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True God from True God: The Council of Nicaea's Answer to Arianism

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

May 23, 2026

2 min read

Oil painting of the Council of Nicaea bishops debating the divine nature of Christ with golden light illuminating the great chamber

The Nicene Creed is remarkably specific about the Son. It does not simply say He is divine, or that He shares characteristics with God, or that He participates in divine nature. It says He is 'God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God'—and then repeats the point with 'begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.'

The Redundancy Is the Point

This piling up of affirmations looks redundant until you understand the context. Arius and his supporters were skilled at accepting phrases like 'divine' or 'God' while pouring Arian content into them. 'God' could mean 'a god'—a high-order being. 'True God from true God' cannot be so easily deflated. It insists that the full, unqualified divine nature present in the Father is identically present in the Son.

What Nicaea Was Protecting

Athanasius, the great champion of Nicene orthodoxy, understood that the gospel's logic requires a divine Savior. 'God became man so that man might become god'—his famous formulation of deification—only works if the one who became man was genuinely, fully God. A lesser divine being could not lift humanity into participation in divine life.

Arianism's Modern Returns

Arianism was declared heresy in 325, but the impulse keeps returning. Jehovah's Witnesses teach a form of it today. Liberal theology often reduces Jesus to a supreme moral teacher or prophet. Each time, the Nicene phrase 'true God from true God' stands as a correction: Christian faith cannot be reduced to admiring Jesus. It requires recognizing who He actually is.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Arianism and why did the Council of Nicaea oppose it?

Arianism, taught by the Alexandrian priest Arius around 320 AD, held that the Son of God was a created being — the greatest of creatures, but not truly God. The phrase 'there was a time when he was not' summarized Arius's position. Nicaea rejected this by affirming the Son is 'of one being with the Father' (homoousios), not a lesser divine being.

What does 'true God from true God' mean in the Nicene Creed?

The phrase 'true God from true God' is a direct refutation of Arianism. It asserts that the Son does not merely derive divine-like qualities from the Father but shares the same divine nature fully. He is not a secondary or derivative deity — he is genuinely and completely God, just as the Father is.

What does 'begotten, not made' mean?

'Begotten, not made' distinguishes the Son's relationship to the Father from that of the created world to God. The Son is eternally begotten — he shares the divine nature by eternal generation, not by an act of creation. Making is what God does to creatures; begetting describes the eternal relationship between Father and Son within the Godhead.

Was Arianism defeated after Nicaea?

Not immediately. After Nicaea, Arianism remained a powerful force for decades, supported by emperors and influential bishops. The theological battles raged through much of the 4th century until the Council of Constantinople (381 AD) confirmed and expanded the Nicene settlement. Athanasius, who championed the Nicene position, was exiled five times before the orthodox position prevailed.

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