From: Stephen Williamson
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 7:43 AM
Subject: Chatting about those creeds yesterday

Updated: Monday, February 14, 2022

Hi all

Rule of Faith
The old rule of faith for those receiving baptism, attested to in Greek and Roman by Irenaeus (130-202) and Tertullian (155-220) was as follows

Following the Council of Nicaea in 325, written as the
Roman Creed (Token/Mark/Symbol)

I believe in God the Father almighty
and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord,
Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried,
on the third day rose again from the dead,
ascended to heaven,
sits at the right hand of the Father,
whence He will come to judge the living and the dead

and in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Church,
the remission of sins,
the resurrection of the flesh
*the life everlasting
*Note, the concluding clause in the Greek text, ζωὴν αἰώνιον ("life everlasting"), had no equivalent in the Latin text.

Council of Nicaea
In 325 the Council of Nicaea was called (near Constantinople) during the reign of Constantine. At the time there were three major "seats" (or sees) at Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch. It was the first “ecumenical council” or “world council” of churches. It came up with the Nicene Creed. Nearly everyone agreed with it fully. It was embellished in 381, but the arguing grew worse. There are so many issues that involve the mystery of time.

First Council of Nicaea (325) First Council of Constantinople (381)

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.

We 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 Son of God, begotten of the Father, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

By whom all things were made;

by whom all things were made;

Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;

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;

He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;

he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and 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;

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;

 

whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the Holy Ghost.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

 

In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]

 

Because of its emphasis on the nature of Jesus Christ, and the inevitable disagreements, yes, as Jesus said, “no one truly knows the Son, but the Father”. In fact, who of us “really knows” anybody, except the Lord :-)

the Apostles Creed, around 710 AD, then removed a lot of the “contentious” bits, and was promoted around 800 AD by Charlemagne in the west, leaving the east and Islam, to continue with their arguing (and fighting). Oh, dear.

1. I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

4. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and the life everlasting.

Amen.

 

May the Lord help us all Steve

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