Creed of the Council of Nicaea
| Reference | Dok. 26; Urk. 24; CPG 8512 |
| Incipit | Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα θεόν |
| Date | 19th June 325 |
| Council | Nicaea |
| Ancient Sources | Athanasius, De decretis Nicenae synodi 37.2 (AW 2:36-37); Anonymous Church History, 2.27; also in Eusebius, Letter to Caesarea (see Dok. 24, §8) |
| Modern Edition | Giuseppe Luigi Dossetti, Il Simbolo di Nicea e di Constantinopoli: Edizione critica, (Roma: Herder, 1967). p. 226-241. |
Following extensive testimony and debate, the council approved a creed. The Anonymous Church History (2.27.1) states that it was “presented by the council of Nicaea under the God-loving Emperor Constantine, … on the 19th of June, 13 days before the Kalends of July. The creed is preserved by Eusebius of Caesarea in the letter he wrote to his congregation (Dok. 24.8= Athan., De decret. 24.8), as well as by Athanasius (De decr. Nic. 37.2), Socrates (H.E. 1.8.28-30) and the Anonymous Church History (2.27), without any significant differences (For a comparison, see here, pg. 5). In 381 it would be expanded into what today is called the “Nicene Creed.”
The Greek text below is that of G. L. Dossetti, Il Simbolo di Nicea e di Constantinopoli: Edizione critica, (Roma: Herder, 1967), 226-241. The English translation is that of FCC by Aaron West.
This website also features the Constantinopolitian creed in Greek and English and a comparison of both creeds written in both Greek and English.
Click here to access a downloadable pdf of this document.
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
| Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν. | We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things seen and unseen. |
| Καὶ εἰς ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς μονογενῆ τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός, θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρὶ, δι᾿ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ, τὸν δι᾿ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα καὶ σαρκωθέντα, ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, και` ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. | And in one Lord, Jesus Christ the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten, that is, of the essence of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of the same being as the Father, through whom all things came to be, both the things in heaven and on earth, who for us humans and for our salvation came down and was made flesh, becoming human, who suffered and rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven, who is coming to judge the living and the dead. |
| Καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. | And in the Holy Spirit. |
| Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας “ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν” καὶ “πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν” καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ὄντων ἐγένετο, ἢ ἐξἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας εἶναι ἢτρεπτὸν ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ ἐκκλησία. | The catholic and apostolic church condemns those who say concerning the Son of God that “there was a time when he was not” or “he did not exist before he was begotten” or “he came to be from nothing” or who claim that he is of another subsistence or essence, or a creation, or changeable, or alterable. |
Back to Creeds of the Fourth Century
Back to Early Arian Documents – Next Arian Document
Back to Council of Nicaea homepage
Last updated 10/26/24 by GLT.
No Responses yet
