None explicitly referenced with clear official/source URLs in this transcript.CTA: If this helped, please leave a review or share this episode with a friend.Questions or thoughts? Email FatherAndJoe@gmail.com .Tags (comma-separated)Father and Joe, Joe Rockey, Father Boniface Hicks, Holy Spirit, Trinity, Father Son Holy Spirit, relationship with God, prayer, discernment, spiritual growth, sanctification, becoming like Jesus, glorify Jesus, wind analogy, John 3:8, Nicene Creed, creed, perichoresis, communion, transformation, listening to God, silence in prayer, guidance, promptings, virtue, humility, relational faith, Catholic podcast

"The Biblical teaching of Unitarianism (One God) versus the teaching of Trinitarianism (3 gods) is outlined. The word "trinity" or related words are not found in the Bible. This teaching only surfaced around AD 350-381. The Bible affirms monotheism not polytheism."Inspiring, What if the most widely held belief about God isn't actually found in the Bible? In this thought-provoking and deeply insightful exposition, we embark on a journey through Scripture to examine the foundations of Trinitarianism versus the Biblical Unitarian position. This is not an attack on sincere believers, but a heartfelt and respectful exploration of what the Bible actually teaches about the Father and His Son.This outstanding presentation moves beyond simple proof-texting to reveal the historical development of the Trinity, the philosophical challenges it presents, and the wonderful, plain reading of Scripture that points to one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ, His exalted Son. We delve into the concept of divine agency, the personification of wisdom, and the revealing truth of what the early church truly believed.If you have ever wondered why the word "Trinity" isn't in the Bible, or how a plain reading of Acts 2 or 1 Corinthians 15 shapes our understanding of who Jesus is, this video is for you. It's a wonderful opportunity to see the cohesive and logical beauty of the Unitarian understanding of God's plan.**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction: A Respectful Approach to a Difficult Subject02:08 - Playing Offense: Why We Don't Hold to the Trinity03:22 - The Missing Word: "Trinity" and Later Creeds05:40 - Peter's Testimony: A Plain Reading of Acts 208:27 - When Did the Theory Arise? Historical Truth vs. False Narratives11:30 - The Influence of Philosophy and Pagan Metaphysics13:55 - The Loss of Jewish Influence and the Rise of New Ideas14:36 - The Late Addition of the Holy Spirit as a "Person"15:51 - What Did the Ancients Believe? Jewish Monotheism17:18 - The Paralyzed Man: Authority, Not Divinity22:17 - The Centurion's Faith: Understanding Delegated Authority24:09 - Jesus' Own Words: "My God and Your God"25:00 - The Logical Inconsistencies of the Trinity29:55 - The Attributes of God vs. The Experience of Jesus32:32 - The "Two Natures" Theory and Its Problems35:23 - The Revealing Concept of Divine Agency40:25 - Personification in Scripture: Wisdom and God's Attributes41:45 - Being "Sent": Commission, Not Spatial Travel43:30 - Joseph: A Powerful Type of Christ44:54 - The Problem of Changed Meanings: How Words Shifted46:08 - The "I Am" Phrase: A Self-Identification Idiom48:17 - Translation Bias: How Versions Can Influence Doctrine53:15 - Christ's Current and Future Position: Subordinate and Glorified54:48 - Why It All Matters: Truth, Atonement, and Our Mediator57:49 - Conclusion: Knowing the Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Sent

As we wrap our series through the Nicene Creed called "What Christians Believe," we look at what baptism is. Baptism isn't something we trust in for salvation, it's a picture of what we trust in. It's a picture of the gospel and God's cleansing work in our lives that is all by his grace and mercy. God's grace and mercy—not our merit—washes and renews us through his Spirit and gives us eternal life.

This exploration of the Nicene Creed invites us to see ancient statements of faith not as dusty relics, but as essential ropes that keep us anchored in truth during life's blizzards. Just as the Ingalls family needed a rope between house and barn to avoid getting lost in the storm, we need the creeds to guide us through the confusing voices and conflicting messages about Christianity today. The opening declaration of the Nicene Creedthat we believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseenconnects us to a story that began long before us and extends far beyond our individual experience. Drawing from Isaiah's proclamation that God is the creator who formed the earth to be inhabited, not empty, we discover that our existence has divine purpose. The creed teaches us that belief is not merely intellectual assent but something that shapes how we act and live. When we confess faith in one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we join our voices with Christians across centuries and continents, declaring a radically different story than the world tellsa story where creation is gift, where God desires relationship rather than servitude, and where everything we have comes from the only giver of all good gifts.

