Apostles and Nicene Creeds
If one wants to know what we believe as Catholic Christians, they need to
look no further than the Nicene Creed, the definitive statement of Christian
orthodoxy (correct teaching).
Our Creed is a statement of what we believe as Catholics. The word creed
comes from the Latin “credo” meaning I believe. Each Sunday we begin our
Creed with the words “I believe.”
From the beginning, the apostolic Church expressed and handed on her
faith in brief formulae that were to establish a standard of our faith for all.
Such formulae or summaries are called creeds or "professions of faith"
since they summarize the faith that Christians profess and believe. They
are also called "symbols of faith".
Our creed was born in fierce debates about what we believe. People fought
and died for what they believed.
In the early Church there were many different forms of the Christian
confession of faith; many different “creeds.” These creeds were used
originally in relation to baptism. As time passed different places had
different credal statements, all professing the identical faith, yet using
different forms and expressions, with different degrees of detail and
emphasis. These credal forms usually became more detailed and elaborate
in those areas where questions about the faith had arisen and heresies had
developed.
In a way we need to be thankful for the early heresies for they forced the
Church to define more precisely what she believed.
Among all the creeds, two occupy a special place in the Church's life:
Apostle’s Creed
Nicene Creed
*See PowerPoint for comparison.
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Apostles Creed
Throughout the Middle Ages it was generally believed that the Apostles, on
the day of Pentecost, while still under the direct inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, composed our present Creed between them, each of the Apostles
contributing one of the twelve articles
While many still support an apostolic origin of the Apostles Creed its date of
origin is felt to be later anywhere from the late 2nd to 4th centuries.
The Apostles' Creed is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the
apostles' faith. It is the ancient baptismal symbol of the Church of Rome
The Apostles Creed was written to address the heresy of Gnosticism that
rejected Jesus’ humanity. Gnosticism taught enlightenment through
knowledge. The body was considered evil and the spirit good. Gnostics
believed since the earth was evil it could not possibly have been made by a
single God. Therefore Gnosticism proposed a number of lesser gods or
demiurges.
In the Roman Catholic Church we use the Apostles Creed primarily at
Baptisms
Nicene Creed
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creed draws its great authority
from the fact that it stems from the first two ecumenical Councils (in 325
and 381 AD). It remains common to all the great Churches of both East and
West to this day.
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The Nicene Creed was formulated at the First Ecumenical Council at
Nicaea in AD 325
In the fourth century a great controversy developed in Christendom about
the nature of the Son of God (also called in the Scripture the Word or
Logos). Arius, a 4th century priest, held that the Son of God didn’t exist
“before all ages”; Jesus was a created being, not divine. Others contended
that the Son of God is eternal, divine, and uncreated. This controversy was
the topic of numerous councils before being resolved at the Council of
Nicaea. The controversy raged throughout the entire Christian world.
This heresy is referred to as Arianism.
Council of Constantinople
Following the controversy about the Son of God, the Divine Word, and
essentially connected with it, was the dispute about the Holy Spirit.
The Nicene Creed was expanded at the Second Ecumenical Council at
Constantinople in AD 381 to balance its coverage of the Trinity by including
the Holy Spirit.
Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creed is the only creed that was
promulgated by any of the ecumenical councils and thus it is the only creed
that is truly ecumenical and universal
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First Person
If you listen closely at Mass you will here the occasional person state “we
believe.” For many years the creed we recited at Mass began with the
words “we believe.” In 2011 the new English translation of the Mass was
introduced with new phrases that replaced the familiar words we had used
for decades.
Thus, the Profession of Faith is the only part of the liturgy, which is in the
first person singular. All other songs and prayers of the liturgy are plural,
beginning with “we”.
While the former English translation of the creed began with "we" believe,
the Greek and Latin translations begin with "I" believe. The latter is more
accurate, because reciting the creed is ultimately an individual confession
of belief, although the creed also expresses the collective beliefs of the
Church
The CCC states, ”Whoever says "I believe" says "I pledge myself to
what we believe."
The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted and used brief
statements of the Christian Faith. In liturgical churches, it is said every
Sunday as part of the Liturgy. It is common ground to Eastern Orthodox,
Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other
Christian groups. Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in
their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches.
