The Real Saint Nicholas

The Real Saint Nicholas (was no wimpy saint!) 

Christmas brings again a wonderful time of celebration of our Lord's first appearing.  For Americans this is inevitably connected to the mythical figure of Santa Claus--apparently based upon Nicholas who was the bishop of Myra in the early 4th Century AD.  He may have been in his late teens or early 20's when he was named a bishop.  According to legend Nicholas was known for his generosity and kindness to those who were less fortunate--providing (according to the legend) gold for the doweries of three poverty stricken Christian girls who might have otherwise been trafficked as sex slaves.  

Nice.  But, the little known part of the Saint Nicholas legend reveals a man more like Naboth of the Old Testament than the jolly old elf of modern Christmas.  During the early Christian council debates, at the council of Nicea, when the church was formulating the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the nature of Jesus Christ.  Arius a presbyter (elder)--but not bishop--from Alexandria, Egypt, held that God is so wholly other than man that He cannot share his substance with any other.  Further, Arius believed that the Son of God did not always exist, but was begotten in time by God the Father.  Nicholas, and, indeed the vast majority of those participating, refused to have any of this. In the heat of the debate Nicholas was so overcome with anger at this heretical teaching that he actually slapped Arius in the face.  

   

Why is this ancient debate important to us now?

The debate went right to the heart of the Christian Gospel message.  If there was a time when He--the Son of God--was not, then He is not co-eternal with God the Father.  But Arius' bishop, Alexander, knew right away this would reduce the divinity of Jesus Christ and thus disqualify him as mankind's savior.  The apostle Paul, in writing to the Philippian Church, expressed the apostolic faith about Christ like this, 

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2:5-11 NIV).  

John had also explained in his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1-3,14

That Jesus Christ was preexisting with the Father before his incarnation on earth as Mary's child is a settled point of Christian faith.

The end result of the council of Nicea was the publishing of the Nicean Creed--that basic statement of the Christian faith that goes like this;

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in 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.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.