Fr. Fessio goes through the main beliefs articulated in the Nicene Creed.

We live in a world that constantly tells us to look inward — to follow our heart, trust our feelings, and find our identity within ourselves. But Christians are called to a completely different posture. In this episode, host Elizabeth Pittman sits down with Rev. Joshua Pfeiffer, author of Lift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself. Pastor Pfeiffer draws on Lutheran theology and cultural analysis to help us understand what it means to lift our eyes up to God and out to our neighbor — and why that posture changes everything about how we live the Christian life.Episode Timestamps1:51 — Introduction — Welcome & book overview2:00 — The spiritual posture of looking: how the Nicene Creed sparked the idea for the book5:00 — Expressive individualism: what it is and how it shapes both culture and the church9:30 — Pastoral approach: helping people find their identity in Christ rather than in self-expression12:30 — Two realms and two kinds of righteousness: the Lutheran theological foundation of the book16:00 — Looking up — faith, worship, and lifting our eyes to Christ in the divine service20:30 — Looking out — love within the Christian community and why it has a special priority27:00 — Looking inward rightly — self-examination, mortification, and avoiding the downward spiral32:00 — Looking forward — the resurrection hope and living with one eye on the horizon35:30 — How Pastor Pfeiffer hopes readers and congregations will use the bookAbout the GuestRev. Joshua Pfeiffer is pastor of the Tarrington Lutheran Parish in the southeastern state of Victoria in Australia, where he lives with his wife, Kimberley, and their four children. He served various congregations in Australia before moving to the United States for graduate studies. He hosts a YouTube channel and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, golf, and other outdoor activities. Resources MentionedLift Your Eyes: How to Live Outside Yourself by Rev. Joshua Pfeiffer — cph.orgConcordia Publishing HouseBringing you God's enduring Word in a changing world.

It's Trinity Sunday! We're starting off with a VERY brief history lesson with an introduction to the Nicene Creed. Yes, I'm even going to quote from the creed. We're going old school. The creed clearly clears things up. Yeah, no. We all still have questions. All of these analogies seem to fall short. Maybe the Trinity is better NOT explained; maybe it's better if we experience the Trinity. Think about the blessing/benediction from Paul: Grace of Jesus. Love of God. Fellowship of the Holy Spirit. We all know what grace feels like. We all know what love feels like. We all know what fellowship feels like. Maybe that's how we talk about the Trinity, by noticing how God has already been moving among us. Grace. Love. Fellowship. I like that a lot. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to explain it, or at least think about and play around with it. So, we'll do some more of that, by borrowing from Richard Rohr and running through some thoughts here. - God is dynamic. - God is diverse. - God is communal. What are we left with? Mystery. But it's a mystery that can be experienced if we're paying attention. Grace. Love. Fellowship. And if we're really paying attention, those things are everywhere. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 https://www.bible.com/events/49617181

Trinity Sunday: Faith, Doubt, and the Mystery of GodRev. Laura Johnson | North Raleigh United Methodist ChurchWhat if doubt isn't the opposite of faith?On Trinity Sunday, Rev. Laura Johnson explores one of Christianity's most profound mysteries: the doctrine of the Trinity. Drawing from Matthew 28:16-20, she examines the surprising detail that even as the disciples encountered the risen Jesus, "some doubted."This sermon challenges common assumptions about doubt and faith. Looking at the original meaning of the biblical word for doubt, Rev. Johnson suggests that doubt is often not disbelief, but the natural human response to encountering realities that are bigger, deeper, and more beautiful than we expected.Along the way, she guides listeners through the church's historic understanding of the Trinity, exploring how early Christian thinkers wrestled with the mystery of one God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rather than offering easy answers, this message invites us to embrace humility, wonder, and curiosity as we grow in our relationship with God.Whether you're wrestling with questions, seeking a deeper understanding of Christian theology, or simply longing for a faith that can hold both conviction and mystery, this sermon offers encouragement for the journey.Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20North Raleigh United Methodist ChurchRaleigh, North CarolinaLearn more about our church and ministries at North Raleigh UMC.Topics Covered:Trinity SundayThe doctrine of the TrinityMatthew 28 and the Great CommissionFaith and doubtThe Nicene CreedChurch history and theologyThe Father, Son, and Holy SpiritChristian discipleshipSpiritual growth and questioning faithKeywords: Trinity Sunday, Holy Trinity, Matthew 28, Great Commission, faith and doubt, Christian theology, Nicene Creed, United Methodist Church, Methodist sermon, Rev Laura Johnson, North Raleigh UMC, Christian discipleship, Holy Spirit, Father Son Holy Spirit, church history, resurrection, biblical interpretation, Christian faith, Raleigh NC church, Sunday sermon

