The Nicene Creed

   A creed is a summarized set of beliefs, held by the members of a group The Nicene creed is followed by most Christians.  It was formalized at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. and expanded in a second council in Constantinople in 381 A.D. This expanded creed is what we call the Nicene creed. However, it was believed by orthodox Christians very early in the church. This was a confirmation of what was already believed, not a statement of new beliefs. The "and the Son" phrase from the section on the Holy Spirit is embraced by the Western (Roman) church, and rejected by the Eastern (Byzantine) church. It was added by the Western Church in a slow process between 589 and 1274. I discuss this point more, here. The purpose of this section is to give a quick guide to where the key points of the faith are discussed. They are not in order. If you are new to the subject, it is probably better to start with one of the earlier sections.

I believe in one God,the Father almighty,

    maker of heaven and earth,

    of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

        the Only Begotten Son of God,

        born of the Father before all ages.

    God from God, Light from Light,

        true God from true God,

    begotten, not made, consubstantial

        with the Father;

    Through him all things were made.

    For us men and for our salvation

        he came down from heaven,

        and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate

        of the Virgin Mary,

        and became man.

    For our sake he was crucified

        under Pontius Pilate,

        he suffered death and was buried,

        and rose again on the third day

        in accordance with the Scriptures.

    He ascended into heaven

        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

    He will come again in glory

        to judge the living and the dead

        and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

        the Lord, the giver of life,

    who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

    who with the Father and the Son

        is adored and glorified,

    who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic,

        and apostolic Church.

    I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins

        and I look forward to the resurrection

        of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

This page was last changed on 2012/02/04