One Substance With The Father

Sometimes the smallest things make earth-changing differences. At the Council of Nicaea 1700 years ago, the exclusion of a single “i” defined all Christian doctrine. There was much debate about whether Jesus was homoousios or homoiousios with God the Father. Sounds like a fun debate, right? Ousios is Greek for “substance or being.” Homo means “the same,” while Homoi means “similar.” So, was Jesus the exact same substance as God the Father, or merely a similar substance to Him? While the “i” seems insignificant, for Christianity, this debate gets to the very heart of theology. The council and creed affirmed that Jesus is the full and same substance as God the Father. The Christian church went on to affirm the full deity of the Holy Spirit. God the Father, Son, and Spirit—one in substance and being, three in person. As Christians, the doctrine of the Trinity is not just a philosophical formula, it is an invitation to know the God who is love. But, add the “i” and whatever you have, it is not the Christian faith handed down by Jesus and revealed in the Scriptures.