City of Decisions

By Lowell E Ritchie

The Apostles' Creed: it tilted the world, rebutting a heresy. It introduced a new thought; it gave us a new world religion. A council of bishops, called by the first Christian Emperor, did this.

Using fictitious characters -- a young skeptic  and a seasoned bishop -- the  author retells how the creed was made. Over-the-road (Roman road) conversations, strange fellow-travelers, a surprise romance,  and dreaded highway robbers, all add spice to an already unusual story. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lowell Ritchie
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798887963587

Lowell E Ritchie

Lowell E Ritchie is a retired pastor in the Church of the Brethren. He served churches in Iowa, West Virginia, Indiana, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas. A native of the northern Virginia Shenandoah mountains, he was educated at Shenandoah Valley's Bridgewater College. In 1958, preparing for Christian pastoral ministry, he earned a degree in pastoral theology and biblical studies at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago, Illinois.He makes his retirement home in Gilbert, Arizona.

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Acknowledgements

Any work of this nature must have the backing, background, and backdrop of many dedicated people: people that are like-spirited, like-minded, and fellow-souled. I submit to the reader, therefore, a glimpse of persons to whom, above all, I am indebted for the perspectives portrayed in this document.

The first is my wife, fellow-traveler Nellie, with whom I have revisited many historical scenes. Her sense of the glorious, the inglorious, and the consequences of ancient, hallowed scenes has lent realism to otherwise dusty tasting stories. Many-a happy hour have we spent revisiting those scenes, and savoring the thoughts, passions, and purposes of those ancient persons.

Next is a rather intolerant family, the members of which continue to wonder why I deviate from my stated vocation. While I may not deserve their love and devotion, I am nonetheless grateful for their steadfastness.

Next were thoughtful, questing church members who responded to my pastoral duties by challenging me to think beyond customary rituals. Especially has this been true with funerals and weddings—so many of them and yet, my favorite duties. Upon hearing the biblical quotes, those questing souls urged me to explain the whys and wherefores of Christian doctrine and custom.

There was Warren, who challenged me with co-evolution ideas from his magazine of the same name, as we batted far-out ideas back and forth. There was Tom, with whom I explored many facets of our psychic and spiritual natures.

And there were many, many more with whom I prayed, studied, explored, sang, and visited ... Lee and Rhea, Bob and Jane, Sam and Pauline, Bill and Mary, Ken and Florence, Wayne and Carol, Afton and Kenny ... on and on, as we chose to spend our season in the sun.

Plus, a variety of mentors have paved the way for me. Knowledgeable professors at college and seminary level—Dr. Gustav Enss in philosophy and religion, Floyd Mallott in church history, William Beahm and Chalmer Faw in biblical studies—have long since gone on to glory. Insights and inspirations have come also from Hugh Lynn Cayce, Herbert Puryear, Dr. Gerald Poesnecker, and Dr. R.S. Clymer.

Why do I write a book such as this? In part, it is because this old pastor sees too many young men stumbling under the weight of custom, especially under the weightier doctrines and their traditional interpretations, some of which have acquired distortions over the centuries. Though our young women nimbly follow instructions of their staunch elders, many of our young men are left to struggle with too little light on their pathway.

To be sure, many helpful books have already been written. Yet, many devotional books make this old pastor sleepy. So, perhaps the story of a young man’s struggles ... who found a faith that saved because someone shone a light ... could that be helpful?

Something to believe in ... someone to shine a light, dispelling the dark clouds of public opinion ... that, after all, is the author’s motive for this book. May the Good News of Jesus-called-the-Christ, and the Kingdom of God that he preached, become more real, helpful, and useful.

The Historical Setting

In the year 325 A.D./C.E., Constantine I, Emperor of the Roman Empire (the first Christian emperor), called to Council the Christian bishops of the Empire. They were to meet at the Imperial Palace in Nicaea, Bithynia—present day Iznik, Turkey.

More than 300 bishops responded to his invitation. Vexed by his inability to achieve unity and agreement within the loosely organized Church, the Emperor gave them a simple assignment: tell us what you do believe! What is Christian?

