Nicene Creed

We 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 his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets;  and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Trinity Hymnal says: “The Nicene Creed originated at the Council of Nicea (325), and an expanded form was adopted by the Council of Chalcedon (451).  It was formulated to answer heresies that denied the biblical doctrine of the Trinity and of the person of Christ.”  Notice how the two issues at stake in the Council meeting have extra emphasis in this creed – more than twenty phrases about Jesus and six about the Holy Spirit as opposed to thirteen for Jesus and one for the Holy Spirit in the Apostles’ Creed. 

Notice also the deciding point for the Council was based on the BIBLICAL doctrine. The Creed writers needed to be more specific to combat heresy.  Additional descriptions of Jesus, the Trinity, and the Gospel are wonderful as long as they are supported by biblical truth.