June 2, 2026Today's Reading: Romans 11:33-36Daily Lectionary: Ecclesiastes 10:1-20; John 10:1-21“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This week is the week of the Holy Trinity. This week we meditate on what is perhaps the most unsearchable things of God. How can God be one and yet also be three? When I was in college, I had some friends who said He couldn't. They said you really have what we would call the Father as God, but then the Son is maybe more than human, but not quite divine—at least not like the Father. Then the Spirit, well, He is sort of just God's activity.  I really wrestled with this. A God who is one and three isn't very logical. And every time I found a verse that I thought really proved that Jesus was God, they had a response. Of course, this whole conversation is just what happened with the Arians at the Council of Nicea in 325 (where we get the Nicene Creed). They said the same thing, that Jesus isn't quite God like the Father. In the end, the Council said that Jesus IS God like the Father. He is homoousias (homo – same, ousias – substance) with the Father. He's of the same divine stuff. But He's also man, too. How does all of that work? I always tell my confirmands that I have a very technical term for that: idunno.  But how, then, did I become convinced that Nicea was correct? Ultimately, it was John 8:58: “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.'” At first, it was just because Jesus said that He existed before Abraham that I found it convincing. However, it was pointed out to me that 'I AM' is the Name that God tells Moses to call Him at the burning bush. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM who I AM… Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.' ” This meant that Jesus was saying that He was (is) that I AM that had spoken to Moses at the bush. But here He was in human flesh. And in that human flesh, He was going to the cross to die for sins. A God-man (that is, 100% human and 100% divine, not 100% mix of human and divine), dying for sins so that we could be saved. From there, I could see the Holy Spirit was also God. This, after all, was the Name into which I was baptized: the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; one Name, three persons.  How does that work? I still dunno. God's ways are unsearchable. But they are good. I can see it in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Blessed Lord, Your ways are unsearchable. Give us faith in all circumstances to trust in you, until we live before You eternally, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.Rev. Matthew Zickler, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

A sermon from Groups Pastor Zach Wallace, reflecting on readings from 1 Corinthians and 1 John. This is the nineteenth and final sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

We proclaim the Nicene Creed at every Sunday Mass, starting with “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty.” Our God became one of us, which makes us different than any other religion in the world. Join Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, as he explains the different parts of what we call our Profession of Faith. Become a Marian Helper!Discover more about the Catholic faith on Divine Mercy Plus! 

We believe in one holy Church. God's Church consists of every believer in Jesus throughout all of history. And because God is three-in-one, he's made his Church one and given us unity in Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to maintain it. Unity isn't uniformity, it's unity of heart where it's all about Jesus, and it's not about me. Our temptation is often to make it about our own preferences. But to maintain unity I must be willing to lay down my preferences in favor of loving one another. As Paul commands, we must work to "outdo one another in showing honor to each other!" God has made us one, so we must maintain that unity and grow up together into Christ.

What do writings from the fourth century have to do with Christians today? Why do we frequently speak one out loud together in church services? "The Nicene Creed provides a summary of what we believe as Christians," said Dr. Joel Elowsky, Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, "but I wouldn't want to leave your listeners with the impression that it's just that." Join us to learn the history of the Nicene Creed and its relevance for today!

We say the Nicene Creed at every Mass, but what is it and how did it come about? Fr. Fessio explains . . .

