THE NICENE CREED
(Actually, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried and rose again on the third day 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.
I 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 adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
LATIN
| symbolum nicaeno-constantinopolitanum |
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis. et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato; passus et sepultus est, et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas; et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria, iudicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem: qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas.
Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum, et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen.
The NICENE CREED (more precisely, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed in its widely used form) is the most important and widely accepted statement of Christian faith. It defines core beliefs about the Trinity and Christ’s divinity. It emerged from two major 4th-century ecumenical councils amid debates over Christ’s nature and the Trinity, particularly to counter Arianism.
Origins
Early Christianity inherited Jewish monotheism while affirming Jesus as divine (like, John 1:1, John 20:28; Philippians 2:6–11) and the Holy Spirit’s role. Pre-Nicene creeds and baptismal formulas existed, but precise formulations were needed as Arian controversy arose.
Around 318 in Alexandria, presbyter Arius taught that the Son (Jesus) was a created being—begotten by the Father but not eternal or of the same substance (homoousios). He famously said there was “a time when [the Son] was not.” This view spread, dividing the church and threatening imperial unity after Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity (Edict of Milan, 313) and reunited the empire (324).
Constantine, a recent convert (baptized later), convened the First Council of Nicaea (modern İznik, Turkey) in May–July 325. About 220–318 bishops attended (mostly Eastern), with papal legates representing the West. Hosius of Corduba (256-357) likely played a key role.
The council condemned Arianism, exiled Arius, and produced a creed affirming the Son’s full divinity. The creed was likely based on or adapted from existing baptismal creeds, with anti-Arian insertions like homoousios (“of the same substance” or “consubstantial” with the Father). It ended with anathemas against Arian views.
Text of the Original Creed of Nicaea (325)
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, only-begotten,
that is, of the essence of the Father,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made,
who for us men
and for our salvation
came down and was incarnate,
and was made man,
suffered,
and rose again the third day,
ascended into heaven,
and shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Spirit.
But those who say: “There was a time when he was not,” and “He was not before he was begotten,” and “He was made out of nothing,” or who assert that he is of another substance or essence, or created, or subject to alteration or change — the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them.
This focused heavily on Christology. The Holy Spirit received only brief mention. Arianism and related views (like, Pneumatomachians, who diminished the Holy Spirit) persisted.
Emperor Theodosius I (a Nicene supporter) called the First Council of Constantinople (May–July 381), attended mainly by Eastern bishops (Cappadocian Fathers like St Gregory of Nazianzus influenced it strongly). This council affirmed and adapted what is now commonly called the NICENE CREED—technically the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.
It expanded the Holy Spirit section, added statements on the Church, baptism, resurrection, and life everlasting, and refined Christological language. It is not simply an edit of the 325 text but draws from other similar traditions as well.
NICENE CREED is the most important and widely accepted statement of Christian faith. It defines core beliefs about the Trinity and Christ’s divinity. It emerged from two major 4th-century ecumenical councils amid debates over Christ’s nature and the Trinity, particularly to counter Arianism.
MORE ON "NICENE CREED"
2nd century (Rome)
The Old Roman Symbol emerges as a baptismal profession of faith. Short, simple statements affirm belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
3rd–4th centuries
Local variations of baptismal creeds appear in different churches. These creeds are used to instruct catechumens (new converts) and to safeguard orthodoxy against heresies like Gnosticism and Arianism.
4th century (Nicene Creed)
The Nicene Creed is composed at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). While distinct, it influences the theological precision of Western baptismal creeds.
5th–7th centuries
The Old Roman Symbol is expanded in Gaul and other regions. Additions clarify doctrines such as Christ’s descent into hell and the resurrection of the body.
8th century (final form)
The APOSTLES’ CREED reaches its standardized form in the Frankish Church under Charlemagne. It becomes widely adopted in the Western Church as the definitive baptismal creed.
Medieval period onward
The Creed is firmly established in catechesis, liturgy, and private devotion. It is recited in the Rosary, the Divine Office, and at Baptism.
The APOSTLES’ CREED grew from the Old Roman baptismal confession into a universal summary of Christian belief. By the 8th century, it had crystallized into the form we know today, and it remains a cornerstone of Catholic faith.