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The Creed is divided into three parts: "the first part speaks of the first divine
Person, God the Father, and the wonderful work of creation; the next
speaks of the second divine Person, Jesus the Son of God, and the
mystery of his redemption of men; the final part speaks of the third divine
Person, the Holy Spirit, the origin and source of our sanctification."
I believe in one God,
"I believe in God": this first affirmation of the Creed is also the most
fundamental. The whole Creed speaks of God, and when it also speaks of
man and of the world it does so in relation to God. The other articles of the
Creed all depend on the first,
In the midst of a culture that worshipped many gods, Yahweh revealed
Himself to Abraham and Moses as the one, true God
Christians, like Jews and Muslims, believe that only one God exists. The
creed states the assumption of the ancient Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord
our God is one Lord.”
The confession of God's oneness, which has its roots in the divine
revelation of the Old Covenant, is inseparable from the profession of God's
existence and is equally fundamental. God is unique; there is only one
God: "The Christian faith confesses that God is one in nature, substance
and essence."
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the Father almighty,
By calling God “Father,” the language of faith indicates two main things:
that God is the first origin of everything and transcendent authority; and that
he is at the same time goodness and loving care for all his children.
Jesus frequently calls God "Father" in the Scriptures, and this usage tells
us that God is a loving God active within His creation.
He is not an impersonal God who just set us in motion, but rather a God
who cares for us
God the Father is the first person within the Godhead.
God is Father not only in being Creator; he is eternally Father in relation to
his only Son, who is eternally Son only in relation to his Father: “No one
knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the
Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Almighty
Of all the divine attributes, only God’s omnipotence is named in the Creed:
to confess this power has great bearing on our lives.
We believe that his might is universal, for God who created everything also
rules everything and can do everything.
Nothing is impossible with God, who disposes his works according to his
will. His creative power is unlimited.
God is the Father Almighty, whose fatherhood and power shed light on
one another: God reveals his fatherly omnipotence by the way he takes
care of our needs; by the filial adoption that he gives us (“I will be a father
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to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”)
finally by his infinite mercy and love, for he displays his power at its height
by freely forgiving sins.
maker of heaven and earth,
Holy Scripture begins with these solemn words. “In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth.”
The Scriptural expression “heaven and earth” means all that exists,
creation in its entirety.
It also indicates the bond, deep within creation, that both unites heaven and
earth and distinguishes the one from the other.
of all things visible and invisible.
Catholics believe that God created the visible world (created matter) and
the invisible one (spiritual world of angels, etc). Thus, God created
everything. Some early sects, the Gnostics and Marcionites, believed that
God the Father created the spirit world, but that an "evil" god (called the
demiurge) created the similarly evil material world. The creed dispels such
a notion.
Creation is the foundation of “all God’s saving plans,” the “beginning of the
history of salvation” that culminates in Christ.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
Jesus means in Hebrew: “God saves.” At the annunciation, the angel
Gabriel gave him the name Jesus as his proper name, which expresses
both his identity and his mission.
The word “Christ” comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew
Messiah, which means “anointed.” It became the name proper to Jesus
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only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that “Christ”
signifies. He was the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecies.
Jesus Christ is the Lord of all. The title Lord means that Jesus is master of
all, and has connotations of deity, since the Hebrew word Adonai and
Greek word kyrios (both meaning Lord) were applied to Yahweh in the Old
Testament.
the Only Begotten Son of God,
Jesus is in a unique relationship with God the Father. While Hebrew kings
were sons of God symbolically (see Psalm 2), Jesus is the only Son of God
by nature.
born of the Father before all ages.
Begotten has the meaning of born, generated, or produced. God the Son is
born out of the essence of God the Father. Just as a child shares the same
humanness as his or her parents, the Son shares the essential nature of
God with the Father. Since God is eternal, the Son, being begotten of God,
is also eternal.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
The Church uses the language God from God, light from light to show that
Jesus is the perfect image of the Father. There is no imperfection between
the Father and the Son.
God the Son exists in relation to God the Father. The Son is not the Father,
but they both are God. Just as a torch is lit one to another, the Father and
Son are distinct, but both light.
