Is the Nicene Creed in conflict with Judaism and Old Testament beliefs?
Yes, the concept that Jesus is God is in apparent direct conflict with the Hebraic Shema covenant statement that “the LORD our God, the LORD is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). From the Old Testament perspective, the concept of a second or even third God (with the Holy Spirit) is tantamount to idolatry. Is there Biblical support for the Trinitarian formula embodied by the Nicene Creed? Yes and no. There are scriptural references (particularly in the New Testament) that can be interpreted both in support of and counter to the concept of a Godhead that is “three in one.” However, there is no biblical statement that directly uses the terminology of the Nicene Creed that Jesus is “of the same essence” as the Father. What does the Nicene Creed have to do with heresy? The heresy of Nicaea can be viewed from two perspectives. From the vantage point of the Roman Emperor Constantine, Arius and those who opposed the Nicene Creed were labeled as “heretics”. From a different perspective, the heresy could
