|
Nicene Creed Also Known As: "The Symbol Of Faith" |
325 A.D. / 381 A.D. |
Statement of Faith (of The Prayer Foundation ™)
|
||
|
Prayer
Foundation / Prayer
/ God's
Word / FYI
/ Monks / Features
/ Books / Movies /
Search Our Site /
Home
/ Site
Map / Become
A Monk / Contributors
Gifts / Contact Us
(Note: The Nicene Creed in Greek is posted further below on this page.) I 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 ages; God of God 1, 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 all 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 sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father 2; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy universal 3 and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. ___________________________________________ Historical Explanatory Footnotes: 1 The phrase "God of God", used in Western Church versions of the Nicene Creed (Protestant and Roman Catholic) is not included in the Greek of the Nicene Creed of 381 A.D. (Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed). The original 325 A.D. version of the Nicene Creed does include it. _______________ 2 The Filioque Clause: Roman Catholic and many Protestant versions of the Nicene Creed often add at this point the phrase: "and the Son;". This so-called filioque clause was inserted by the Western (Roman Catholic) Church in 589 A.D. In the phrase, "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son;" the debate concerned whether the Holy Spirit proceeded from only the Father, or from the Father and the Son (filioque in Latin). The phrase "and the Son" was not in the Greek version of the Creed as accepted at Nicća and Constantinople. Eastern (Orthodox) tradition has always used the Revised 381 A.D. Greek version of the Creed, resisting any changes. A growing rift between Eastern and Western traditions eventually led to the "Great Schism" in 1054 A.D. The Eastern Churches have never used the version with the filioque clause, while most churches that derive from the Western tradition (Protestants) use the creed with the filioque clause. The Episcopal Church has recently approved omission of the filioque clause in new editions of the Book of Common Prayer. The Church has widely used the Nicene Creed since the fifth century. In some Protestant churches it is recited every Sunday. In others, the Nicene Creed alternates each week with the Apostles’ Creed. Orthodox tradition uses only the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is the only creed accepted by all three major branches of Christendom: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. _______________ 3 The word "catholic" (with a small "c") usually is used in the different English Versions of the Creed at this point. It is in general use by both Protestant and Orthodox believers. The word "catholic" has come to mean "universal" or "general" (as in the "General" Epistles). Martin Luther (and the Lutheran Churches) have substituted the word "Christian" at this point in the Creed, to avoid any confusion of the term with Roman Catholicism. We have used the word "universal" for the same reason. ____________________________________________ Additional Notes On The English Version Posted Above: There are many slightly variant English Versions of the Nicene Creed used by different Churches. Even the various Orthodox Communions in America, when using English Versions, use slightly differing English Versions (the difference being due to different words being used in the translation from the original Greek). The English Version of the Nicene Creed posted above is the one used by The Prayer Foundation Monks ™. It was compiled by S. G. Preston (Monk Preston), Co-Founder of The Prayer Foundation ™, and is based on the 1662 Anglican Book of Common Prayer Version, with a few updates made as concessions for greater clarity in the general usage of modern English. The Updates:
An Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed in Greek: Πιστεύω είς ενα Θεόν, Πατέρα, παντοκράτορα, ποιητήν ουρανού καί γής, ορατών τε πάντων καί αοράτων. Καί είς ενα Κύριον, Ίησούν Χριστόν, τόν Υιόν του Θεού τόν μονογενή, τόν εκ του Πατρός γεννηθέντα πρό πάντων τών αιώνων. Φώς εκ φωτός, Θεόν αληθινόν εκ Θεού αληθινού γεννηθέντα, ού ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τώ Πατρί, δι’ ού τά πάντα εγένετο. Τόν δι’ ημάς τούς ανθρώπους καί διά τήν ημετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα εκ τών ουρανών καί σαρκωθέντα εκ Πνεύματος ‘Αγίου καί Μαρίας τής Παρθένου καί ενανθρωπήσαντα. Σταυρωθέντα τε υπέρ ημών επί Ποντίου Πιλάτου καί παθόντα καί ταφέντα. Καί αναστάντα τή τρίτη ημέρα κατά τάς Γραφάς. Καί ανελθόντα είς τούς ουρανούς καί καθεζόμενον εκ δεξιών τού Πατρός. Καί πάλιν ερχόμενον μετά δόξης κρίναι ζώντας καί νεκρούς, ού τής βασιλείας ουκ εσται τέλος. Καί είς τό Πνεύμα τό ¨Αγιον, τό Κύριον, τό ζωοποιόν, τό εκ τού Πατρός και εκ του Υιου εκπορευόμενον, τό σύν Πατρί καί Υιώ συμπροσκυνούμενον καί συνδοξαζόμενον, τό λαλήσαν διά τών Προφητών. Είς μίαν, αγίαν, καθολικήν καί αποστολικήν Έκκλησίαν. ‘Ομολογώ εν βάπτισμα είς άφεσιν αμαρτιών. Προσδοκώ ανάστασιν νεκρών. Καί ζωήν τού μέλλοντος αιώνος. Άμήν.
Nicene Creed Text is in the Public Domain. Photos & Layout: Copyright © 2001 S.G.P. All rights reserved. Photo of Skellig Michael Copyright © Irish Tourist Board.
|
||||
Nicene
Creed:
The Nicene Creed is the only creed accepted by all
three major branches of Christendom: 
