The Christian Creeds

[Fidei Defensor]

The Apostle's Creed (100-250 A.D.)

The origin of the Apostles' Creed is less clear than that of the Nicene Creed. The most common view is that it was originally developed in the first or second century and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed. The earliest historical evidence of the creed's existence is in a letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 A.D.

Almost every denomination has a slightly different version of the Apostles' Creed. Below is the ecumenical version of the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC).

The Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene Creed (325 A.D.)

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 the 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 men, 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth 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 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 Athanasian Creed (500 A.D.)

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: 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 Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost 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 Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic 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 Ghost 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 Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. 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 all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; 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; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

The Creed of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) -Sometimes Called Confession

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable (rational) soul and body; consubstantial (coessential) with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather of the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, 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 holy Fathers has handed down to us.

Chaldedon, Bib Sac, 138:552:326

The Old Roman Creed (2nd Century)

An earlier and abbreviated Apostle’s Creed. 

I believe in God the Father almighty;
and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord,
Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried,
on the third day rose again from the dead,
ascended to heaven,
sits at the right hand of the Father,
whence He will come to judge the living and the dead;
and in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Church,
the remission of sins,
the resurrection of the flesh
(the life everlasting).

The Old Roman Creed is cited in Tertullian and Ireneus’s writings. 

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The Creeds are actually very Scriptural when you check them out: Colossians 2:9, Colossians 1:16, Colossians 1:19, Colossians 2:2-3, John 1:3, John 8:58, John 17:20-23, John 10:30, John 20:28, Titus 2:13, Philippians 2:10-12, 1 John 4:1-3, 2 John 1:17, Romans 1:1-10, Matthew 3:14-17, Hebrews 1:1-14, Hebrews 2:5-18, Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 9:15, Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by Fidei Defensor

[FresnoJoe]

"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." Matthew 1:23 (New American Standard Bible)

So the Lord himself will give you this sign: A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel [God Is With Us]. Isaiah 7:14 (GOD'S WORD® Translation)

[Fidei Defensor]

I have fallen in love with the credos. I wish more churches recited The Apostle’s Crees or the Nicene Creed. 

[Willie T]

Do you really realize how many Christian Creeds there are?  (I stopped counting at 166.)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnwqCWvrHcAhVDA6wKHeEGBvcQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FList_of_Christian_creeds&usg=AOvVaw0sF1ROiD7IvbXU1gL4Yu0n

Edited July 22, 2018 by Willie T

[Fidei Defensor]

28 minutes ago, Willie T said:

Do you really realize how many Christian Creeds there are?  (I stopped counting at 166.)

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnwqCWvrHcAhVDA6wKHeEGBvcQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FList_of_Christian_creeds&usg=AOvVaw0sF1ROiD7IvbXU1gL4Yu0n

I stick to the Four: Nicene, Apostle’s, Chalcedon, and Athanasian. 

[Fidei Defensor]

The Athanasian Creed is so in-depth! It takes no chances at anyone misunderstanding.  

[Buddy D. Mouse]

Those four are packed with heavy stuff.

I was recently in a thread with someone who denied that Jesus had a human soul!  Chalcedon is very specific, truly God and Truly Man.

A few years ago the young people at our Methodist church made up their own creed -- it was very good, too.

[Fidei Defensor]

On 8/24/2018 at 8:34 PM, Episcopius said:

Those four are packed with heavy stuff.

I was recently in a thread with someone who denied that Jesus had a human soul!  Chalcedon is very specific, truly God and Truly Man.

A few years ago the young people at our Methodist church made up their own creed -- it was very good, too.

Could you share the Methodist Creed? I would love to read it.  

[Buddy D. Mouse]

I'm sorry Fidei, I don't have a copy of what the young people came up with.

 

Methodists where I grew up used the APOSTLES CREED more than any other

[Fidei Defensor]

17 minutes ago, Episcopius said:

I'm sorry Fidei, I don't have a copy of what the young people came up with.

 

Methodists where I grew up used the APOSTLES CREED more than any other

The Apostle’s Creed is most popular because of argument over the Nicene Creed and the Filoque. I personally see why the Romans added the extra line “the Holy Spirit proceeds from Father and Son” because of John 15:26 and John 20:20-23 (“Jesus breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit.” East Orthodox hold to John 14:26, but that is in same gospel as John 15:26 and John 20:20-23 that claims the Holy Spirit proceeds from both.