The DaVinci Myth vs. The Gospel Truth - Online Christian Library

THE DA VINCI MYTH VS THE GOSPEL TRUTH
it), and the followers of Arius, who championed a Jesus
who was divine, but created. (When Constantine was
finally baptized, near his death in 337, he was baptized
by an Arian bishop. So at that particular point, the Arians
were winning.) The orthodox formalized the traditional
view of the Trinity in the Nicene Creed (325), but it was
hotly contested. Yet, when the vote was finally cast, 316
bishops voted against Arius’ views—only two voted with
him. At some dark points in the 4th century, St.
Athanasius and the doctrine of the Trinity were actually
banished from the Empire, while Arianism was officially
adopted.
But in the end, truth triumphed over error.
“Begotten” triumphed over “made.” Athanasius
triumphed over Arius, who was declared a heretic.
In 381, with the Council of Constantinople, the
Church settled the matter once and for all. Now, centuries
later, millions of Christians the world over will
affirm this Sunday that Jesus was “begotten,” not
“made.” That is to say, tens of millions of people who
bear the name of Christ, whether they understand the
words they recite or not, will affirm these biblical truths
from the Nicene Creed:
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the
only Son of God, eternally begotten of the
Father, God from God, Light from Light, true
God from true God, begotten, not made, one in
Being with the Father. Through him all things
were made. 30
While the Bible does not teach the Trinity per se, nor
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