What is the meaning of “Very God of Very God” in the Nicene Creed?
A. This phrase from the Nicene Creed is used to emphasize that Jesus Christ is truly God. When He assumed human flesh and a human nature, he did not become any less God, nor was He any less than true God. These descriptive phrases were necessary to reject false beliefs about Jesus, most notably the heresy of Arianism which held that though Jesus Christ was “a” God He was certainly not THE God, nor could it be said that He was of same essence or nature as God. Hence, the Nicene Creed uses these descriptive phrases to confess the truth and thus to combat false views. Thus with such words we confess that the Second Person of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, the Son of God, who was incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, is God of God – – true God from true God (which is what “very” is in the original Greek and Latin of the Nicene Creed). We praise the Holy Triune God for His mercy in sending our Savior, who as true God, paid the perfect ransom for our atonement, winning for us peace with God an
