We take a look at the biblical richness beneath each sentence of the Nicene Creed. Drawing on both the Old and New Testaments, the Creed we say in Mass is a summary of our faith and a statement of our identity as Christians.
“But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55
2025 is the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. Since its full recognition at the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE it has been used in prayer, worship and sacrament across the universal Christian Church as a binding summary of our faith. As we profess “I believe…” we are in communion with Christians worldwide and with the millions of those who have gone before us in faith.
The disputes that provoked the Creed are well documented. But a key factor in their resolution was the gradual coming together of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Gospels and Letters that became our Bible. It was during the 4th century, that St Jerome translated the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures into an accessible Latin text which gave the wider Church greater access to the Scriptural foundations of our faith. From this, with prayer and discernment, it became possible to arrive at consensus as to the meaning of the Scriptures and to a shared creed which have provided us with a framework for catechesis and faith development.
Let us now see something of the biblical richness beneath each sentence of the Creed.
“I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.”
The core belief of the Hebrew Scriptures is that God is the Creator of everything (Genesis 1:1). The Prophets, who are Israel’s conscience bring the people back to this idea again, and again (Isaiah 44:24; Jeremiah 10:10).The Creator is the everlasting King and our loving Father which Jesus emphasises in his parables and in the daily prayer he taught us.
(Matthew 6:9). Paul, the passionate persecutor-become-apostle, summarises this in 1 Corinthians 8:6 in whicheverything begins with God as Creator, whose creative love sustains and gives purpose to all.
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.”
The divinity and pre-existence of Jesus Christ in relationship to his Father are neatly expressed in John 10:30 and the Son’s role in creation is celebrated in John’s prologue. (John 1:1-3).We see thateach gospel offers us rich and beautiful imagery about the identity, purpose and origins of Jesus like the facets of a prism. In fact, the term ‘Son of God’ is used 76 times in the Gospels (65 times by Jesus himself) and Jesus speaks of God as his father 54 times.
From Peter’s bold declaration that ‘Jesus is the Son of the Living God’ in Matthew 16:16 to Jesus’ own description as ‘the light of the world’ in John 8:12, God and Jesus share one reality. The only non-biblical word in the Creed, consubstantial/homoousios, sharpens the focus. It clarifies the nature of Jesus as truly human, and the son of Mary like us in all things but sin, and yet truly divine as God’s Word made flesh. By the time of the Letter to the Hebrews, we are given an excellent recap of God’s plans for salvation in Hebrews 1:1-4.
“For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.”
We move from the doctrine of Creation to that of Salvation. The Spirit who hovered over the water in Genesis is the same Spirit who, with Mary’s consent, enables her to give birth to a renewed and healed creation in God’s Son (Luke 1:35). The Trinitarian pattern of God’s life is now revealed to us in the Nativity. The Creed opens this up further and the central significance of Christ’s humanity and divinity is placed centre stage for us to ponder.
“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”
The Creed leaps straight from Jesus’ birth to his death. Jesus’ ministry and teaching are not mentioned but the circumstances of his death imply a clash with the worldly powers symbolised by Pontius Pilate, the representative of the Roman Empire, and his soldiers. The central events of the Gospel: the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ bear witness to this (John 19:16) and they proclaim the resurrection three days later. (Luke 24:6). These extraordinary events are seen to fulfil the prophecies of the Old Testament which the risen Jesus explains to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:44-45.
Paul will devote his life and writings to sharing this new faith as in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. The Creed therefore celebrates what the Gospel writers, Paul and those after him have preserved and passed on.
“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.”
Jesus’ ascension back to his Father and promised return logically follow-on from his life, death and resurrection. His ascension is briefly described in Luke 24:51 and in more detail in Acts 1:9-11 where the crowd are given a reply to their incomprehension as to what they have just witnessed. Not only does Jesus ascend to God but he will return to earth as the universal judge at a future date. Therefore, before he dies, Jesus instructs his disciples to preach, teach and bear witness to the truth. (Acts 10:42-43).
Jesus in his ministry gives clear teaching in Luke 12: 35-40 that we are to live as though the second coming is tomorrow. Our lives should be marked by a daily awareness of continuing his life in the world until Christ returns. (1 Corinthians 16:22).
“I 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 adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.”
The Spirit’s divinity in relationship to God and Christ is expressed unequivocally, linking back to the life-giving role in creation and forward to the ongoing inspiration of the prophets. Jesus speaks of the Spirit’s role when he prophesises his return. (John 15:26). The Spirit will fulfil Christ’s promise powerfully in the Pentecost event. (Acts 2:4). This role soon becomes clear to the Early Church, beautifully highlighted in 1 Peter 1:10-12. We see that in three stages the Creed develops the Trinitarian model of relationship and action which lies at the heart of our faith and Church life across the world.
“I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”
The Church that the Spirit brings into being, has four defining marks all deeply rooted in Scripture.
One – this essential oneness and unity are clearly expressed in Ephesians 4:4-6.
Holy – the church is made holy by being sanctified as the community indwelt by the Holy Spirit where believers worship and encounter God in Ephesians 2:20-22.
Catholic – from the Greek word ‘Katholikos’ meaning universal, is a church for all people, for all times and all places. Christ’s commissioning of his disciples enabled the Church to transcend all cultures, races, ages, languages and places in Matthew 28:18-20.
Apostolic – the church was built on the foundations of the Spirit-inspired prophets and apostles, and Jesus is its cornerstone in Ephesians 2:19-22.
“I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.”
The Church exists to continue the reconciling work of Christ in the world and the means of this are Baptism and the power of forgiveness. (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5). This faith is clear from the earliest church experience with Philip’s meeting with the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8:26-40 and the baptism of Cornelius, the Roman soldier and his whole household by Peter in Acts 10.
“I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
The Creed concludes with the heart of the Christian faith, that of the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ which Jesus reveals to Martha in John 11:25-26.His rising from the dead is the first fruits of the new creation, he is the new Adam and a sign of the new kingdom to come. (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).
In the final book of the Bible, Revelation 21:1-4 offers us a vision of how we will be transfigured and redeemed in God’s presence in this renewed Creation. Before that end-time, the Eucharist here on earth is a foretaste of this future glory in heaven, and the place where we can say: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Revelation 7:12).
Conclusion
The Nicene Creed provides continuity between the old and new covenants that God entered into with humanity. The prayers of our Biblical forefathers and mothers are woven into the roots of this Creed whenever we recite it at Mass. It firmly grounds our understanding of the God we profess and praise in both the Old and New Testament revelations of the Divine. By exploring the Scriptures behind the Creed, we come to appreciate a positive theology of who and what God is, and how God is revealed to us. In this way, Scripture and Tradition complement each other in our Church’s journey to establish her identity and mission on earth, and to encourage us to live out these beliefs in our daily lives. May this exploration inspire you to revisit the Scriptures and deepen your understanding of the faith we profess.
Fleur Dorrell
For a more detailed article on the Nicene Creed and Scripture.
