View of the snow-capped mountains and ancient Byzantine walls of İznik, formerly Nicea.
Bithynia in the New Testament
Here’s a view taken on a winter’s day from İznik, in northwest Türkiye. I scampered to the top of the Late Roman/Byzantine fortifications and pointed my camera lens into the wind and to the distant mountains, still blotchy with snow. This region appears in the New Testament as Bithynia (Acts 16:7, 1 Peter 1:1).
The Birthplace of The Nicean Creed
İznik was once called Nicea. This was the site of the first and seventh ecumenical councils of the early Christian Church. Here (in AD 325), surrounded by these same mountains, the words of the Nicene Creed were hammered out. These words are still repeated by many of us today:
“We believe in one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. . . ”
St Nicholas got punchy here
On a lighter note, at this same council, Saint Nicholas (the historical figure behind Santa Claus) punched a bishop in the face. The reason? The Arian controversy. This debate centered on the nature of Jesus Christ and His relationship to God the Father. It prompted the first Nicean meeting, creed, and memorable punch.
It’s was a hot time in the old town that night.