LibGuides: The Council of Nicaea & The Nicene Creed: History of the Creed

The Council of Nicaea (325)

"The Council of Nicaea met in response to the teaching of Arius. Arius was a presbyter at Alexandria. Like Origen, he believed that the Father is greater than the Son, who in turn is greater than the Holy Spirit. But unlike Origen, Arius did not believe that it was possible to have a hierarchy of divine beings. He brought a radical monotheism to Origen's system and concluded that the Father alone is God. The Son is the one through whom the Father created the universe, but nonetheless he is only a creature made out of nothing, not God. As a creature he is not eternal but had a beginning" (Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought, pg. 28). "When, in 324, Constantine became emperor of the East as well as the West, he was forced to intervene. He called the Council of Nicaea, which met in June 325, under his chairmanship. About 220 bishops were present, mostly from the East...The council condemned Arius and produced an anti-Arian creed, the Creed of Nicea--not to be confused with the so-called 'Nicene Creed', which originated at the Council of Constantinople in 381" (Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought, pg. 28-29).

~ Excerpt taken from Tony Lane's "A Concise History of Christian Thought," pg. 28-29.

The Creed of Nicea

We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, that is from the substance of the Father. He is God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father. By him all things were made, things in heaven and on earth. For us men and for our salvation he came down, was made flesh and became man. He suffered, rose again on the third day and ascended into the heavens. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

And in the Holy Spirit.

But the holy Catholic and apostolic church anathemizes [curses] those who say: 'There was once when he was not' and 'He was not, before he was begotten' and 'He was made out of nothing' and those who assert that he is from some being or substance other than the Father or that he is mutable or liable to change.

~ Excerpt taken from Tony Lane's "A Concise History of Christian Thought," pg. 29.

The Council of Constantinople (381)

"In 379 the Westerner Theodosius became emperor in the East. He was staunchly Nicene in his beliefs and resolved to deal with Arianism once and for all. To this end he called a council, which met at Constantinople from May to July 381. This was very much the Cappadocian Fathers' council. Gregory of Nazianzus played a leading role, although it ended his career as a bishop. The heresies which the Cappadocians had fought were rejected at the council, and their teaching prevailed. It is all but certain that this council produced what is today known as the 'Nicene Creed'. As with the creed of the Council of Nicea, it appears to be a local Eastern creed with polemical additions."

~ Excerpt taken from Tony Lane's "A Concise History of Christian Thought," pg. 39-40.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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],*
who with the Father and the Son
is worshiped and glorified,
who 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.

~ from the Book of Common Prayer, 2019