Subject: Mat. 24:36 |
Bible Note: Hi, Brother Steve! I'm embarrassed! I was thinking "Thomas Watson" and "John Owen." What came out was "Thomas Owen!" Okay... I admit it... I'm getting old! :-) The Council of Nicaea published the creed 1680 years ago this month! The modification took place in 589 AD, at a council held in Spain, with what is called the "filioque clause." What they changed was the statement "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father." They added the phrase "and the Son." (The word "filioque" in Latin means "son.") The Eastern Orthodox still don't accept the filioque clause for a variety of reasons. (They also cried foul at it being tampered with at all, since they deny that there have been any true Ecumenical Councils since the fourth century.) Now my take on this theologoumenon -- You knew I'd posit my opinion, didn't you? :-) -- is that it is sound, although the Scriptural proof is a bit tenuous. True, John 14:26 says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, but John 16:7 says that the Son will send the Holy Spirit. I think the Eastern arguments also come dangerously close to implying an unnatural distance between the Father and the Son that Scripture certainly doesn't warrant. There are some other reasons, primarily having to do with their arguments placing too much of an emphasis on a mystically acquired knowledge tending to neglect the rational. Dangerous stuff! Now, have I put everyone to sleep? :-) In Him, Doc |