The Nicene Creed is a statement of Christian belief that was formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. It was originally written in Greek and has served as an important summary of Christian doctrine for over 1,600 years. The main purpose of the Nicene Creed was to clearly define the nature of the Trinity in response to the Arian controversy of the 4th century. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, taught that Jesus was created by God the Father and was therefore subordinate to the Father. This teaching, known as Arianism, was deemed heretical at the Council of Nicaea, which affirmed that Jesus is “begotten not made” and is of the same substance (homoousios) as the Father.
The original Nicene Creed from 325 AD ended at what is today considered the seventh clause. However, in 381 AD at the Council of Constantinople, an expanded version of the creed was adopted which included more precise language regarding the Holy Spirit and additional clauses on the Church, baptism and resurrection of the dead. This expanded version is the one used in churches today.
The key aspects of belief outlined in the Nicene Creed are:
- God the Father is the maker of heaven and earth who is worshipped together with Jesus Christ his only son
- Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages and of the same divine substance, through whom all things were made
- For the salvation of mankind, Jesus came down from heaven and was incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary
- Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell and rose again on the third day
- Jesus ascended into heaven and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
- The Holy Spirit is worshipped together with the Father and Son and spoke through the prophets
- There is only one, holy, apostolic Church which confesses one baptism for forgiveness of sins
- There will be a final resurrection of the dead and life everlasting
The Nicene Creed was formulated by early Church fathers such as Athanasius and Augustine to counter false teachings and establish a clear, concise statement of orthodox Christian belief. It encapsulates key doctrines such as the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the virgin birth, the crucifixion and resurrection, the Holy Spirit, the Church, baptism, and eternal life. Along with the Apostles’ Creed, it continues to be highly influential and universally accepted as representing the core of Christian theology.
The text of the Nicene Creed in its entirety is:
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
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.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and became fully human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
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.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
In summary, the Nicene Creed encapsulates the key Christian doctrines regarding the nature of the Trinity and Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the hope of eternal life. It continues to be the most widely used creed in Christian liturgy today, affirming the foundational beliefs revealed in Scripture that Christians throughout history have confessed.
The Nicene Creed derives its name from the First Council of Nicaea convened by Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 AD in the city of Nicaea. The purpose of the council was to resolve disagreements in the church over the nature of the Trinity in general and the relationship between Jesus and God the Father in particular.
Arius of Alexandria, Egypt taught that Jesus was created by God the Father and was therefore subordinate to the Father. This teaching came to be known as Arianism and was deemed heretical by the council, which affirmed in the original version of the creed that Jesus was “begotten not made” and was “of the same substance” (homoousios in Greek) as the Father. The council essentially rejected the Arian view in favor of the view of Athanasius and others that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were co-eternal and equally divine.
The original Nicene Creed adopted at the council ended at what is now considered the seventh clause, stating belief in the Holy Spirit. However, in 381 AD at the Council of Constantinople, an expanded and modified version of the creed was approved, including more precise language regarding the divinity of the Holy Spirit as well as additional clauses on the Church, baptism and the resurrection of the dead.
This expanded Nicene Creed has remained unchanged as the most widely used creed in Christendom, both Eastern and Western. It is still used today in Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox liturgies and services. Some more modern English translations have updated the older language but preserved the meaning.
The Nicene Creed was significant because it:
- United the early church around a common understanding of God and Jesus Christ in response to heresy
- Affirmed the divine nature and eternal pre-existence of Jesus as begotten not made, of the same substance as the Father
- Introduced crucial Greek philosophical terms like ousia (substance/essence) and homoousios (of the same substance) to describe the relationship between the Father and Son
- Established a precedent for convening ecumenical councils to settle church disputes
- Set a standard for subsequent creeds and statements of faith, such as the Chalcedonian Definition
- Served as a bulwark against future Christological heresies, clarifying the Incarnation
- United Eastern and Western branches of the church around common creedal statements
- Remains the most widely used and accepted creed in Christendom to this day after 1,600+ years
The Nicene Creed has served as an important source of Christian theology for over 1600 years, with lasting significance and influence. Along with the Apostles’ Creed, it continues to be the most widely used and accepted statement of core Christian beliefs about the nature of God, Jesus Christ, and essential doctrines of the faith.
Here is a brief overview of some of the key theological implications of the Nicene Creed’s statements:
On God the Father
- Affirms God’s role as the sovereign Creator who is the source of all things visible and invisible
- Identifies the Father as the first person of the Trinity
- Indicates that the Father and Son together are the unified object of Christian worship
On Jesus Christ
- Affirms Christ’s pre-existence, eternality and full divinity as begotten not made and God from God
- Indicates the distinction between the Father and Son as separate persons within the Godhead
- Emphasizes that the Father and Son share the same divine ousia or “being”
- Affirms the full humanity of Christ in the Incarnation through the virgin birth
- States that Christ’s purpose was the salvation of humanity
- Affirms Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, descent to the dead, resurrection, and ascension
- Confirms Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead
On the Holy Spirit
- Identifies the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity
- Indicates the activity of the Spirit in history through the prophets
- Assigns divinity to the Holy Spirit as worthy of worship together with Father and Son
On the Church
- Describes the Church as singularly one, holy, catholic (universal) and apostolic
- Affirms the practice of baptism for those entering the Church
On Salvation
- Connects Christ’s Incarnation with the salvation of mankind
- Links baptism to the forgiveness of sins
On the Future
- Affirms the future resurrection of the dead
- Expresses belief in everlasting life in the world to come
In summary, the Nicene Creed encompasses major Christian doctrines regarding God, Christ, salvation, the Church and the afterlife, establishing core theology that remains foundational for Christianity today.
