Bible Question:
What is the Episcopalian Creed?
Bible Answer:
The Episcopalian Church holds to two creeds during their worship service. These creeds are the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. They are as follows:
Apostles Creed (A.D. 200-340)
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 power of 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
Nicene Creed (A.D. 381)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
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: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from 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. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He 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 original Nicene Creed was adopted in A.D. 325 in response to some false teaching referred to as the Arian Controversy. The Arian doctrine said that Jesus was not fully God. He was only a created being. In A.D. 381, the creed was modified to say that the Holy Spirit was also fully God. The creeds did not establish these doctrines but were intended to counter the false teaching attributed to Arius.
Conclusion:
These are wonderful creeds. Together they clearly capture the teachings of the Bible about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These are awesome truths about One we hardly know – our God.
Suggested Links:
What are the Eighteen Articles of Faith of 1833?What is the Apostles’ Creed of the third or fourth century A.D.?
What is the Nicene Creed of A.D. 325?
What is the Chalcedonian Creed of A.D. 451?
What is the Athanasian Creed of A.D. 570? – Symbolum Quicunque