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True God from True God
God the Son is not a half-god or inferior to God the Father. God the Son is
fully and utterly God, distinct from the Father, yet not divided from the
Father. The ancient Arians believed that Jesus could be called "god" but
not true God. In other words, they believed the Logos (the "Word," a
popular title for Jesus in early Christian literature) was the first creation of
God, necessary to mediate between the unknowable distant God and
creation.
begotten, not made,
There is a very important difference between begotten and made
When a man and woman conceive a child, it shares in the similarities of the
parents. However the child is a separate, independent being; it has its own
unique nature. This is not true with Jesus. He was not just similar to the
Father, He was one in being with the Father
We use the term Consubstantial meaning of the same substance or
essence
Begotten means bringing forth something of the same nature or substance
Some Christians today (Jehovah's Witnesses) and in the past (Arians)
have suggested that Jesus was a creation of God. Since the Son's birth
from the Father occurred before time was created, begotten refers to a
permanent relationship as opposed to an event within time.
consubstantial with the Father;
God the Father and God the Son are equally divine, united in substance
and will. Father and Son share the same substance or essence of divinity.
That is, the Father and Son both share the qualities and essential nature
that make one in reality God. However, sharing the same substance does
not mean they share identity of person.
through him all things were made.
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The Bible tells us that through The Son, as Word of God, all things have
been created. As Logos, the Son is the agent of creation.
Through him all things were made
Jesus existed from all eternity with the Father even though he had not
become man (taken on flesh)
This emphasizes the point that God cannot be separated.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
The Incarnation was solely for our salvation. Man could not save himself
Jesus came from heaven, from a reality other than our own. While the
creed says "down," it is important to remember that our language is limited
by time and spatiality. Heaven is not "up," just as God is not a biologically
male father. However, due to the limits of language, we are forced to
describe heaven symbolically and spatially
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
Three important teachings in this line
1.The Son of God took flesh and was conceived in the womb of the Virgin
Mary. This rejected the heresy that Jesus only appeared to be man
(Docetism)
2.Conceived by the Holy Spirit - no sexual intercourse; no human father;
action on the part of God that allowed Mary to conceive Jesus in her womb
3. Jesus though true God became man. This countered the belief that God
dwelt in Jesus but that he did not actually become man
Jesus is fully divine and fully human. Not two persons but one person fully
man and fully God
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God the Son became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. He was
born of a virgin through the Holy Spirit. God truly became human in Jesus
Christ.
Catholics believe that Jesus of Nazareth was and is a real human being,
not simply a spirit or ghost.
The incarnation of God in Christ is the ultimate act of love, because rather
than sending an angel or good human to accomplish the redemption and
restoration of creation, God Himself became human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
Jesus died on a cross, suffered as humans do, truly died, and was laid in a
tomb. Despite what some critics will level against it, the Nicene Creed is
more than just metaphysical speculation, and includes important historical
confessions.
He descended into hell and on the third day rose again
(Apostles Creed)
The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was “raised from the
dead” presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead
prior to his resurrection. This was the first meaning given in the apostolic
preaching to Christ’s descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced
death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he
descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits
imprisoned there.
Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down,
“hell” — Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek—because those who are there
are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether
evil or righteous, while they await the redeemer: which does not mean that
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their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man
Lazarus who was received into “Abraham’s bosom”: “It is precisely these
holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the
Lord delivered when he descended into hell.” Jesus did not descend into
hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free
the just who had gone before him.
“The gospel was preached even to the dead.” The descent into hell brings
the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment.
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
Jesus was resurrected bodily as the Scriptures say. Just as Jesus truly
died, he truly rose from the dead three days later. The bodily resurrection is
the keystone of Christian doctrine and experience. However, Jesus was not
just physically resuscitated (as was Lazarus), but rather his body was
transformed at the resurrection. The word "again" is used because Jesus'
first "rising" was his birth.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
In ancient science, heaven was thought to be "up" and literally situated
above the sky dome. So in the Scriptures, Jesus is said to "ascend" to
heaven. Whatever happened that day, Luke had to render the event into
his own scientific paradigm, so he said Jesus "went up" to heaven. Again,
we are limited by our language and experience of spatiality.
