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The
Nicene Creed |
The first creed so named was adopted at the first Council of Nicaea in AD325 to
settle a controversy concerning the persons of the Trinity. It was intended to cover debated questions as to the divinity of Christ, and it introduced the word
homoousios (Greek, "of the same substance") to correct the error of the
homoiousian ("of like substance") party. To it were added several clauses against
Arianism.
A later creed that is popularly known as the Nicene Creed is more properly called
the Constantinopolitan Creed. It is based on a 4th-century creed that was made under the influence of the bishop of Jerusalem,
St. Cyril, and edited in a Nicene sense. It is contained in the Ancoratus of St.
Epiphanius of Salamis and is traditionally but erroneously attributed to the first
Council of Constantinople, which met in 381. Of the 178 words in the original of this
second "Nicene Creed," only 33 are positively taken from the creed of AD 325. The second creed is received as ecumenical by the Eastern and Roman communions
and by the majority of the Reformed churches. It employs the singular form of the
words used for expressing assent, "I believe, ""I hope, ""I confess." At the Council
of Toledo (589), the Western church added the filioque clause and inserted the preposition "in" before the words "one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." In the
Book of Common Prayer, the preposition "in" is omitted, and by an accident the
word "holy" does not appear; the phrase reads there "I believe one Catholic and
Apostolic Church."
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We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
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, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the virgin Mary, and was made man. 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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
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