Nicene Creed

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The Nicene Creed, or Nicaene Creed, is a statement derived from the Christian Scriptures defining the basic beliefs of the Christian Church. The Creed is also referred to as The Symbol of the Faith. [1] The Nicene Creed is included (in variant forms) in the services of the Eastern Orthodox, Orthodox Catholic, Roman Catholic, Protestant and non-denominational churches. The first version was composed at the Council of Nicaea in 325 by a congregation of representatives from the Christian Churches extant at that time. This is the same council that finalised the Christian Canon, or the New Testament.

The Creed (in English) as it reads in the Orthodox Churches today reads thus:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became man; and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; and suffered, and was buried; and arose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; Who procedeeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets. In One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins; I look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the age to come. Amen.[2]

History

The original Creed was laid down at Nicaea in 325 A.D at The First Ecumenical Council. The Council was called to deal with the disputed nature of the Son. At the center of the dispute was Arius, an Alexandrian priest. Arius maintained that the Son was inferior and was created as opposed to 'begotten'. This was termed ‘heresy’ and the position is known as Arianism, a perspective that still exists today. The wording of the Creed specifically speaks to this ancient dispute and was meant to draw a defined line between those who were Christian (believe the Jesus was both human and divine and consubstantial with God) and those who believe otherwise.[3]

The original version promulgated at that time (from Epistola Eusebii, circa 350 A.D.):

“We believe in One God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God from God, Light from Light, Life from Life, Son Only-begotten, first-born of every creature, before all the ages, begotten from the Father, by Whom also all things were made; Who for our salvation was made flesh, and lived among men, and suffered, and rose again the third day, and ascended to the Father, and will come again in glory to judge the quick and dead. And we believe also in One Holy Ghost:”
“believing each of these to be and to exist, the Father truly Father, and the Son truly Son, and the Holy Ghost truly Holy Ghost, as also our Lord, sending forth His disciples for the preaching, said, “Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost''[4]

The issue was revisited at the Council of Constantinople in 381 (also referred to as the Second Ecumenical Council) whereupon the phrase “who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified" as well as the reference to the Christ's crucifixion was added.

Theology

The primary concerns of the Second Ecumenical Council with regard to the Creed were the concepts of substance or essence, (in Greek, homoousios) and person (in Greek, hypostasis).The Trinitarian doctrine of the Christian Church embraces the concept that God (the Creator and Father), the Son, (Jesus the Christ) and the Holy Spirit are one Essence (or substance-homoousios) and Three Persons (hypostasis) [5].

Two other primary aspects of this creed are those that incorporate the related concept that Jesus was both human and divine and the concept that the Holy Spirit (also referred to in tradition as the 'Holy Ghost') comes from the Father, not from the Son.

The divine or human nature of the Son has been and still is a subject upon which numerous divergent groups have disputed. [6]

Variants

A phrase inserted after the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, the Filioque, states that the Spirit proceeds from the Son. This wording is at the seat of a primary dispute between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Catholic Churches. It was added by the Synod of Spain at the Council of Toledo in 589 and later adopted by the Latin Church (Roman Catholic Church). The Orthodox Churches do not accept the Filioque as canonical, and the addition of the three words "and the son" was responsible for the breaking off of the Eastern part of the Catholic church. At present, there are a great many Protestant churches that do employ the filioque in their version of the creed. The protestant version was adopted from the Roman Catholic version.

Scriptural derivations

The specific statements of the Creed are grounded in the New Testament as such:

  • I believe in one God, the Father Almighty ...Gen. 17:1-8; Deut. 6:4; Matthew 6:9
  • Maker of heaven and earth ...Gen. 1:1-31; Job 38:1-30
  • And of all things visible and invisible ...Col. 1:15-16; John 1:3
  • And in one Lord Jesus Christ ...John 20:28; Acts 16:31; John 3:16
  • The Only-begotten Son of God ...Psalm 2:7; Matthew 3:17; John 1:1
  • Begotten of the Father before all ages ...John 1:1-2, 8:58; Col. 1:16; Phil. 2:6
  • Light of Light ...John 1:1-9
  • True God of true God ...John 16:27-28; John 1:1-2
  • Begotten, not made ...John 1:1-2, 16:28
  • Of one essence with the Father ...John 14:10-11, 17:22-23
  • By Whom all things were made ...John 1:3-10, Col. 1:16
  • Who for us men and our salvation ...Luke 2:30; John 3:16; 1 John 4:14; 1 Tim. 2:5-6
  • Came down from heaven ...John 3:13, 31; John 6:12-38
  • And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit ...Luke 1:35
  • And the Virgin Mary ...Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35-46
  • And became man ...John 1:14; Phil. 2:6-8, Heb. 2:14-17
  • He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate ...Matthew 27:24-31
  • And suffered and was buried ...Mark 15:16-46
  • He arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures ...1 Cor. 15:3-4; Luke 24:1-12; Matthew 12:38-40; Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:16-19
  • And ascended into heaven ...Luke 24:50-53; Mark 16:16-19
  • And sits at the right hand of the Father ...Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20
  • And shall come again with glory ...Psalm 72:9-19; Isaiah 40:5
  • To judge the living and the dead ...Rev. 20:11-15; Acts 10:42
  • Whose Kingdom shall have no end ...Psalm 145:13; John 3:16; John 6:40-47
  • And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord ...Gen. 1:2; Matthew 3:16; Acts 2:1-4
  • The Giver of Life ...John 15:26; John 14:16-17; Rom. 8:2; Gal. 6:8
  • Who proceeds from the Father ...John 15:26
  • Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified ...Luke 10:22; Matthew 3:17; John 4:24
  • Who spoke by the prophets ...Acts 2 17:18; 2 Peter 1:21
  • I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church ...1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 2:19-22; 4:11-16; 2 Thess. 2:15; 1 Tim. 3:1-15
  • I confess one baptism for the remission of sins ...Matthew 3:16; John 3:5; Acts 2:38, 8:36-40; Eph. 4:5
  • I look for the resurrection of the dead ...1 Cor. 15:12-58
  • And the life of the world to come ...Rom. 8:17-25; Phil. 3:20-21; 2 Peter 3:13

Amen. [7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church
  2. ↑ Prayer Book (1986). Jordanville, New York: Holy Trinity Monastery (page 125) 4th edition
  3. ↑ Leo, D. Davis (1983) The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology. Collegeville Minnesota, Liturgical Press
  4. ↑ Letter of Eusebius of Cæsarea to the people of his Diocese Schaff, Philip (1819-1893) (Translator) in "Athanasius: Select Works and Letters" New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1892. Source: Logos Inc.. Rights: Public Domain. Reprinted by Calvin College, Christian Classics Etheral Library, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA
  5. ↑ Timothy Ware “Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia” (1963) The Orthodox Church. (pages 22-23) London. Penguin Books
  6. ↑ Introduction to the Coptic Orthodox Church
  7. ↑ Fr. George Grube (2004) The Orthodox Church A to Z (pp. 5-7). Holy Cross Bookstore
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