We believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of all things seen and unseen;

And we believe in one Lord,

Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

begotten from the Father,

the One-and-Only,

Who is from the substance of the Father, '

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one substance with the Father,

through Whom, all things came into being,

the things on heaven and the things on the earth.

Who for us men and for our salvation,

came down and was incarnate and became human,

Who suffered and rose on the third day,

Who ascended to heaven,

Who is coming to judge the living and the dead.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit.

Shortly after Constantine converted to Christianity (AD 312), the religion was legalized throughout the Roman Empire. This allowed Christianity to wrestle with issues that might have taken a back seat during times of persecution. Specifically, the doctrine known as Arianism, which was based on teachings of a pastor named Arius, was spreading through the world.

Many church leaders had issue with Arius’s theology, which taught that the Son had a definite beginning (so he was in some way created and not eternal) and subordinate to the Father (so not fully divine). Forms of these beliefs have risen up repeatedly in history. The Jehovah’s Witnesses might be the most famous modern example of a group teaching similar doctrines.

In AD 325, Constantine convened a council of all the pastors (bishops) in Nicæa (modern İznik, Turkey) to reach a consensus on theological issues. The gathered pastors were in general agreement that Arianism was not faithful to the Scriptures. They believed Scripture taught Jesus was eternal and fully divine (consider passages like John 1:1-2). So the 300-some bishops set out to clearly describe the true tenants of the Christian Faith. They were not aiming to describe everything Christians believed so much as the minimum things Christians should believe. While not all matters were settled, a consensus was built around this creed.

Most of its basic tenets are similar to the Apostles’ Creed. However, the Nicene Creed focuses more acutely on the three Persons of the Trinity, and particular attention is given to the relation between the Son and the Father.

On this point, the Church chose the term “begotten” to express the relationship. That has led to some confusion among modern Christians; after all, “begotten” sounds like Jesus was created, doesn’t it? But it seems the crafters wanted to be faithful to Scripture, where God is described as Father and Son. Although different from the familial relation shared between a human father and son, God chose this analogy for a reason.

The concept of sonship is rooted in the Old Testament. Psalm 2 describes God’s relationship to the king of Israel as one who becomes God’s son (that is, is begotten) upon ascending to the throne. The psalm points beyond the ancient Israelite monarchy to a future Messianic King who would rule the nations, who would be the complete and perfect Son. So this language of sonship already existed in ancient Hebrew thought.

In the New Testament, we read in Luke 1:35 that the angel tells Mary the Holy Spirit will cause her to conceive a child even though she is a virgin. While the word “begotten” is not used, there is clearly an analogy here: God caused the eternal Son to be begotten of Mary in the person of Jesus. The pastors were quick to stress that while the Son was “begotten,” he was “not made.” John 1:2 says that the Word (that is, the Son) was “with God in the beginning,” and John 1:1 says that He was God. In 1:18, the Son is described as “the only God.” So Jesus’ begottenness was unique.

Although not part of our recital, the Creed also included anathemas, specific doctrines that were declared to be out of bounds. It was often the practice of the Church to make both positive and negative declarations. The creed ends this way: But the ones who say, “There was a time when he was not,” and “He came to be out of not being” or “He is from another substance or nature,” or “The Son of God is created, changeable, or alterable,” the holy, universal, and apostolic Church anathematizes.

The statement emphasizes there could be no compromise on the issue of Son’s full divinity and eternal nature.

We believe in one God,

the Father almighty,

maker of heaven and earth things,

of all things seen and unseen;

And we believe in one Lord,

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One-and-Only,

begotten from the Father before all ages,

Light from Light, true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one substance with the Father,

through Whom all things came into being,

Who for us men and for our salvation,

came down from heaven and was incarnate

by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

and became man,

Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate,

and suffered and was buried,

and rose on the third day according to the scriptures,

and ascended to heaven,

and sits at the right hand of the Father,

and will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead,

of Whose kingdom there will be no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,

the Lord and giver of life,

Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,

Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

Who spoke through the prophets.

And we believe in one holy, universal church.

We confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

This creed is often called “The Nicene Creed” and is the most celebrated Christian creed. Although the creed produced in Nicæa in 325 helped draw a clear line for the Church about Jesus’ divinity and eternal nature, it did not settle the matter. Many churches, particularly in the east, continued to hold to Arianism (teaching that Jesus was not fully divine and was not eternal). This caused disunity in the Church and in the Roman Empire more broadly.

Emperor Theodosius wanted to see the dispute resolved, so he called for the world’s pastors (bishops) to convene at Constantinople to work out the disagreement. The result was an expansion of the earlier creed, which is why it is still known as the Nicene Creed even though it was produced at Constantinople.

The additions in this creed are significant. First, the Son is described as being “of the same substance as the Father.” This was debated in 325, but no consensus was reached. Although “substance” is a strange term, the writers were trying to explain that whatever the nature of Deity is, the Son had it just the same as the Father: There was one divine nature, one divine being, shared equally by the Father and the Son. In short, they were saying that the Father and Son were coequal.

In the second place, the creed expanded on what the Church believed about the Holy Spirit. He was “Lord,” which indicated they understood him to be divine. He gives life (that is, he regenerates Christians). They also added that the Spirit “proceeds from the Father.” They were trying to explain the relationship between the members of the Trinity and were influenced by John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (ESV).

Many years after the Council of Constantinople, the Latin-speaking churches added to the text to say the Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the son.” Roman Catholics and most Protestants accept this addition, but the change was controversial in Greek-speaking regions both because the phrase probably had different connotations in Greek than in Latin and because the western churches made this change to a shared document without the eastern churches’ input. This was one of the reasons for what became known as the “Great Schism” of 1054 when the eastern churches split off from the western churches to become what we know as the Eastern Orthodox family of churches.

