The Nicene Creed
Defining the faith of the early Church
About the Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 and expanded at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. It was written to address controversies about the nature of Christ and affirm that Jesus is fully God.
This creed is used by most Christian traditions worldwide and provides a more detailed statement of faith than the Apostles' Creed, particularly regarding the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic* and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
*"catholic" here means "universal"—the worldwide Church of all believers, not a specific denomination.
Key Affirmations
The Nicene Creed specifically emphasizes:
- Christ's Full Divinity — "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God"
- Christ's Eternal Nature — "begotten from the Father before all ages"
- The Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are equally God
- Christ as Creator — "Through him all things were made"
- The Incarnation — God became human for our salvation
- The Holy Spirit — "the Lord, the giver of life"