4.32 Donald Fairbairn, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • “Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325)”

Episode 172
62 Min
July 14, 2025
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Donald Fairbairn on his Christ Over All essay: "Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325)"

 

Timestamps
  • 00:23 – Intro
  • 03:23 – Misconceptions about Creeds & Confessions
  • 06:15 – Responding to The Restorationist Movement
  • 09:50 – We Are Influenced by Something as We Read Scripture
  • 12:49 – The Authorities of Scripture and Tradition in Systematic Theology
  • 16:24 – Dr. Fairbairn’s Interest in Church History & the Patristics
  • 18:54 – The History Up to 325A.D.
  • 24:09 – The Holy Spirit in the Nicene Creed
  • 28:50 – Denials of Arianism
  • 31:55 – The Political Background to the Creed
  • 38:37 – Eusebius’ Exaggeration of Constantine
  • 41:37 – The Article on the Father
  • 46:12 – Language of the Son being ‘Of’ or ‘From’ the Father
  • 51:43 – The Arian Moral Exemplar View
  • 56:24 – Nicene Cosmology
  • 59:33 – Final Thoughts
  • 1:01:28 – Outro
Resources to Click
Books to Read
ON THIS EPISODE

Authors

  • Donald Fairbairn is Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Union School of Theology and Dean of Newton House. He is also the Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He holds degrees from Princeton University (AB), Denver Seminary (MDiv), and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He has ministered and taught throughout Europe and North America. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two adult children, Trey and Ella.

    View all posts
  • David Schrock is the pastor for preaching and theology at Occoquan Bible Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. David is a two-time graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a founding faculty member and professor of theology at Indianapolis Theology Seminary. And he is the author of Royal Priesthood and Glory of God along with many journal articles and online essays.

    View all posts
  • Stephen Wellum is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his MDiv and PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of numerous essays, articles, and books. He is also the co-author with Peter Gentry of Kingdom through Covenant, 2nd edition (Crossway, 2012, 2018) and the author of God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of the Person of Christ (Crossway, 2016) and Systematic Theology, Volume 1: From Canon to Concept (B&H Academic, 2024).

    View all posts