My religious background is Evangelical; not the political distortion projected by the media, but the spirituality of the Protestant awakenings with emphasis on Scripture, the fully Deity and humanity of Jesus, his death and resurrection…. The Apostle’s Creed covers it. In fact, in the church that I grew up in, after the hymns were sung, we remained standing reciting the Creed.
Sola scriptura has been the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation, and this is the tradition in which I have found myself. Alister McGrath, in his book, Christianity’s Dangerous Idea stated, “Over the years, each strand of Protestantism developed its own way of understanding and implementing the sola Scriptura principle” (209). And so, it is that we hear declarations, such as, “No creed but the Bible,” and chants of, “The Bible, the Bible, the Bible,” to the point that the creeds, the councils, the historic Church have all but disappeared from the minds of Christians. Most Evangelicals that I know are not able to identify the Apostle’s Creed, let alone quote it. This is also true of the Nicene Creed as well as the teachings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.
My premise has been that the Ecumenical Councils serve as a course in Christology, identifying Jesus; not only who he is and what he is, but also ourselves in Christ. Still, there is much more to be said on these topics, but these councils are essential to the theological dialogue.
Gregory of Nazianzus in a fit of exasperation bemoaned, “I never saw any good come out of councils. So far from ending the mischief, they increase it!” Dialogues had turned to debates, which is why the councils were called, to settle the debate and bring peace. While some participants may not have displayed upstanding conduct at all times, those involved were concerned with preserving the true faith that had been handed down to them from the Apostles.
What are the decrees of the Councils to us today? Of what authority are they for us?
Eastern Orthodoxy
The Eastern Orthodox have been referred to as the Church of the Seven Councils. As with the Apostles in Acts chapter 15, the councils may be summarized as, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” The Spirit of God did not abandon the Church after the last chapter of the book of Acts and so the decisions of the councils are recognized as authoritative. The Spirit of God still works through the Church, and therefore the ecumenical councils are essential sources for Orthodox doctrine. An individual with Bible in hand would be expected to submit to an ecumenical council which held the Bible in such high regard as the ancient councils did. The Holy Tradition of the Orthodox churches includes Scripture, the seven councils, as well as the unanimous teaching of the Church.
Roman Catholic
For many historians, the year 1054 marks the split between the eastern churches and the western church of Rome. Even after the split, the Roman Catholic Church continued the practice of holding ecumenical councils with the Roman Church as the only active participant. All together they recognize twenty-one councils. These councils are called and approved by the bishop of Rome. To the first seven councils, fourteen have been added.
Protestant
The Protestant Reformation was ignited by a “loss of trust” in the magisterium of the Roman Church of the Late Middle Ages. Over the centuries the Roman church had experienced corruption as well as increasingly defined teachings, which would now be questioned. Luther is well known for sola scriptura, that the Scriptures alone are the ultimate authority for the believer. There is no authority above or equal to the Scriptures. The Reformation was not only a reformation of the Christian faith, it was a reactionary movement.
In his book, On the Councils and the Church, Luther used an analogy likening the teachings of the Church as a stream of water. From the pure waters of its spring the stream flows; over the distance of time the waters became muddied, increasingly polluted with the traditions and teachings of men. Luther wrote that he would, “rather drink from the spring itself than from the brook, as do all men, who once they have a chance to drink from the spring forget about the brook, unless they use the brook to lead them to the spring. Thus Scripture, too, must remain master and judge, for when we follow the brooks too far, they lead us too far away from the spring, and lose both their taste and nourishment.” (LW, 41:20) What Luther wished for was to drink from the pure waters of the spring, the Scriptures themselves.
With this said, it should not be thought that Luther disregarded the teachings of the early Christians, as he wrote in one letter, “we must not trifle with the articles of faith so long and unanimously held by Christendom….”[1]
Due to his loss of trust in the magisterium of the Roman Church Luther clung to Scripture as the ultimate source of God’s revelation suspicious of all others. A good council, according to Luther would be one that expresses and clarifies biblical teaching, without developing new doctrines. He appears to have given such regard for the first four ecumenical councils.
John Calvin referred to the first five-hundred years of Church history as a time when, “religion was still flourishing, and a purer doctrine thriving” (Institutes, 1, 11, 12). Writing of the great councils he states, “we willingly embrace and reverence as holy the early councils, such as those of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus I, Chalcedon, and the like, which were concerned with refuting errors—in so far as they relate to the teachings of faith. For they contain nothing but the pure and genuine exposition of Scripture, which the holy fathers applied with spiritual prudence to crush the enemies of religion who had then arisen.” (Institutes, 4, 9, 1)
It appears common among Protestant traditions to tip the hat to the first four councils. The validity of the councils was conditioned upon their faithfulness to the Biblical witness. While the first four were generally given approval, the latter three were often overlooked, or even ignored. John Calvin clearly was an iconoclast rejecting the decisions of the Seventh Council (Institutes, 1, 11, 14). It has been suggested that this rejection may have been influenced by a poor translation of the council’s conclusions as well as his opinions of Renaissance artwork.
But it does raise the issue of a lone individual wandering the streets of old Geneva singlehandedly determining the validity of the ancient creeds. Oh, but you say, “He did so with the Bible in his hands.” Well, the ancients had that very same Bible before their eyes. While studying theology I had been informed many times that Calvin was an excellent exegete, but after reading through the bulk of Calvin’s Institutes, I had to conclude that the integrity of his exegesis is often overrated. Simply put, if the councils can err so can Calvin, so can Luther, so can I.
Modern Evangelical
Many Evangelicals have taken Luther’s sola scriptura and turned it into solo scriptura. Instead of the Scriptures being read as the ultimate authority within the context of the Church, the Scriptures are read in isolation from the historic Church.
Vincent of Lerins in the fifth century asks with forewarning, “But here some one perhaps will ask, ‘Since the canon of Scripture is complete, and sufficient of itself for everything, and more than sufficient, what need is there to join with it the authority of the Church’s interpretation?’”
Vincent was concerned with the many heretics in his day as well as throughout Christian history. The question he raised is simply, “How can I avoid heresy?” In reading the Scriptures in isolation he recognized that, “one understands its words in one way, another in another; so that it seems to be capable of as many interpretations as there are interpreters.” Vincent recommended that, “all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all.” Vincent’s words remind me of Luther when he commented, “we must not trifle with the articles of faith so long and unanimously held by Christendom.”
A Modest Proposal
At times I think of the Bible as similar to the Constitution of the United States. While the Constitution is not inspired by God, it is the foundational document for this country. The president of the United States, along with others are under oath to preserve and protect the Constitution, in a similar role as bishops, pastors, ministers, and elders protecting the integrity of the Biblical faith. It is the Supreme Court that serves as the ancient Ecumenical Councils. The local church elders might want to think of themselves as local councils, but what good are they if the local courts pay no mind or are ignorant of the Supreme Court?
“Tradition is the fruit of the Spirit’s teaching activity from the ages as God’s people have sought understanding of Scripture. It is not infallible, but neither is it negligible, and we impoverish ourselves if we disregard it.” (J. I. Packer)
Suggested Reading
Martin Luther, On the Councils and the Church, (1539) https://godrules.net/library/luther/NEW1luther_e14.htm
Vincent of Lerins, Commonitory
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3506.htm
Leo Donald Davis, The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology, Liturgical Press; First Edition (January 1, 1988).
Next: Closing Remarks – The Great Councils: Part Twelve
[1] The Life and Letters of Martin Luther, by Preserved Smith, Ph.D. Bostin and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, Copyright and Published, 1911. Pages 291 & 292
The Early Church for Today 