“How Could Mary ascend to heaven?” This question leads to a discussion about the implications of Jesus’ words in John 3:13 regarding who has ascended to heaven. The conversation also touches on the scriptural basis for the communion of saints, the Church’s stance on marriage for the infertile, and the complexities of indulgences. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:00 – Mary's bodily assumption doesn't make sense because Jesus says in John 3:13, “No one has ascended up to heaven, but he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” If no man has ascended into heaven, wouldn't that include the Blessed Virgin Mary? 07:23 – Where do we find the communion of saints in scripture? 14:22 – Is it true that a person who is infertile cannot get married in the Catholic Church? 19:09 – I cannot wrap my mind around indulgences. 31:17 – How do I defend Jesus and the accusations that he was a fraud? 46:11 – Why do we profess in the Nicene Creed that the power of the Holy Spirit made Jesus incarnate not the power of the Son? 51:36 – Are we called to suffer or do we ask the saints to relieve our suffering?

A sermon from rector Jon Odom, reflecting on readings from John and Ephesians. This is the eighteenth sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

This week we look at who the Spirit is and what he does. In a sentence, the Spirit always and continually glorifies the Son in all that he does. Jesus told his disciples that it was better for him to leave so that the Spirit (the Helper) would come to help them: indwelling, guiding, illuminating, convicting, and empowering God's people. The Spirit sent from the Father and Son convicts and guides and always glorifies Jesus.

Greg answers questions about why we weren't made sinless in the first place, the morality of using donor sperm to conceive, whether we would conclude the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus without the Nicene Creed, how God knows the future, and baptism for the dead.   Topics: If our evil will be removed in Heaven, why weren't we made that way in the first place? (02:00) Would it be morally wrong for a Christian married couple to use donor sperm to conceive a child if the husband is infertile? (23:00) Would we come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus Christ without the Nicene Creed, and if early Christians didn't believe in the Trinity, were they not saved? (31:00) Does God only know the future simply because he plans the future? (41:00) What are your thoughts on the reference to baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29? (47:00) Mentioned on the Show:  Submit a question on the Open Mic Line

It's Wednesday, May 20th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Nigerian Muslims killed 13 Christians including three pregnant mothers Morning Star News reports that Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed 13 Christians in central Nigeria on May 8.  Unbelievably, the gunmen killed three pregnant women. They also injured dozens of Christians and displaced hundreds more. Such attacks are common in Nigeria's Plateau State. A leader at Evangelical Church Winning All commented on the recent killings of Christians. He said, “They were martyrs whose lives were claimed by the ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria. They died exactly where they chose to stand in the line of duty, lamps burning, voices lifted, refusing to abandon the post God had given them.” In Revelation 2:10-11, Jesus said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. … He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Top ISIS leader killed in northeast Nigeria U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a top ISIS leader in northeastern Nigeria over the weekend. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the second-in-command of the Islamic State. The terrorist planned many attacks and hostage events, especially attacks on Christians. On Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished.” Texas Children's Hospital ended transgender surgeries last week In the United States, Texas Children's Hospital agreed to end its transgender operations on minors last week. The Department of Justice, in coordination with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, secured the historic settlement.  The hospital agreed to pay $10 million in damages for performing mutilating procedures on children. Five doctors at the hospital lost their jobs as part of the settlement.  Texas Children's Hospital will now establish the first-ever de-transition clinic. The clinic will provide care for the victims of transgender drugs and surgeries.  Trump created $1.7 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund The Trump administration created a $1.7 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” this week.    The fund would compensate Americans who faced unjust investigations and prosecutions by the Biden Justice Department.  Listen to comments from President Donald Trump. TRUMP: “This is reimbursing people that were horribly treated, horribly treated. It's anti-weaponization. They've been weaponized,. They've been, in some cases, imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn't have. They've gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed, and they turn out to be right. I mean, it was a terrible period of time in the history of our country.” 37% of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life A new survey from Pew Research asked Americans what they think about religion in government and public life.  The survey found that 37 percent of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life. That's up 19 percentage points over the last two years. And just over half of Americans have a positive view of religion's influence.  Also, 17 percent of respondents say the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion of the U.S. That's up from 13 percent in 2024. Council of Nicaea affirmed doctrine of Trinity 1,700 years ago And finally, this month marks the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, over 1,700 years ago. In late May A.D. 325, 300 Christian leaders convened in the city of Nicaea, located in modern-day Turkey.  The council dealt with the doctrine of the Trinity. In particular, the church at the time had to refute the heresy of Arianism. The heretical teaching denied that Jesus is fully and eternally divine.  The council went on to affirm the divinity of Christ in the Nicene Creed. It is recited by churches around the world to this day.  The creed says there is “one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made.” John 1:1 and 4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, May 20th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Several hundred bishops came from regions including Asia Minor, the eastern Mediterranean, and parts of the Latin West where they formulated the Nicene Creed, which affirmed that the Son was “of the same substance” as the ...

