Historic Creeds
These statements of faith of the early church represent doctrinal battles fought for the sake of truth, giving us the privilege of joining with the saints of old in anchoring ourselves to the truths of holy scripture in concise form.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there 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.
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there 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.
*Catholic means universal and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.
Nicene Creed
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 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 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 and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic* 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.
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 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 and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic* 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.
*Catholic means universal and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.
The Athanasian Creed
Part One
Whoever desires to be saved must above all things hold to the catholic* faith. Unless a man keeps it in its entirety inviolate, he will assuredly perish eternally.
Now this is the catholic faith:
that we worship one God in Trinity,
and Trinity in unity,
without either confusing the persons
or dividing the substance.
For the Father’s person is one,
the Son’s another,
the Holy Spirit’s another;
but the Godhead of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit is one,
their glory is equal, their majesty is coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son,
such is also the Holy Spirit.
The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated,
the Holy Spirit uncreated.
The Father is infinite, the Son infinite,
the Holy Spirit infinite.
The Father is eternal, the Son eternal,
the Holy Spirit eternal.
Yet there are not three eternals,
but one eternal;
Just as there are not three uncreateds or three
infinites, but one uncreated and one infinite.
In the same way the Father is almighty,
the Son almighty,
the Holy Spirit almighty;
Yet there are not three almighties,
but one almighty.
Whoever desires to be saved must above all things hold to the catholic* faith. Unless a man keeps it in its entirety inviolate, he will assuredly perish eternally.
Now this is the catholic faith:
that we worship one God in Trinity,
and Trinity in unity,
without either confusing the persons
or dividing the substance.
For the Father’s person is one,
the Son’s another,
the Holy Spirit’s another;
but the Godhead of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit is one,
their glory is equal, their majesty is coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son,
such is also the Holy Spirit.
The Father is uncreated, the Son uncreated,
the Holy Spirit uncreated.
The Father is infinite, the Son infinite,
the Holy Spirit infinite.
The Father is eternal, the Son eternal,
the Holy Spirit eternal.
Yet there are not three eternals,
but one eternal;
Just as there are not three uncreateds or three
infinites, but one uncreated and one infinite.
In the same way the Father is almighty,
the Son almighty,
the Holy Spirit almighty;
Yet there are not three almighties,
but one almighty.
Part Two
Thus the Father is God, the Son God,
the Holy Spirit God;
and yet there are not three Gods,
but there is one God.
Thus the Father is Lord, the Son Lord,
the Holy Spirit Lord;
and yet there are not three Lords,
but there is one Lord.
Because just as we are compelled
by Christian truth
to acknowledge each person separately
to be both God and Lord,
so we are forbidden by the catholic religion
to speak of three Gods or Lords.
The Father is from none,
not made nor created nor begotten.
The Son is from the Father alone,
not made nor created but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son,
not made nor created nor begotten but
proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers;
one Son not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less,
but all three persons are coeternal with each
other and coequal.
Thus in all things, as has been stated above,
both Trinity and unity,
and unity in Trinity must be worshipped.
So he who desires to be saved should think thus of the Trinity.
Thus the Father is God, the Son God,
the Holy Spirit God;
and yet there are not three Gods,
but there is one God.
Thus the Father is Lord, the Son Lord,
the Holy Spirit Lord;
and yet there are not three Lords,
but there is one Lord.
Because just as we are compelled
by Christian truth
to acknowledge each person separately
to be both God and Lord,
so we are forbidden by the catholic religion
to speak of three Gods or Lords.
The Father is from none,
not made nor created nor begotten.
The Son is from the Father alone,
not made nor created but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son,
not made nor created nor begotten but
proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers;
one Son not three Sons;
one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less,
but all three persons are coeternal with each
other and coequal.
Thus in all things, as has been stated above,
both Trinity and unity,
and unity in Trinity must be worshipped.
So he who desires to be saved should think thus of the Trinity.
Part Three
It is necessary, however, to eternal salvation
that he should also believe in the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the right faith is that we should believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
is equally both God and man.
He is God from the Father’s substance,
begotten before time;
and he is man from his mother’s substance,
born in time.
Perfect God, perfect man,
composed of a human soul and human flesh,
equal to the Father in respect of his divinity,
less than the Father in respect of his humanity.
Who although he is God and man,
is nevertheless not two, but one Christ.
He is one, however, not by the transformation of
his divinity into flesh,
but by the taking up of his humanity into God;
one certainly not by confusion of substance,
but by oneness of person.
For just as soul and flesh are one man,
so God and man are one Christ.
Who suffered for our salvation,
descended to hell,
rose from the dead,
ascended to heaven,
sat down at the Father’s right hand,
from where he will come to judge the living
and the dead;
at whose coming all men will rise again with
their bodies,
and will render an account of their deeds;
and those who have done good will go to
eternal life,
those who have done evil to eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith.
Unless a man believers it faithfully and steadfastly, he cannot be saved.
Amen.
It is necessary, however, to eternal salvation
that he should also believe in the incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now the right faith is that we should believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
is equally both God and man.
He is God from the Father’s substance,
begotten before time;
and he is man from his mother’s substance,
born in time.
Perfect God, perfect man,
composed of a human soul and human flesh,
equal to the Father in respect of his divinity,
less than the Father in respect of his humanity.
Who although he is God and man,
is nevertheless not two, but one Christ.
He is one, however, not by the transformation of
his divinity into flesh,
but by the taking up of his humanity into God;
one certainly not by confusion of substance,
but by oneness of person.
For just as soul and flesh are one man,
so God and man are one Christ.
Who suffered for our salvation,
descended to hell,
rose from the dead,
ascended to heaven,
sat down at the Father’s right hand,
from where he will come to judge the living
and the dead;
at whose coming all men will rise again with
their bodies,
and will render an account of their deeds;
and those who have done good will go to
eternal life,
those who have done evil to eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith.
Unless a man believers it faithfully and steadfastly, he cannot be saved.
Amen.
*Catholic means universal and is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church.