The Nicene Creed (or Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) addressed the Arian heresy and firmly established the bounds of what could be considered “orthodox” for generations of Christians.

We confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

the same perfect in deity and also perfect in humanity;

truly God and truly man of a reasonable soul and body;

consubstantial with the Father according to His deity,

and consubstantial with us according to His humanity;

in all things like us, apart from sin;

begotten before all ages of the Father according to his deity,

and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation,

born of the Virgin Mary, the God-bearer, according to his humanity;

one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, One-and-Only,

to be acknowledged in two natures,

without confusion, without change, without division, without separation;

the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union,

but rather the properties of each nature being preserved and coming together

in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons,

but one and the same Son and One-and-Only, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ,

as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him,

and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us,

and the Creed of the fathers has handed down to us.

The Chalcedonian Creed (or, Chalcedonian Definition) was developed at the Council of Chalcedon, a city which is today a district of Istanbul, Turkey. The council was convened to address several issues Christians were facing as the Church continued to grow. Some of these concerns were logistical, some about guidelines and order in the churches, and some were theological.

The Chalcedonian Creed was written to answer some of those theological issues. Specifically, two new teachings had cropped up in the years after the Council of Constantinople (AD 381): Nestorianism and Eutychianism.

Nestorianism taught that Jesus was both human and divine, but also that these were two separate persons existing within the figure of Jesus. Eutychianism was a response to Nestorianism that created theological trouble in the exact opposite extreme. Rather than teaching Jesus had both a human and divine nature, Eutyches taught that human nature and divine nature were combined in Jesus to create a single, new nature that wasn’t exactly human or God.

Space does not allow us to explain these beliefs in full, but both views seem to fly in the face of scripture and had major implications for how people understood the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Scripture teaches us that the Christ is a single person, but that single person fully possesses a human nature and a divine nature. The two natures did not become one new thing, and yet the two natures were fully brought together. The Church was convinced that only a Jesus who was one person with two natures could accomplish the work of salvation described in the Bible. The Chalcedonian Creed reflects this position.

Because the creed was responding to two different errors from two opposite extremes, it painstakingly clarifies the biblical position with statements like “this and not that” and “not that but this.” The Chalcedonian Creed can be a little confusing if you’re unfamiliar with it and its language, but it is worth studying and appreciating, and ultimately shows us a clearer portrait of Christ.

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

And I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

the third day He rose from the dead;

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from where he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit the holy universal Church;

the communion of saints;

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body;

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

This confession comes from what is known as the Apostles’ Creed. It is likely the most famous Christian creed, but it was not written by the apostles and—in its present form—is significantly younger than the other ancient creeds.

The origin of the creed is debated. Early forms of it—what is known as the “Old Roman Creed”—appear around AD 140. However, the exact form we have today took several more centuries to materialize. In this sense, the creed was “developed” as much as “written.” In its present form, the creed appeared in both Greek and Latin. In terms of content, most of the creed makes similar points about the Triune God as the Nicene creeds (AD 325 and AD 351).

If you grew up reciting this creed, you might be hung up on the fact that one line appears to be missing: “He descended into hell.” We have dropped this line for several important reasons. First, the Bible does not clearly teach that Jesus went to hell. Second, the original words translated “hell” in the Apostles’ Creed (katōtata in Greek, inferna in Latin) mean “lower places” and probably refers to the place of the dead. The point is that Jesus really died in all the ways that humans die. Third, this phrase doesn’t appear in the earliest versions of the creed, so it was likely a later addition.

One thing that marks this creed as different from the Nicene creeds is that the last few lines articulate major Christian beliefs besides our beliefs about God himself. The first one has often given Christians pause. The traditional language is “I believe … in the holy, catholic church.” “Catholic” does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church as modern readers might assume. “Catholic” actually means “all-encompassing.” We chose to use “universal” to avoid confusion with the organization that uses the term “catholic” in its name. Christians believe that Jesus is building his one Church on earth, and that Church is represented in many churches united by faith in him.

This is the universal faith:

That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence.

For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Spirit.

But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Spirit unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite.

So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three lords; but one Lord.

For as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord, so we are forbidden by the universal religion to say there are three gods or three lords.

The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal.

So that in accordance with everything already said, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped.

Furthermore, we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Human, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect Man, subsisting of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his deity; and inferior to the Father as touching his humanity.

Although he is God and Man, yet he is not two but one Christ. One; not by conversion of deity into flesh but by assumption of humanity into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance; but by unity of Person.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man, so God and Man is one Christ, who suffered for our salvation: He descended to the place of the dead; He rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty from where he will come to judge the living and the dead.

At His coming, all humans will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works, And those who have done good shall go into life everlasting, and those who have done evil into everlasting fire.

We have no idea who wrote the Athanasian Creed. The traditional name refers to Athanasius of Alexandria, but he died in AD 373, well before any copies of this creed were known. However, Athanasius wrote extensively on the subject of the Trinity, and the ideas in this creed seem to reflect his theology. Despite this, Christians have embraced the creed for centuries as a concise and accurate understanding of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

The Trinity is a word we use to explain 5 facts that the Bible teaches about God:

1. There is only one God.

2. The Father is fully God.

3. The Son is fully God.

4. The Spirit is fully God.

5. The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct, co-existent Persons.

In rhythmic, poetic lines of painstaking detail, the Athanasian Creed hammers home exactly what this means God is like—and what he isn’t like. The graphical depiction of these relationships, known as “the shield of the Trinity” is based on the truths expressed in this creed.