In this episode, Cardon Ellis and Cade Alvey dive deep into Latter-day Saint (LDS) attitudes toward the Nicene Creed, challenging the common assertion within LDS culture that the creed is an "abomination." Their conversation is both thoughtful and personal, focusing on fostering understanding and respect between Latter-day Saints and creedal Christians.

A sermon from rector Jon Odom, reflecting on readings from John and Romans. This is the seventeenth sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

What happens when Jesus ascends to heaven? We hear in the Nicene Creed that he is - “seated at the right hand of the Father.” What does it mean for a king to sit down on his throne? It means he's been victorious.

For us and for our salvation, Jesus came down and became human. The creator and ruler of the universe condescended to add full and complete humanity to his full and eternal deity. We tend not to think as much about Jesus's humanity as we do his deity, yet Jesus was fully human in every way. Because of this he is our failthful and merciful high priest who is able to sympathize and empathize with us, as he has been tempted in every respect that we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 2 reminds us to pay much closer attention to all we have heard about Jesus, lest we drift away and neglect so great a salvation.

Cardio Miracle, Learn More! - https://cardiomiracle.com/?ref=t4Hpzrm3 Alive and Intelligent Substack - https://aliveandintelligent.substack.com Fathom the Good Homeschooling Curriculum - https://fathomthegood.com/ The "Abominable Creeds" Why Plato, Aristotle, and the Nicene Creed are more complicated than you think. Are Latter-day Saints Too Anti-Greek Philosophy? The Real Problem With the Nicene Creed Plato Didn't Create Apostate Christianity Did Greek Philosophy Corrupt Christianity? The Problem Isn't Plato — It's What Came After Cwic Media Website: http://www.cwicmedia.com  

For your convenience and listening pleasure, the first hour is just a church member and his pastor shooting the breeze about Evangelicalism, especially in North America and the West. The second hour, we get down to the nitty gritty of the Nicene Creed and Sola Scriptura. Do they fit like a hand and glove or are they like oil and water? Can Biblicists believe in the usefulness of creeds? Do creeds necessarily supplant the Scriptures? Gird your loins and enjoy a little Theology to Drive By 2026! Catch up on past episodes! https://share.transistor.fm/s/ab5abfe9https://share.transistor.fm/s/89564a04https://share.transistor.fm/s/121360cchttps://share.transistor.fm/s/b3c10d7b

Are papal supremacy and papal infallibility later inventions unknown to the early Church? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Catholic Answers apologists respond to some of the most common Orthodox objections to Catholicism. Topics include whether the papacy is biblical, if the Filioque was an illegitimate change to the Nicene Creed, and whether mandatory clerical celibacy reflects apostolic Christianity. The discussion also examines claims that purgatory and indulgences are Western corruptions, whether doctrinal development preserves or distorts the faith, and if Rome's actions caused the East–West Schism. Finally, the episode addresses whether Vatican I contradicts the structure and authority of the early Church. A deep and charitable exploration of the major theological divisions between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Objections Covered: 02:34 – Papal supremacy is unbiblical and unknown in the early Church.  12:00 – Papal infallibility is a late doctrinal invention. Papal authority undermines conciliar Church governance.  18:45 – The Filioque is both unauthorized and theologically incorrect. Rome illegitimately altered the Nicene Creed.  24:20 – Mandatory clerical celibacy is non-apostolic.  30:33 – Purgatory is a Western innovation without early consensus.  36:37 – Doctrinal development is corruption, not preservation.  42:07 – Indulgences distort repentance and were historically abused.  45:40 – The East–West Schism was caused by Rome's overreach.  49:42 – Vatican I contradicts the structure of the early Church. 

A sermon from rector Jon Odom, reflecting on readings from Joel and John. This is the sixteenth sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

Jesus is fully and eternally God in every way. He's not merely like God or close to God, he is of the exact essence as the Father—one substance with him. The New Testament book of Hebrews opens by presenting Jesus as the radiance of the glory of God, not a mere reflection, but the source of glory as he himself is fully God. In this way the Son reveals the Father perfectly, purifies sin completely, and gives his people security, courage, and confidence to draw near to him and one another as he has drawn near to us.

