We 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 was drafted at the Church Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) to refute the false teaching of Arius, who claimed that the Son was not God, but only God’s highest creation. The creed emphasizes that the Son is God in every respect. Crucial phrases are “eternally begotten of the Father” and “of one Being with the Father:”
At the same time the Nicene Creed reestablished the divinity of the Holy Spirit, Who “proceeds from the Father.” The church in the West recognizes that He also proceeds from the Son.
Note: “holy catholic church” – the word “catholic” is another word for “universal.” It does not refer to Roman Catholicism, but to all believers who are members of Christ’s church.
(Spotlight 4, Lesson 4 in Doctrine 101: Learning about God)