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, i.e. sharing authority with the
Father, and not literally sitting next to the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
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Jesus is coming again to righteously judge the living and dead. His
kingdom cannot be destroyed, despite all of humanity's efforts. The creed
says Jesus is coming; it does not say when or how
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
The Holy Spirit is also called "Lord." The Holy Spirit sustains our lives as
Christians, illuminating us after the new birth.
The original Creed of Nicaea simply ended with "We believe in the Holy
Spirit." The other additions were approved at the Council of Constantinople
in AD 381.
The reason these additions were included in the Nicene Creed is that some
Christians of the 4th century denied the full divinity of the Holy Spirit. The
names given to these heretics were Macedonians (named after a heretical
bishop
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
The Son is said to be begotten, while the Spirit is said to proceed. Both
words convey that the Son and Spirit are in special relationships to the
Father, yet also fully divine.
The phrase "and the Son," in Latin, filioque, was not in the original text of
the creed, but was added in many Western Churches. (589 AD church
council Toledo, Spain) The addition likely developed over time as a tool
against Arians.
There are theological and historical justifications for the addition or
exclusion of the filioque. The Eastern Churches oppose the addition of the
filioque, while many Western churches accept it.
The Catholic Church acknowledges that the Father is the sole source within
the Trinity, and admits that "proceeds from the Father and the Son" means,
"proceeds from the Father through the Son."
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Also, Eastern Catholics (those Eastern Churches in communion with
Rome) do not say the filioque, and remain in full communion with the
Catholic Church.
However, the filioque remains a major division between Eastern and
Western Christianity, mainly because the Western Church added the
filioque to the Nicene Creed without Eastern input
The Orthodox argue from Scripture that the Father sends the Holy Spirit in
Jesus’ name (John 14:26). Jesus declares that the Holy Spirit proceeds
only from the Father (John 15:26).
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
Since the Holy Spirit is fully God, like the Father and the Son, He is worthy
of the same worship and adoration.
who has spoken through the prophets.
The Spirit inspired the prophets of old, and inspires the Church today.
This line was directed against the view that the Holy Spirit did not exist, or
was not active, before Pentecost.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
The creed requires belief in the Catholic (universal) Church, whose origins
are ancient and historical, going back to the Apostles themselves. Thus,
the Church was built upon the faith and witness of the apostles.
This witness survives through Apostolic Succession, wherein apostles
appointed leaders, who themselves appointed leaders, a process
continuing to this day. This Apostolic line survives today primarily in the
Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
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The Church is "holy" on account of Christ's holiness and grace, and not
because its members or leaders are perfect. In fact, at times throughout
history, the Church has remained holy in spite of its members.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
Catholics believe that sacramentally, through the waters of baptism, God
forgives us of our sins, and we are born again. This belief in baptism's
saving power is ancient and universally acknowledged in the early Christian
writings. If someone has been validly baptized in the name of the Trinity,
then that baptism has definitely "taken" and re-baptism is unnecessary.
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Christians always hope for the end of this fractured system, when the
universe is fully reconciled to God in Christ Jesus.
The Nicene Creed seems to affirm both the existence of a soul-filled
heaven and the later resurrection of the dead when soul meets glorified
body.
The New Testament and the Nicene Creed are deeply entangled with each
other, with the Creed predating the New Testament canon.
However, its basis is in scripture as well as a product of worship and
prayer.
Being born from prayer and experience, the creed tries not to define God's
nature exactly and precisely like a science textbook would describe
something.
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God's exact nature, such as His threeness and His oneness, is something
that we are able to begin to grasp, but never fully comprehend.
As such, while the creed is an authoritative framework, it is rooted in
mystery.
Since the Nicene Creed is rooted in worship and prayer, besides being
believed, it is to be lived out.
If one would ask the question, “What do I need to believe to be a
Catholic?”, The Nicene Creed would be the short answer.
There are Catholic Doctrines/Dogma not included in the Creed.
Doctrines not covered are the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist,
“Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity” and the Marian Doctrines (Mother of
God; Perpetual Virginity; Immaculate conception; Assumption into Heaven.”
These doctrines will be discussed at a later date.
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