the nicene creed
introduction |
The Nicene Creed is the most ecumenical of creeds.
In A.D. 312, Constantine became the Roman Empire after the battle of Milvian Bridge. Attributing his victory to the help of Jesus Christ, he promoted Christianity within the empire. "One God, one Lord, one faith, one church, one empire, one emperor" became his motto. Nevertheless, the new emperor soon discovered that theological disputes, especially which of the understanding of the nature of the Christ, challenged the belief of "one faith and one church". Arius, a Libyan presbyter in Alexandria, had declared that although the Son was divine, he was not co-essential with the Father since he was a created being. Therefore, Jesus was said to be less than the Father. His teaching led to a serious of stereological crisis. To keep standpoints consistent within the church, Constantine called a council in Nicaea in A.D. 325. The Nicene Creed of 325 explicitly affirms the co-essential divinity of the Son, and applies to him the term 'consubstantial". In A.D. 381, a second council met in Constantinople. It revised and expanded the A.D. 325 creed, now known as the Nicene Creed. The 381 version ended after the words "We believe in the Holy Spirit", speaking of "the Holy Spirit as worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son." However, with contrary to the western churches, the eastern churches do not accept consubstantiation. |
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The Nicene Creed (A.D. 325)
We believe in one God, the Father, Ruler of All,
Maker of all things visible and invisible;
And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
Begotten of the Father as only begotten,
That is, from the essence of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten, not created, of the same essence as the Father,
Through whom all things came into being, both in heaven and in earth;
Who for us and for our salvation came down,
And was incarnate, being made a man.
He suffered and the third day he rose.
And he ascended into the heavens.
We believe in one God, the Father, Ruler of All,
Maker of all things visible and invisible;
And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
Begotten of the Father as only begotten,
That is, from the essence of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Begotten, not created, of the same essence as the Father,
Through whom all things came into being, both in heaven and in earth;
Who for us and for our salvation came down,
And was incarnate, being made a man.
He suffered and the third day he rose.
And he ascended into the heavens.