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The Athanasius CreedWhosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic* (*click here to see note) faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic* faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after the other; none is greater or less than another; but the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.Note
*: The word "Catholic" does not mean Roman Catholic. The word "Catholic" preceeded the forming of the Roman Catholic Church and was first used by Ignatius of Antioch who died in 107 a.d. Ignatius used the word "Catholic" as a collective term for the faithful.
Chalcedonian Creed (451 A.D.) (This creed was adopted at the Fourth Ecumenical Council, held at Chalcedon, located in what is now Turkey, in 451, as a response to certain heretical views concerning the nature of Christ. It established the orthodox view that Christ has two natures ( human and divine) that are unified in one person.)We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul and body; consubstantial [co-essential] with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.
The Nicene CreedWe believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only 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: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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.
The Nicene Creed with Scriptural NotesI believe (Romans 8:8-10) in one God ( Deuteronomy 6:4) the Father (Matthew 6:9) Almighty, (Exodus 6:3) Maker of heaven and earth, (Genesis 1:1) And of all things visible and invisible: (Colossians 1:15-16) And in one Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts 11:17) the only-begotten (John 1:18) Son of God; (Matthew 14:33) Begotten of his Father before all worlds, (John 1:2) God of God, Light of Light, ( Psalm 27:1, John:12) Very God of very God; (John 17:1-5) Begotten, not made; (John 1:18) Being of one substance with the Father; (John 10:30) By whom all things were made: (Hebrews 1:1-2) Who for us men and for our salvation ( I Timothy 2:4,5) came down from heaven, (John 6:33,35) And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, (Luke 1:35) And was made man: (John 1:14) And was crucified also for us ( Mark 15:25) under Pontius Pilate; (John 19:6) He suffered (Mark 8:31) and was buried: (Luke 23:53) And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures: (Luke 24:1) And ascended into heaven, (Luke 24:51) And sitteth on the right hand of the Father: (Mark 16:19) And he shall come again, with glory, (Matthew 24:27) to judge both the quick and the dead; (acts 10:42, II Timothy 4:1) Whose kingdom shall have no end. (II Peter 1:11) And I believe in the Holy Ghost, (John 14:26) The Lord, (Acts 5:3,4) and Giver of Life, (Genesis 1:2) Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; (John 15:26) Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; (Matthew 3:16,17) Who spake by the Prophets: (I Samuel 19:20) And I believe One (Matthew 16:18) Holy (I Peter 2:5,9) Catholic (Mark 16:15) and Apostolic Church: (Acts 2:42) I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins: (Ephesians 4:5) And I look for the Resurrection of the dead: (John 11:24) And the Life of the world to come.(Mark 10:29,30)
The Apostle's Creed (Written early 2nd century)I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* (*click here to see note) church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
