"I 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 only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
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;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son];
who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified;
who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN."
[Icon depicting Emperor Constantine (center) and the Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea (325) as holding the Nicene Creed in its 381 form.]
325 AD. Nicaea was the 1st of the ecumenical councils. Called by Constantine. Chiefly concerned with the Arian controversy. The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith. In liturgical churches, it is said every Sunday as part of the Liturgy. It is Common Ground to East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups. Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches.
(Someone may ask, "What about the Apostles' Creed?" Traditionally, in the West, the Apostles' Creed is used at Baptisms, and the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist [AKA the Mass, the Liturgy, the Lord's Supper, or the Holy Communion.] The East uses only the Nicene Creed.)
10 comments:
I'm appreciate your writing skill.Please keep on working hard.^^
Thanks Don for posting the Catholic creed.
I think we both know that a man of God must be taught of God, by the Spirit and the Scripture and not by any creed or man.
Every believer without exceptions knows in his heart that the Lord our God is NOT three persons, identities or people.
But we all find it difficult to reconcile that to the Scripture, because of the many passages you quoted and more, so we tend to trust and rely upon the explanation and interpretation of the scholars and our own favorite Scripture-gurus.
Also, we don't like to speak against the majority of our Christian brothers for fear of repercussions, excommunication or whatever.
To say, preach, teach and believe that our Lord and God are THREE persons or identities is unthinkable!
No wonder why other religions call us 'deceived Infidels' and polytheists, they even mock us and call our three person-gods 'the three amigos'.
It is not, that they do not understand.
It is that WE do not understand and are unwilling to seek the Lord with all our hearts, in order that we would totally know the truth and boldly proclaim it to this evil and wicked generation.
In many posts, all over the blog-world, professing Christians are not anymore satisfied that Jesus Christ alone is the LORD. So they lead their readers to another person or identity that is called 'THE--FATHER'.
In doing so they bring confusion among the Saint's so that they transgress the first command of the Lord 'you shall have NO other gods beside the Lord your God'.
(By the 'Lord your God'), I mean, Jesus Christ of Nazareth without any other person or identity included.
Concerning the Father;
Thanks brother for quoting Isa.9:6 where the Lord Jesus is called the everlasting Father.
If Jesus is called "Father" in the Scripture, how then can we say that Jesus is not the Father?
Do we believe in two Fathers?
We are very quick to say that Jesus is NOT the Father, He is only His Son.
However the truth is that there is only one God and that is the Father, by the name of Jesus and He, in the beginning is Spirit (Holly Spirit) and clothed Himself in flesh and dwelled among us 'Jesus Christ of Nazareth'.
Enough for now!
Lots of love Paul
"...who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church..."
I'm curious about the capitalization. I have not seen it this way before.
Is Paul G a modalist?
The Holy truth is clear Paul. God is One, and yet three Persons. No doubt about it in my mind, and heart.
I will have to trust the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, over any human wisdom. If you can't accept the Scriptures teach that God is Father and Son and Holy Spirit, so be it.
Craver, I don't know why they capitalized those words. The word catholic in the creed simply means universal. Catholic is a good word.
"Roman" Catholic is something entirely different. Huge difference.
Thanks for stopping by "double cube". I like to blog, but my writing skills are quite poor to be honest.
Thanks Don for being patient with me.
I only have a short space each day where I have a chance to post my comments.
I'm glad that you trust the Holy Scripture over any human wisdom, just like me. Perhaps that's why we are brothers in Christ.:-)
All creeds and confessions are human wisdom and not the word of God.
The doctrine of the Trinity (God to be three persons) was first cooked up by the Roman Catholic Church in Rome and then passed on to all other Churches universally (all over the world).
The Catholic Church in Rome is the Mother of all other Churches who hold her doctrines, teachings and practices regardless of their denominational names.
Yes Don! I can accept that God is the Father and the Son and the Holly Spirit.
But that does not mean that He is three persons or separate identities.
It is impossible that a ‘HE’ could be 'MANY'!
A 'HE' is always 'ONE' just like God!
God is the Father; that is the title of the Lord Jesus.
God is the Son; that is the title of the Lord Jesus.
God is the Holy Spirit; that is the title and the Spirit of the Lord Jesus.
Here you can see that ALL things are in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The whole Scripture from Genesis to Revelation points to Jesus and ALL things are fulfilled and completed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Don; it is too wonderful to see and understand those things and all the glory must be only to our Lord and NOT to any other person or identity whatsoever.
May the Lord bless you richly!
Paul
"God is the Father; that is the title of the Lord Jesus."
Hey Paul, I have one short passage of Scripture for us to interpret. We can go to every single verse of the Bibel if you like, because I love the Word. But for now let's focus in on this:
""Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of TWO people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”" John 8:16-18
Why does Jesus say there are two witnesses, He and Father? And why does Jesus say, "It is not I alone"?
Don;
I am glad that you have chosen one passage of the Scripture John 8:16-18 or perhaps we might have thrown lots of Bible verses at one another and achieved absolutely nothing.
If you can understand that passage of the Scripture, then you will be able to understand all other passages.