The influence and legacy of the Nicene Creed is difficult to overstate. For over 1,600 years, it has stood as the primary statement of orthodox Christian doctrine, providing the Church with a yardstick for faithfully interpreting the Scripture. Let’s look at some of the key ways the creed has influenced Christian theology and tradition:
- Christology – The creed provided precise language about the divinity of Christ to counter the Arian heresy that threatened this doctrine in the 4th century and beyond.
- Trinitarian Theology – It established the framework for describing the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity that subsequent theologians relied on.
- Church Unity – It unified the church around shared statements of belief, bringing together disparate branches and remaining accepted in East and West.
- Liturgy – It is still used in most Christian liturgical services and rites after 1,600+ years.
- Creeds & Confessions – The Nicene Creed established the practice of crafting formal creeds and confessions that defined orthodox belief.
- Ecumenical Councils – It pioneered the convening of church-wide councils to resolve major theological controversies, a tradition that continued.
- Theological Vocabulary – It introduced Greek philosophical terms like ousia and homoousios that influenced later theology.
- Continuity – It connected contemporary Christianity to apostolic origins through carefully chosen biblical language.
- Defense Against Heresy – It provided a bulwark against heterodoxy, stating clear affirmations of doctrine to protect the faith.
In short, the Nicene Creed has powerfully shaped Christian doctrine and practice over many centuries in countless ways. It remains a foundational touchstone of Christian orthodoxy to this day, treasured both for its eloquence and its ability to transmit apostolic faith from generation to generation. The creed continues to unite churches today that confess one holy and apostolic faith in the Triune God it describes.
Some key figures involved in the development of the Nicene Creed were:
- Arius – Alexandrian priest whose denial of Christ’s divinity prompted the Council of Nicaea and the original version of the creed.
- Alexander & Athanasius of Alexandria – Bishops who opposed Arianism and argued forcefully for Christ’s full divinity.
- Hosius of Corduba – Influential Western bishop who likely presided over the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
- Eusebius of Caesarea – Present at Nicaea, he proposed a creed that was expanded into the final version.
- Emperor Constantine – Convened the First Council of Nicaea and endorsed its anti-Arian conclusions.
- Gregory of Nazianzus – Key defender of the creed who later presided over Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.
- Gregory of Nyssa – Younger brother of Basil the Great, he helped shape the Constantinopolitan version of the creed.
- Augustine of Hippo – Influential theologian who helped promote the creed in the Latin Western church.
These individuals played crucial roles in either provoking the need for the creed, formulating it, or promoting and defending it in later centuries. The likes of Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers fought for the creed’s theology against Arianism, while early church fathers like Augustine endorsed its use in the liturgy.
The creed emerged from the collective wisdom of bishops, theologians and church leaders who sought to encapsulate the faith delivered by the apostles in response to doctrinal controversies in the 4th century. It remains a testament to the human struggle to carefully articulate biblical truth and preserve orthodoxy amid challenges from heresy and division.
While the Nicene Creed aims to faithfully summarize biblical teaching, there are a few aspects that reflect later theological development:
- The complexity of Trinitarian language goes beyond the direct terminology of Scripture.
- Some phrases like “God from God, Light from Light” have no explicit biblical source.
- The Greek philosophical terms ousia (“being”) and homoousios (“same substance”) are not found in the Bible.
- The Holy Spirit’s procession “from the Father and the Son” reflects later debates not described in Scripture.
- The degree of authority and powers accorded to ecumenical councils extended beyond biblical precedent.
At the same time, even these portions of the creed were attempts by early church fathers to logically extrapolate biblical truth and articulate it using the best available philosophical language. The concepts conveyed by the creed regarding the nature of God and Christ reflect teachings found throughout the New Testament.
Overall, the Nicene Creed aims to summarize biblical revelation regarding God’s triune nature and the Incarnation of Christ in a concise statement of orthodox belief passed down through the ages. It has become foundational for the Christian faith while allowing for minor differences in interpretation between denominations.
The key differences in interpretation of the Nicene Creed between Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox traditions include:
- Catholic – Emphasizes creed as authoritative formula decreed by ecumenical councils and incorporated into liturgy.
- Protestant – Regards creed as accurate summary of biblical doctrine but not equal to Scripture in authority.
- Orthodox – Uses Greek original instead of Latin version but otherwise has very similar understanding as Catholics.
More specifically, traditions differ on:
- Authority of councils vs. authority of Scripture
- Filioque clause regarding Holy Spirit’s procession from the Son as well as Father
- Understanding of catholic as universal church vs. Roman Catholic church
- Relative authority accorded to apostolic tradition vs. Scripture alone (sola scriptura)
Yet despite these interpretive differences, the Nicene Creed is broadly accepted across Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox traditions as an ecumenical statement of core Christian beliefs. It serves as a remarkable basis of unity across denominations given its 1,600+ year history.
