Icon of the Holy Trinity
The term consubstantial (homoousios in Greek) which appears at the center of the Nicene Creed, means “of the same substance.” This term was employed by the bishops at the Council of Nicaea as a way of combating the heretical claims of Arius that Christ was created by God the Father. Aware of Arius' craftiness in misusing the Scriptures to support his false teachings, the Nicene fathers chose to use the extra-biblical term, consubstantial—a word whose meaning would be hard to misconstrue since it was not in common usage. That Christ is of the same substance as the Father means He is uncreated and so always existed in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit from all eternity. He is, as the Creed says, "Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made."