The Nicene Creed We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, visible and invisible. 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, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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]*, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who 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 filioque [and the Son] is not in the original Greek text. Nevertheless, in the Western Church the filioque [and the Son] is customary at worship and is used for the explication of doctrine [39 Articles of Religion]. |
The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. |
Why does the world "catholic" appear in the creeds?
Sometimes, Christians, both Roman Catholic and non-Roman Catholic, are confused by the use of the term “catholic” outside of referring to a particular denomination. In reality, the word “catholic” (with a small “c”) means “relating to the church universal” and was the word used in the original versions of the historic creeds. In this use (and in many other uses) it does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church, but rather to the Church universal, that is the Body of Christ, as a universal or worldwide fellowship.
Here's an online article from Christianity Today magazine that readers may find to be interesting and helpful regarding this issue:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/september/what-do-protestant-churches-mean-when-they-recite-i.html
Here's an online article from Christianity Today magazine that readers may find to be interesting and helpful regarding this issue:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/september/what-do-protestant-churches-mean-when-they-recite-i.html