Eusebius of Caesarea and the Nicene Creed

[rameumptom]

Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, ca 300 AD, was a leader among the early Church Fathers. He was the first to write a history of early Christianity, and is still well read by Bible scholars for the information of the time. He was a student of Pamphilus and with his teacher an ardent follower of the teachings of Origen. You will see Origen's views in his writings, especially regarding what I mention below.

You can read his Ecclesiastical History here:

CHURCH FATHERS: Church History (Eusebius)

In book One, he begins by talking about the Christ (Greek for Anointed or Messiah), and who he really was.

In chapter two, we read:

3. For who beside the Father could clearly understand the Light which was before the world, the intellectual and essential Wisdom which existed before the ages, the living Word which was in the beginning with the Father and which was God, the first and only begotten of God which was before every creature and creation visible and invisible, the commander-in-chief of the rational and immortal host of heaven, the messenger of the great counsel, the executor of the Father's unspoken will, the creator, with the Father, of all things, the second cause of the universe after the Father, the true and only-begotten Son of God, the Lord and God and King of all created things, the one who has received dominion and power, with divinity itself, and with might and honor from the Father; as it is said in regard to him in the mystical passages of Scripture which speak of his divinity: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made. (John 1:3)

4. This, too, the great Moses teaches, when, as the most ancient of all the prophets, he describes under the influence of the divine Spirit the creation and arrangement of the universe. He declares that the maker of the world and the creator of all things yielded to Christ himself, and to none other than his own clearly divine and first-born Word, the making of inferior things, and communed with him respecting the creation of man. For, says he, God said, Let us make man in our image and in our likeness. (Genesis 1:26)

So, Moses understood that Jesus was with God in the creation of Adam and Eve. He also shows that Christ is separate from the Father, but joined in unity with the Father in all works.

7. But he, by no means neglectful of the reverence due to the Father, was appointed to teach the knowledge of the Father to them all. For instance, the Lord God, it is said, appeared as a common man to Abraham while he was sitting at the oak of Mambre. And he, immediately falling down, although he saw a man with his eyes, nevertheless worshipped him as God, and sacrificed to him as Lord, and confessed that he was not ignorant of his identity when he uttered the words, Lord, the judge of all the earth, will you not execute righteous judgment? (Genesis 18:25)

So, Christ is the man who came to Abraham at Mamre, and Abraham recognized him as Yahweh/Jehovah, the Lord God.

9. Moses most clearly proclaims him second Lord after the Father, when he says, The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord. (Genesis 19:24) The divine Scripture also calls him God, when he appeared again to Jacob in the form of a man, and said to Jacob, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name, because you have prevailed with God. (Genesis 32:28) Wherefore also Jacob called the name of that place Vision of God, saying, For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. (Genesis 32:30)

10. Nor is it admissible to suppose that the theophanies recorded were appearances of subordinate angels and ministers of God, for whenever any of these appeared to men, the Scripture does not conceal the fact, but calls them by name not God nor Lord, but angels, as it is easy to prove by numberless testimonies.

11. Joshua, also, the successor of Moses, calls him, as leader of the heavenly angels and archangels and of the supramundane powers, and as lieutenant of the Father, entrusted with the second rank of sovereignty and rule over all, captain of the host of the Lord, although he saw him not otherwise than again in the form and appearance of a man. For it is written:

12. And it came to pass when Joshua was at Jericho that he looked and saw a man standing over against him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went unto him and said, Are you for us or for our adversaries? And he said unto him, As captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and said unto him, Lord, what do you command your servant? And the captain of the Lord said unto Joshua, Loose your shoe from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy.

The captain of the Lord's Host is Yahweh, the Messiah and Great ANGEL in the Presence of God. It definitely seems that Eusebius understood this clearly. And we are only beginning to understand it through modern scholars, like Margaret Barker! He continues by quoting Daniel, who saw the Ancient of Days (Elohim, represented by Adam in LDS belief) and the Son of Man coming to his presence, where he is bestowed with great honors.

In chapter 3, he discusses Christ's priesthood that was outside the regular priesthood lineage of Levi. He explained that Moses saw in the Priesthood of Aaron the coming Messiah. In fact, Moses called Aaron and his sons, the chief priests, the Anointed (Messiah or Christ). And to his successor, the son of Nun, Moses gave the name "Joshua", which is the Hebrew version of Jesus (anglicized Greek name). So, Moses foresaw Jesus Christ in setting apart Joshua and Aaron (and his sons)! Eusebius explained that Jesus' priesthood was eternal and named the Melchizedek Priesthood. Not only this, but kings were also anointed, even as Christ is the Anointed King of Israel.

17. But this Melchizedec is introduced in the Holy Scriptures as a priest of the most high God, not consecrated by any anointing oil, especially prepared, and not even belonging by descent to the priesthood of the Jews. Wherefore after his order, but not after the order of the others, who received symbols and types, was our Saviour proclaimed, with an appeal to an oath, Christ and priest.

18. History, therefore, does not relate that he was anointed corporeally by the Jews, nor that he belonged to the lineage of priests, but that he came into existence from God himself before the morning star, that is before the organization of the world, and that he obtained an immortal and undecaying priesthood for eternal ages.

So, Christ existed before mortality. He is God, but subordinate to the Father, and therefore separate from the Father. He was foreseen by Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, as well as all other prophets. And he holds the eternal priesthood of God.