Creeds
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The Apostles'; Creed (AD 2nd Century)
I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only
begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin, Mary. He
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hades. On
the third day He rose again, ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father;
from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy
catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Nicene Creed Constantinople (AD 381)
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 His 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 Ghost 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 both the quick and
the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver
of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is
worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy, catholic and
apostolic Church; 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.
Definition of Chalcedon (AD 451)
Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and same Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and in humanity; truly God and
truly man, with a rational soul and a body; consubstantial with the Father according to His deity,
and consubstantial with us according to the humanity; like us in all respects, sin only excepted.
Before the ages He was begotten of the Father, according to the deity, and in these last days, for
us and for our salvation, He was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer according to His
humanity; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two
natures; without confusing them, without interchanging them, without dividing them, and without
separating them; the distinction of natures by no means taken away by the union, but the
properties 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 only-begotten Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, as from the beginning the prophets have declared concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself has taught us, and the symbol of the fathers has handed down to us.
The Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic 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 Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal, the
Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
The Father unlimited, the Son unlimited, and the Holy Spirit unlimited.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there are not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinites.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit 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 both God and Lord,
So are we forbidden by the catholic Religion, to say, There are 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 Spirit 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 Spirit, not three
Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is before, or after; none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
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 rightly 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 is God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking assumption of 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 Hades, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies
And shall give account for 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, he cannot be saved.
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