This episode of the Westminster Podcast features Blake Franze and Randy Caldejo in conversation with Nate Shannon, reflecting on their experience at the 1700th anniversary conference of the Council of Nicaea in Istanbul. The discussion explores the enduring theological significance of the Nicene Creed as both a historical response to heresy and a continuing model for faithful doctrinal clarity grounded in Scripture. Drawing from the global and ecumenical nature of the conference, the conversation highlights the unity and diversity of the worldwide church, the urgent need for theological education amid rapid church growth, and the importance of recovering a robust, Scripture-shaped theological method. The episode also reflects on how ancient confessional truths continue to inform modern challenges, from ministry in closed countries to emerging issues like artificial intelligence, calling the church to ongoing reformation and faithfulness in every age. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

A sermon from Rev. Dr. David Taylor, reflecting on passages from Luke and Galatians. This is the fifteenth sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

Why is the Nicene Creed so important? Why were the doctrines on the nature of God so pivotal for the development of Christian theology? Find out on today's episode!

Send us Fan MailOne question lit the fuse of a crisis that nearly tore the early Church apart: Who is Jesus Christ, really? If He's merely the highest creature, then the Cross becomes tragedy without power. If He's truly God, “light from light,” then everything changes, from the meaning of the Incarnation to the hope of salvation.We walk through the dramatic life of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria with Brother Joseph as your guide, following the young deacon who helped shape the Council of Nicaea and then spent decades paying the price for refusing to dilute the truth. We explain Arianism in plain terms, why its logic sounded persuasive, and why the Church answered with the bold language of the Nicene Creed: begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father. You'll hear why Athanasius saw this as more than theology, and how the Creed protects the heart of Christian worship and the reality of Christ in the sacraments.From Athanasius' early formation in Alexandria and the desert tradition, to his election as patriarch, to exile after exile, we focus on what his endurance teaches modern Catholics living under cultural pressure. We also point you toward practical next steps for bringing the faith home through saint stories, catechesis, virtual pilgrimages, and meaningful devotional resources.If this helped you pray the Creed with new clarity, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find these stories of Catholic faith and courage.Open by Steve Bailey Support the showChat with US 24/7 Ask us anything https://chatting.page/mjxs9aerrtgm3lmpndlcepmbyosntrjnDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints PodcastsPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith Help us Grow!Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site!New Mega Search Engine!Lowest Prices and Higher discounts up to 50%Free Shipping starts at $18 - Express Safe Checkout Click HereCannot find it let us find or create it - - Click HereRewards Program is active - click Here

What does the raucous laughter of Nicki Minaj and Billy Graham have to do with 14th century saint? Find out in PART TWO of our MOST requested episodes ever -- diving deep into the question "Who is Saint Julian of Norwich???" Author of Revelations of Divine Love, coiner of the phrase "All Shall Be Well," and delighter in God's delight, St. Julian is such a powerful visionary and leader we needed two episodes to do her justice. We're joined again by the The Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, one of Lizzie's professors from her time at Duke Divinity School. In part two, we explore "Christ as our true mother," the nature of the devil, and we see how Julian has echoes for us to consider in today's religious landscape. We also get a little teaser for Dr. Hall's new book, out in May 2026, called ERECTING THE PULPIT: MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY FROM TEDDY ROOSEVELT TO DONALD TRUMP. Amy Laura Hall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University, where she has taught since 1999. She is the author of four books, including Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction (2007) and Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich (2018). A noted authority on Christianity and culture in the U.S., Hall has also contributed provocative essays on Protestantism and politics to Religion Dispatches and Religion News Service. Resources mentioned in this episode: Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich trans. by Elizabeth Spearing https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/261039/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich-translated-by-elizabeth-spearing-introduction-and-notes-by-a-c-spearing/ Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ By Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt --https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268022082/julian-of-norwich/ The Writings of Julian of Norwich A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love Edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins -- https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02547-6.html?srsltid=AfmBOoopOJOEaY69eupR8Rx1uxzSJyVJpaSpLJKpJoHSPKAQ9ry8HPJY Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall's works: FORTHCOMING: Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/erecting-the-pulpit-9798216383475/ Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil https://arcmag.org/home-movies-for-holy-week/ +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

A sermon from rector Jon Odom, reflecting on selections from 2 Samuel 7 and the Psalms. This is the fourteenth sermon in a series on the Nicene Creed.