The council at Nicaea lasted two months! This council, nonetheless, established a defining moment in the fortune and destiny of Christianity. It was this council that laid the foundation for the Apostles’ Creed. It was this council, also, that groomed the Church for its role as a world religion. 

One undeclared—perhaps unintended—result of this council was the forging of a new relationship between Church and State. Not all the results have been enviable, especially among issues that today’s Americans recognize as separation of church and state—unheard of at that time.       

Up to this point in time, the Church was constantly uneasy about the function and performance of government and power-people. It was the Roman government, after all, that executed the Lord of the Church! It was this government that declared the Church to be illegal. It was this government that required Emperor worship — and that periodically persecuted any Christians who refused, ...and that turned hungry lions onto Christians in the coliseums, ...and that publicly burned Christian scriptures and church buildings, ...and that chased believers into the catacombs and other secretive places.

Christianity, in its early days, was unacceptable to The Establishment. Although it began as a very personal faith, a sprout of Judaism, Christians often held strong personal, unpopular convictions. Most sophisticated people of that proud Roman society were quick to reject it.

During its first three centuries, however, the worship of the Christ became increasingly more appealing. Many people wanted a closer relationship with their Creator. World religions of the day were aloof and unresponsive, whereas Christianity was dynamic and personal. Plus, it was not yet a world — or worldly— religion. And so, out of their emptiness, the people kept coming to fill their cups, and the church grew rapidly.

The Romans could not understand. They considered that they themselves were the religious ones. After all, who, taking notice of their devotion to their gods ... their many gods ... who could wonder? A god for every purpose under heaven ... even an Unknown god that had no known identity or purpose, as St. Paul once discovered. The Romans considered themselves seriously religious!

Pontius Pilate, and most other government officials, thought of Christianity as simply ‘super-stitio’ (super-imposed or added on belief), and not really a religion. They could see no god! The Romans needed to see their god, made visible and available via a well-crafted image. So far as they could tell, the Christians had no way to portray their God. There was no image! There was only a Christ-man—dead now, as they thought—who stood at the center of the Christians’ worship—the disturber of the peace from Galilee of Judea!

Hence, for a long time the Romans considered this new Christ-ianity to be atheistic—and thereby, an enemy of the people! Christianity, as first-century Romans perceived it, simply did not qualify as a religion.

That alibi formed the basis for frequent persecutions.

Despite its unpopularity, and the frequent outbursts of violent government opposition, increasing numbers of people were converting into this vigorous faith-movement, drawn by its strong sense of destiny, discipline and purpose. In the first three centuries, the majestic mystique surrounding the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Christ attracted tens of thousands of people from the prevailing Greco-Roman polytheism. Out of common, desperate human need, thoughtful persons discovered solace, purpose, and opportunity in Christianity. It was a new faith to this weary old world.

In 313 C.E. an Edict of Religious Tolerance was signed by a couple of co-emperors, and the last Great Persecution of Christians rumbled to a halt. Christianity was officially declared to be another legitimate religion—and the Church Fathers relaxed.

A decade-and-a-half later, Emperor Constantine I, the Great (as important world-actors were considered in those days), called together the First Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church. Urgently he invited the bishops from all over the Empire, all 1800 of them, to assemble—expenses paid—at a government summer palace in Nicaea, Bithynia (present-day Iznik, Turkey).

Some three hundred of them responded, bringing along their helpers and support personnel.

Here, our story begins.

This invitation to council came because of a seemingly unresolvable dispute among church leaders of that generation. Across Asia, Europe, and North Africa, the controversy raged so fiercely that the Emperor feared it would split the massive Roman Empire. His efforts to appease the disturbed church fathers were spurned. Letters, messengers, and official visits were not enough to bring peace to the loosely organized church.

It was a vexed Emperor Constantine I, therefore, that called to council the bishops and church leaders—to do what otherwise could not be done. Their assignment was simple but urgent: if you’re going to be a real religion, come to agreement about what you believe!

This doctrinal dispute was sparked by Arianism, Arius being the name of the pastor in Alexandria, Egypt who was blamed for this disturbance. The doctrine promoted by this outspoken pastor was declared by this council to be heresy, or deviation from the beliefs of the Apostles.

