LOB Team I http://www.livingourbible.com I Thursday 13th November 2025
Introduction
On Day 1 of The God Summit 2025, Dr. Benjamin Shaw delivered a stunning, evidence-rich presentation dismantling one of the most common modern myths about Christianity: the claim that Jesus only became “God” at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325.
Standing before a captivated audience, Dr. Shaw declared that the belief in Jesus’ divinity did not begin with bishops in a meeting hall—it began with Jesus Himself, continued with the earliest disciples, and is confirmed by archaeology, history, Scripture, and non-Christian sources.
“We want to help you answer this question: how do we know Jesus wasn’t made God at Nicaea?” he said as he began a sweeping historical journey.
1. The Council of Nicaea Didn’t Create Jesus’ Divinity—It Affirmed It
Dr. Shaw explained that the Council of Nicaea met because of false teachings by Arius, who claimed Jesus was a created being.
He stated plainly: “At this council, it was very clearly articulated that Jesus was God. Not made.”
But he quickly added: the council was not inventing a new doctrine. They were reaffirming what the church had always believed.
2. Archaeological Evidence: Christians Worshipped Jesus as God Before Nicaea
Dr. Shaw presented the Megiddo Mosaic, dated around AD 230—almost a century before Nicaea.
The mosaic contains a dedication that reads: “To God, Jesus Christ.”
He emphasized: “Not to the man Jesus Christ. Not to the moral teacher Jesus Christ. But to God, Jesus Christ.”
He then showed the Alexamenos Graffito (AD 200), an ancient Roman caricature mocking Christians for worshipping a crucified figure.
Dr. Shaw noted: “They got mocked for worshipping someone who had been crucified… but notice what the inscription says: ‘Alexamenos worships his God.’”
Even non-Christians understood the claim.
3. Non-Christian Sources Confirm Early Christian Worship of Jesus
Dr. Shaw highlighted a letter written in AD 112 by Pliny the Younger, a Roman governor: “They were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing a hymn to Christ as though to God.”
This was decades before the last apostle died—and more than two centuries before Nicaea.
4. The New Testament Shows Jesus’ Divinity Long Before Any Council
Dr. Shaw walked the audience through Scripture:
- John 1:1 — “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.”
- John 5 — “All will honor the Son even as they honor the Father.”
- Mark 2 — Jesus forgives sins, prompting religious leaders to ask, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
- Mark 4 & 6 — Jesus stills storms and walks on water, actions attributed to Yahweh in the Old Testament.
Early Christian creeds, dating to the early AD 30s, declare Jesus as Lord long before a council ever met.
Dr. Shaw explained: “These early creeds are preserved in writing, and even sceptics like Bart Ehrman date them to the very early 30s AD.”
Conclusion
By the end of the presentation, one truth was undeniable: Jesus was worshipped as God from the very beginning—not because a council decided, but because eyewitnesses experienced, proclaimed, and died for that truth.
Dr. Shaw closed by challenging believers to respond: “We know He is Lord. So what does it mean for us to follow Him today?”
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