What does Rage Against the Machine and motherly images of God have to do with a 14th century saint?  Turns out ... a LOT. We are (finally) doing one of the MOST requested episodes ever -- diving deep into the question "Who is Saint Julian of Norwich???" And in order to dive into this saint whose revelatory witness of radical love, the wounds of Christ, and laughing at the nothingness of the devil, we have called in an expert: The Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall, one of Lizzie's professors from her time at Duke Divinity School.  This conversation was so rich that we had to split into two parts, so join us this week for PART ONE where we get a lay of the land of 14th century England, the bubonic plague, feudalism and its violence, and in this despairing time how Saint Julian received an incandescent vision of Christ's love for the whole world.  Amy Laura Hall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies at Duke University, where she has taught since 1999. She is the author of four books, including Conceiving Parenthood: American Protestantism and the Spirit of Reproduction (2007) and Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich (2018). A noted authority on Christianity and culture in the U.S., Hall has also contributed provocative essays on Protestantism and politics to Religion Dispatches and Religion News Service. Resources mentioned in this episode: Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich trans. by Elizabeth Spearing https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/261039/revelations-of-divine-love-by-julian-of-norwich-translated-by-elizabeth-spearing-introduction-and-notes-by-a-c-spearing/ Julian of Norwich and the Mystical Body Politic of Christ By Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt --https://undpress.nd.edu/9780268022082/julian-of-norwich/ The Writings of Julian of Norwich A Vision Showed to a Devout Woman and A Revelation of Love Edited by Nicholas Watson and Jacqueline Jenkins -- https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/0-271-02547-6.html?srsltid=AfmBOoopOJOEaY69eupR8Rx1uxzSJyVJpaSpLJKpJoHSPKAQ9ry8HPJY Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall's works: FORTHCOMING: Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/erecting-the-pulpit-9798216383475/ Laughing at the Devil: Seeing the World with Julian of Norwich by Amy Laura Hall https://www.dukeupress.edu/laughing-at-the-devil https://arcmag.org/home-movies-for-holy-week/ +++ Like what you hear? We are an entirely crowd-sourced, you-funded project.  SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/AndAlsoWithYouPodcast There's all kinds of perks including un-aired live episodes, Zoom retreats, and mailbag episodes for our Patreons! +++ Our Website: https://andalsowithyoupod.com Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andalsowithyoupodcast/ ++++ MERCH: https://www.bonfire.com/store/and-also-with-you-the-podcast/ ++++ More about Father Lizzie: BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/762683/god-didnt-make-us-to-hate-us-by-rev-lizzie-mcmanus-dail/ RevLizzie.com https://www.instagram.com/rev.lizzie/ https://www.tiktok.com/@rev.lizzie Jubilee Episcopal Church in Austin, TX - JubileeATX.org  ++++ More about Mother Laura: https://www.instagram.com/laura.peaches/ https://www.tiktok.com/@mother_peaches ++++ Theme music: "On Our Own Again" by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue). New episodes drop Mondays at 7am EST/6am CST! 

Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comRegister now for the FREE “Cutting Through Market Noise" live webinar April 2nd at 3:30pm Pacific.Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddGet the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes.   Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeDoes God Care About the SAVE Act?- Faith & Flag // Veggie Tales Team Thinks Magic Spells Make You Christian - Faith & Facts // By Dying, Robbert Mueller Finally Defeated President Trump - FaithEpisode Links:BREAKING — Largest Healthcare Fraud in U.S. History — “Operation Gold Rush” Exposes $14.6 Billion Medical Scam, 324 ChargedThe label “heretic” gets thrown around way too easily these days. If you profess the Nicene Creed & the Apostles' Creed, you count as a legitimate Christian. Period.  Christians will always disagree about important political & social issues and matters of doctrine. But at the end of the day, if someone affirms the essential truths outlined in the creeds, they are not heretics or apostates. Holy Post 670 with @philvischer, @skyejethani & @kaitlynschiessThe Apostles CreedThe Nicene Creed