Would Christians of the 21st century understand the enormity of the controversy in that long-ago century? It is doubtful. Yet, in those days, the nature of the relationship of the Christ to the Godhead contained so much mystique, intrigue, and intellectual glamor that it filtered down to street-level conversations. It became a favorite subject for discussion among street-philosophers lining up behind Plato or Socrates.

In this manner, therefore, the table was set for the common people to discuss Christian theology, using the methods of paganism’s quasi-scientific, semi-philosophical, hog-wild debate.

In twenty centuries, what has changed?

From this time forward, the Jewish Man from Nazareth, deeply embedded in monotheism, would be evaluated with polytheistic Greco-Roman thought patterns. What a sharp, right turn it involved for Christianity!

The most notable achievement of this Nicene Council was the archetypal Apostles Creed. Voting finally with their signatures, those 300+ bishops declared, by that Nicene Creed, that we believe this is what the Apostles believed.

The creed’s insistence upon belief did even more: it provided a new sense of freedom for the individual. It also effectively organized Christianity, separating "the sheep"—who believed, from "the goats"—who did not believe.

Furthermore, by this time in the fourth century, it was becoming clearer that the foundations for a world religion were in place. And staring back at the Church’s leaders was the Lord’s Great Commission, demanding reality, unity, and action. Go, he had told them, and teach all nations, baptizing them... teaching them to observe all things as I have commanded ....

Here, indeed, was opportunity—and duty. Methods could be built as need arises.

The council’s major work, The Apostles’ Creed, (as edited and streamlined by another council a half-century later) has indeed become the working definition of faith for many millions of Christians in all parts of the world.

Think not, however, that the theological dispute was totally settled. We still find people getting lost in that Trinitarian formula and wondering if there isn’t a better way. Wars, persecutions, and crimes against humanity have broken out periodically through the ensuing eighteen centuries, sparked by those issues of orthodoxy versus heresy,—each side forging God’s signature to their own viewpoint, as desperate school children are apt to do.

Thoughtful people, down through the centuries, have raised questions about these times and terms. How—and why—did faith issues become political issues? Why did—or why does—government want to interfere with what we believe? Why did the church surrender so easily to the government? Why—and how—did the church become the new persecutor? Why ... what ... how...?

Timotheus has a story to tell us. Perhaps he can answer some of our questions.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

The Historical Setting

1  Beginning to Commence to Start

2  Calling the Shepherds 6

3  The Road Ahead

4  Over The Road Conversations

5  OTR Conversations – II

6  OTR  III - The Right Road

7  OTR – IV:  Ways Less Traveled

8  OTR – V:  Greater Love

9  Those Roman Roads

10  Fellow Travelers

11  Old Time Religions

12  Valley of Shadows

13  The Healer

14  Time to Heal

15   A Cup of Cool Water

16   A Man’s World

17   Planning the Future

18   Love Gets Practical

19  When Venus Visits

20  Inventor’s Pride and Joy

21  On the Road Again

22   Made In Heaven

23  The Devil’s Deputies

24   Fellow Travelers

25  Faiths of Our Fathers

26   Warts On Religions?

27  Changing  Times

28   Faiths Of Our Fathers - II

29   Highway Robbers

30   Rome To the Rescue

31    Was It Murder?

32  Over-the-Road Conversations

33  Ways Of a Shepherd

34   Baptism Reviewed

35    When Churches Quarrel

36  Shadows of the Cross

37  Overcoming Evil

38   In the Presence of My Enemy

39   Loser Religions

40   Imperial City

41    Big Meeting

42  The Emperor Arrives

33  The Emperor’s Speech

44   The Shepherds Confer

45   Triune  God

46   The Controversy: Son of God

47   Shared Insights

48  Taverna Conversations

49   Point of Order

50    Where Shines the Light

51  The Making of A Saint

52    The Warning

53  Jesus of Nazareth, Remembered

54  Countryman’s Duty

55  Baiting the Devil

56    The  Witness

57  Baptism

58    The Saved Life

59  A Saint Goes Home

60   Freed And Ascending

61  A Creed Is Born

62   Judgment, Justice, And Redemption

63  Dark Night of the Soul

64   The Road Home

Epilogue

1 Beginning to Commence to Start

I stood with my left hand on the bishop’s ass—no, his pack animal—feeling sorry for myself. How’d I get into this dilemma? I stormed. This is what happens when I try to be helpful! I accused the wind because no one else was near enough to hear me.

