Homo-ousion (Carol Walker)

This term helps affirm Jesus as fully God while simultaneously protecting the doctrine of the Trinity. 

“Ousion” means substance.  “Homo-“ means “same” versus “Homoi-“ meaning “similar.”  Jesus Christ was/is “Homo-ousion”; Jesus Christ was/is the same substance as the Father.  

During the 4th Century, Arius was the Bishop of Alexandria and he taught a doctrine that exalted Jesus as a supernatural being, but only as a created one.  Arius taught that since Jesus was created, he was NOT eternal and NOT equal to the Father.  Therefore, Jesus was “Homoi-ousion” (similar to the Father), but NOT “Homo-ousion” (same as the Father).  This belief became known as Arianism.  

Arianism was built upon texts that declared Jesus to be the Father’s “only begotten” and “first-born” son.  Meaning, Jesus was “made” (understanding "begotten" as "beget"...the father's role in conception) by the Father and therefore could not be eternal as the Father is.  Proper exegesis demonstrates that “only begotten” is better understood as “one and only/unique” and Scripture’s references to Jesus as “first-born” carry the connotation of privilege and status of the first-born (birthrights...see Colossians 1:15).

The Council of Nicea (325 AD) was the place the Church settled upon orthodoxy.  Made popular by the Nicene Creed and Saint Nicholas' slap of Arius, the leadership of the Church made clear in the following statement what we believe to be true about Jesus' divinity:

"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible." 

"And in one LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten; that is of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, begin of one substance (homo-ousion) with the Father..."

Although the doctrine of the Trinity will always push past our limited ability to understand, we are forever grateful for the language of homo-ousion as it helps further delineate the nature and reality of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.