Rachel Evans
The Catholic Church has produced many creeds over the years, but the two most well-known are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, meaning I believe. Creeds are professions of faith, and by reciting them, Catholics pledge themselves to the truths revealed by God. The Apostles' Creed, written around 150, is the foundation of all future creeds, and the Nicene Creed builds upon it. The Nicene Creed was reaffirmed in 381 AD by the Bishops of the Council of Constantinople, who added content to clarify the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other Divine Persons of the Trinity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The first creed | The Apostle's Creed |
| The second creed | The Nicene Creed |
| The Nicene Creed's origin | Adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 |
| The Nicene Creed's development | The Council of Constantinople in 381 AD |
| The Nicene Creed's expansion | The relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other Divine Persons of the Trinity |
| The Nicene Creed's declaration | Belief in ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH |
| The Nicene Creed's affirmation | Jesus as the 'Only Son of God' |
| The Nicene Creed's addition | The Son was 'begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father' |
| The Nicene Creed's response | The Arian heresy |
| The Nicene Creed's acknowledgment | Jesus' divinity |
| The Creed's profession | The Good News of Christ's mission of salvation |
| The Creed's conclusion | The profession of hope for 'the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come' |
| The Creed's basis | Romans 6:4 |
| The Creed's meaning | God is a Trinity |
| The Creed's implication | Humans were created to be in a relationship with their Creator |
| The Creed's purpose | To attain and deepen the faith of all times |
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What You'll Learn
The meaning of the word 'creed'
The word "creed" comes from the Latin word "credo", which means "I believe". In reciting the words "I believe" or "We believe", Catholics are giving their assent to the truths revealed by God in Sacred Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church. The Creed is a summary of the main ideas and core tenets of the Catholic faith, even if it is not a complete summary. It is a sign of recognition and communion between believers.
The Catholic Church has produced many creeds, but only two are officially recognized and used regularly: the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Apostles' Creed is the foundation of all future creeds and was written around 150. It reads: " [I believe] in the Father almighty,—and in Jesus Christ, our Savior;—and in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in the holy Church, and in the remission of sins.” The Nicene Creed, which was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, builds off the Apostles' Creed. The Nicene Creed was then reformulated at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, and this is the version that is recited today in the liturgy of the Mass.
The Nicene Creed begins with God the Father, the one God, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. It then moves on to speak of Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, who was crucified, died, and rose again on the third day. The Creed concludes with a profession of faith in the Holy Spirit and hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
The Creed is not just for Catholics, as a variety of Christian churches use it, including Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, and Presbyterians. When the Creed professes belief in the "holy catholic Church", it is important to note that the word "catholic" here has a lower-case "c" and means "universal", not Roman Catholic.
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The Apostle's Creed
The precise origin of the Apostles' Creed is unknown. The name "Apostles' Creed" first appeared in a letter from the Synod of Milan dated AD 390, referring to a belief that each of the Twelve Apostles contributed one of the twelve articles of the creed. However, there is no historical or textual evidence that it is the direct product of the apostles. Instead, it has roots in the apostles' teachings and the generation of disciples that followed in the patristic era. An abbreviated version of the Creed can be traced back to the second century, and it seems to have been used first as a confession at baptism.
The Apostles' Creed is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith". It is also known as the Twelve Articles of Faith, expressing essential biblical doctrines that have been embraced for nearly two thousand years of church history. It was composed as a direct response to heresy in defence of the gospel and the Christian faith. It responded specifically to Gnosticism, which denied the divine creation, the incarnation of Christ, the deity of Christ, and salvation by faith in Christ alone—all doctrines that are affirmed in the Creed.
The Apostles' Creed is an essential summary of faith rooted in the Holy Trinity. It is shorter than the full Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, but it is still explicitly trinitarian in structure, with sections affirming belief in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The individual statements of belief included in the Apostles' Creed can be found in various writings by early Christian theologians such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Novatian, Marcellus, Rufinus, Ambrose, Augustine, Nicetas, and Eusebius Gallus. The earliest appearance of the Creed in its present form was in the work of St. Pirminius, written between 710 and 714.
The text of the Apostles' Creed was likely developed in southern Gaul around the midpoint of the 5th century. A creed virtually identical to the current one is recorded by Faustus of Riez. However, the Old Roman Creed remained the standard liturgical text of the Roman Church from the 4th to the 7th centuries. It was replaced by the "Gallic" version of the Apostles' Creed in the 8th century under Charlemagne, who imposed it throughout his dominions.
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The Nicene Creed
The Creed concludes with the profession of hope for 'the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.' This is based on Romans 6:4, where those who have been buried with Christ in baptism can hope to also be raised to new life with him. The Nicene Creed is part of the profession of faith required of those undertaking important functions within the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and most Protestant Churches.
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The development of the creed over time
The Catholic Church has produced many creeds over time, with the first being the Apostle's Creed, written around 150. This creed reads:
> [I believe] in the Father almighty,—and in Jesus Christ, our Savior;—and in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in the holy Church, and in the remission of sins.
The second creed is the Nicene Creed, which was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and builds off the Apostles' Creed. The Nicene Creed was further developed during the period between the Nicene and Constantinopolitan councils, with the final version being formulated by the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. This council reaffirmed the pronouncements of the Council of Nicaea and clarified the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other Divine Persons of the Trinity. The Nicene Creed, as we know it today, reads:
> 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.
The third creed is the Athanasian Creed, which was brought to Rome by St. Athanasius in 338. This creed expands upon the contents of earlier creeds and gives a technical expression to the church's teaching on the Trinity and the Incarnation.
Over time, the Catholic Church has continued to compose and issue new creeds, such as the Creed of Toledo (675), the Symbol of Leo IX, the Creed of the Fourth Lateran Council (Firmiter Credimus), the Creed of Innocent III, the Tridentine Profession of Faith, the Profession of Faith for the Easterns, and the Credo of the People of God (1968). These creeds address specific doctrinal issues, add new content, and reflect the changing needs of the Church.
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The recitation of the creed
The Catholic Church has produced many creeds over the centuries, but the two most commonly used today are the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. These creeds are recited together every Sunday during Mass, with the Nicene Creed being the longer of the two.
The Nicene Creed, first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, underwent further development at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. The Bishops of Constantinople reaffirmed the pronouncements of the Council of Nicaea, while adding to the creed to clarify the relationship of the Holy Spirit to the other Divine Persons of the Trinity. They also declared belief in 'one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church', thus asserting that the Catholic Church shared the faith of the first Christian community and, by extension, the faith professed by the Apostles.
The Nicene Creed professes belief in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. It affirms belief in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. It proclaims that God became man through the Incarnation of the Virgin Mary, and that he suffered, died, and rose again on the third day. The creed further declares that Jesus ascended into heaven and will come again to judge the living and the dead, establishing an eternal kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic creed is a profession of faith. By reciting the words 'I believe' or 'We believe', Catholics pledge themselves to the divine truths revealed by God.
The Catholic Church has produced many creeds, but only two are officially recognized: the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Apostles' Creed is considered the foundation of all future creeds and was written around 150. The Nicene Creed is the second creed and builds off the Apostles' Creed.
The word 'creed' comes from the Latin word 'credo', which means 'I believe'.