Aw, what upsets you now? queried a tiny backstage voice.

All I do, I grumbled miserably, is to agree to go with their bishop to some stupid church council in some far-off place, and the world starts to fall apart. I wish I’d stayed in the mountains. Dammit!

The ass looked around at me with big, pitying eyes.

Now, how, I modified my complaint, am I supposed to tie a misshapen bundle to a round torso? In all the abundance of the Roman Empire, why couldn’t we have regular pack bags for beasts of burden?

Aw, shut up and get to work, the little voice commanded. You chose to accompany the bishop to this council. You didn’t want to stay home and run your dead father’s estate, that’s why you did it!

I grimaced, sighed, and studied the situation some more.

There are no hooks or pegs, or anything fit to tie a rope to—except that one under his belly, I finished, grinning slyly.

No sooner had I voiced the thought, than that animal began to object. He was shaking his head, kicking back with his heels, and bellowing with that loud, complaining, hee-haw noise they call a bray.  For sure, that animal was agitated!

Well, what in hades, I exploded. Does this ass understand me? Why does he act that way? What’s ... is that ass trying to talk to me?

Hey, Honorable Ass, I said, trying to calm him, why are you so nervous? I was just thinking. No harm done!

He rolled his eyes back at me suspiciously. I shivered; then I laughed. Then I began talking to him as if he really did understand me.

"OK, Brother Ass, you’re nervous, and I’m puzzled. All I know to do is to lift that pack up onto your back and wrap a rope around it and your belly.’’

Oh! I opened my eyes wider. Did that ass nod? It certainly looked like it! I cocked my head at him.

Did you ever know a guy named Balaam, I asked him? I suddenly recalled the old Hebrew story about an ass that talked back to its master. That ass refused to go through a mountain pass because it saw a guardian angel with a long sword before its master saw it ... hahaha, my skeptic ego announced.

This ass, however, simply flicked his ears and looked back at me, puzzled: Whaddaya talkin’ about?

Or maybe he was asking if that was my name. I don’t know.

No, I said. My name’s Timotheus. What’s yours? He flicked his right ear twice and his left ear once—and refused further comment.

Anyway, Brother Ass, I said, our job is to take the bishop to a conference. It’s an important conference, and we must get him there on time and in good shape.

He stretched his neck and gave me a toothy grin.

I placed the pack on Jack’s back and stooped to tie the rope under his belly. While I tied the ropes, I felt Jack sigh, evidently resigning to his fate. At least, that’s what I first thought, not realizing that he held his breath until I finished. When he exhaled, my tightly tied ropes were loosened—and that got my complete attention.

Well ... you ... you... you jackass! I exploded, glaring at him. He looked so smug, gloating that he’d won the first round....

It would help if you’d cooperate, Jackalonus Assininus! I yelled. I used a full Roman name on him because I liked its severity. That’ll be your name, I finished sarcastically. ...’Jack,’ for short.

He gave me another toothy grin.

Nothing wakens a man’s wits like an unexpected challenge, especially by something that shouldn’t. That was when my native cunning and speculation about how stuff works came awake. Right about then, I was ready to believe that story about Balaam and his talking ass—and I was ready to talk back!

Damn thee, blessamee, blastyee, ya blankety-blank gods, I cussed with all the color I could invent on the spot.

I grabbed the loosened rope, jabbed him in the belly with my knee, and jerked the new knot as tight as I could.

Take that, you devious jackass! I got a lot of satisfaction from his explosive whoof as he exhaled, so I cussed some more.

Hey, said the Voice, don’t Christians disapprove of cussing?

Well, so what, I demanded, yelling at my own conscience. Who’s a Christian around here, anyway? It’s not me, for sure ... just the bishop, and he’s not here, ... not yet anyway!