I like to keep my comments as short as possible, but this one might take a little longer.
But it MUST be said!
John8:16-18.
Jesus said that ‘even in our human court system the testimony of TWO men is true’.
Also in our spiritual system or life, the Scripture says that there are TWO witnesses the ‘Spirit and the Word’, one without the other is not true.
What I am saying is this;
I am explaining the Scripture to you, but you cannot accept that witness or testimony because it is only ONE testimony. You need a SECOND testimony to make it valid, and that is the testimony of the Spirit which is in you, the Word and the Spirit.
For this reason Jesus said, ‘that a man without the Spirit is dead’, he cannot understand the things of the Spirit.
Here you can see that we both need the two witnesses, the Bible and the Spirit.
Sometimes brothers can have fierce dispute about the Scripture, but of no avail because the SECOND witness is missing, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive.
The SECOND witness is ‘the Spirit’, He ALWAYS without fail points to the Lord Jesus and NOT to any other identity or person.
If a spirit points to any other person, then it is a false spirit, an antichrist spirit.
(Verse 18)
Jesus said, “I am one that bears witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me”.
First let’s look in the Bible who the Father of Jesus is.
Luke 1:35 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy One to be born will be CALLED the Son of God”.
Here you can see that the Father of Jesus is the Holy Spirit.
And remember that the Lord Jesus is the Spirit. (2 Cor.3:17)
So what I am saying is this;
That God is the Holy Spirit (John 4:24) who clothed Himself with flesh. (Veiled the incarnate Deity)
Always ONE person and not TWO!
Since the Lord God (Jesus) was born into His own creation just like one of us and even became like us, apart from the virgin birth.
So Jesus as a man gave testimony to God that is to Himself as ONE witness and the SECOND witness is His Father or His Spirit which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Very important to understand is that when Jesus is talking about His Father, He ALWAYS speaks about His Spirit.
Jesus said, ‘the Father and I are ONE (and not TWO); the Father is in me and I am in the Father’.
What He is saying is that the Spirit of God is in Him and He is always in the Spirit.
Just the same way as it should be with you and me and every believer, that we should be filled with the Holy Spirit, be in the Spirit and walk by that Spirit.
If you read prayerfully around the whole chapter, it will confirm everything I said and more.
Enough for now, I could go on and on to tell you of the wonders and the Majesty of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Kind regards Paul
Well Paul, I think you said a lot of things that are not simple and plain right in front of our eyes. Jesus could have said what you said, but He told the Jews it's not just Me alone who witnesses to you, but also the Father. Clear is anything.
And another crystal clear passage that Jesus has a Father:
"I have much to say about you and much to judge, but HE who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from HIM.” They did not understand that he [Jesus] had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And HE who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to HIM.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.""
Jesus always does the things that please HIM, the Father.
And:
"Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but HE [the Father] sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word."
"I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”"
I love the truth that Jesus glorified His Father, and obeyed His Father, even unto death, the death on the Cross. For the Father loved me before the foundations of the world, and He sent His only Begotten Son, so that I would be saved from my sin, and hell.
And the most encouraging Scripture:
"Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and My Father will love him, and "WE" will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not MINE but the Father's who sent me."
The "WE" is the Father and the Son. They live in me, through the Holy Spirit.
I guess we are at an impasse. The Word of truth is pure and simple. God didn't make it difficult. It's impossible to believe, unless one is born from above.
Blessings to you Paul.
No Don, in those things there are no impasse.
You quoted the verse where Jesus said, "When YOU have lifted up the Son of Man, then YOU will know that I—AM—HE"!
HE! WHO?
For you to know the Father, Jesus said that YOU must lift up the Son (JESUS).
That's what the Scripture said, plainly.
When Jesus was speaking about His Father, he always spoke figuratively, but then He said, "A time is coming when I will NO longer use this kind of language but I will tell you PLAINLY about my Father". (John 16:25)
Brother, the time for you is NOW!
And please don’t believe in that Catholic trinity.
Love you Brother!
Paul
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" -Paul
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" -Peter
"For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain." -Peter
I agree with Peter and Paul that God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I believe Peter heard the voice of the Father speak about His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”" -The Father
Jesus prayed to His Father, and obeyed His Father, and His father was glorified in Jesus. Jesus also asked the Father this:
" “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ....O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”"
Jesus says the Father loves Him.
I guess that is figuratively praying to Himself in John 17, and loving Himself. But that would be too weird. Jesus prayed, and even sweat blood before His Father, as He took His Father's cup, the wrath of God, and drank it for sinners like us. Jesus loved the Father, and the Father loved Jesus, His only begotten Son.
We will have to leave it here Paul.
The Scriptures speak clearing against the heresy of Modalism: "Modalism was condemned by Tertullian.
Modalism is probably the most common theological error concerning the nature of God (i.e., who God is). "Present day groups that hold to forms of this error are the United Pentecostal and United Apostolic Churches. They deny the Trinity, teach that the name of God is Jesus... modalist churches often accuse Trinitarians of teaching three gods. This is not what the Trinity is. The correct teaching of the Trinity is one God in three eternal coexistent persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
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