Nevertheless, I looked around and, after confirming that no clergymen or women had overheard me, I relaxed. Only the ass heard me, and his opinion didn’t count. Any real men watching me, I consoled myself, would simply give me a half-smile and nod. They’d feel the same way.

I mentally patted myself on the back for noting a difference between men and women. "...And half-women," I said aloud, like priests and clergy and stuff.

Oh, forget it, the Voice sighed. Just remember to watch your language, especially around civil company. 

Um ... well, yes. I guess I’d better change my ways, I said, confirming my conscience, especially since I’m not alone out there in the woods anymore.

The ass looked around at me with a who’re you talking to now look.

I glared him down, snitched an apple from the pack I’d just tied onto Jack’s back, polished it on my tunic and took a big bite. Jack looked back at me. I took another bite.

He rolled his eyes, showed his teeth, and gave a begging sound. His mouth was watering.

Oh, so you like apples, too? Here, bite. I said, holding the half-eaten apple out to him. He met me halfway and snatched it out of my hand. With pure delight in his half-closed eyes, he chomped it down, juices flying, and looked around for more.

That was the moment that I knew I was going to get along with this animal. Jack, I said, you’re somethin’ else!

He gave me another grin—and passed gas from the other end, a familiar, horsey smell.

Phew! I spoke. I’ll wait awhile to eat another apple!

That was my introduction to the bishop’s ass. My initial irritations were forgotten.

2 Calling the Shepherds

"I ... set shepherds over them who will care for them,           and they shall fear no more...."  - Jeremiah 23:4

OK, young man, Bishop Iohannes announced, beaming as he came out of the house. We’re off to a great adventure—for us and for Christ’s church. We’re going to the Imperial City of Nicaea, where the emperor bids us assemble, and where we’ll settle some unsettling issues once and for all!

Bishop Iohannes wore a clean, almost new tunic and a warm toga, dressed like he was going to church. On the elevated brow of a black headband that, increasingly, churchmen—bishops, patriarchs, pastors, and such—wore these days, was the stark white emblem of a cross. Over one shoulder he carried a small sack on a short stick—like any worthy tramp. Except that, with his voluminous, Roman-styled toga, and the extra shoulder padding it provided, he could have roused the envy of any tramp in the Empire! I smiled at his confident demeanor.

I’m ready to travel, Reverend, I replied.

The nearest seaport, Thessaloniki, was about two days’ journey away. I assumed we’d walk to the port, go aboard a ship to Byzantium, and thereafter by land to Nicaea. I had only a vague idea of the geography, however. As I asked around, I was told that Nicaea was a city more than four hundred Roman milles⁴eastward into Bithynia.⁵

Let’s begin, I instructed the bishop facetiously, by forming our parade. We are two three-legged animals, right? ...Plus, one four-legged animal?

Bishop Iohannes laughed with me. Do we really qualify as a parade? he asked, eyeing me dubiously. 

I don’t know how long it’s been, I replied, still facetiously, since this town has had a parade, but this one will surely excite the town gossips! ‘There goes the well-dressed Bishop of the diocese,’ I quipped, mocking the image in my head of gawking town citizens, "’and the local town skeptic, the wild man of Macedonia, dressed for action!’"

I laughed again, rolling my eyes at him. Are you sure you want to be in my company?

He laughed again. "If you’re going to put it that way, let’s turn that stinger around. Are you sure you want to be in my company?"

Well, I had to think about it, I admitted sheepishly. "Frankly, I’ve had some doubts about this trip that involves the government, and I want to talk to you some more about that.

However, since I’ve already given my consent to that nosey bunch of church people—which was Mistake Number One—and I’ve already shaken hands with you on it—Mistake Number Two—things have gone entirely too far to change course now, don’t you think? That’d be Mistake Number Three! I finished, laughing again.

He chuckled, took a deep breath, and rose to the challenge. "I’ll give you my short answers first: Yes, No, and Yes again. Yes, I’m glad you went to church services that day and consented to go with me. No, that was not Mistakes One and Two. And yes, things have gone too far to back out now." 

Oh, I thought with a shock, in this kind of banter, this fellow can