The Nicene Creed – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Nicene Creed was first written at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325, where Christian leaders gathered to counter heretical teachings that denied Christ’s full deity. Their purpose was to create a precise summary of what Scripture taught. This first form of the Creed affirmed the Son’s eternal relationship to the Father and His true deity, drawing from passages such as John 1:1–3 and Colossians 1:15–17.

In AD 381, the Council of Constantinople produced an expanded version that gave fuller expression to the Holy Spirit’s work and included additional statements about the church, baptism, and the resurrection (John 14:26; Acts 2:33; Ephesians 4:4–6). Later, in AD 589, at the regional Synod of Toledo, a short phrase known as the filioque clause (“and the Son”) was added to describe the Spirit’s procession from both Father and Son (John 15:26; 16:7; Galatians 4:6). This change was only accepted in the West.

In the end, the Creed remained a concise summary of biblical teaching about the Trinity and the saving work of Christ. Its statements reflect Scripture’s own message about God’s unity, Christ’s incarnation and resurrection, and the Spirit who gives life, themes evident in passages such as Matthew 28:19, Philippians 2:6–11, and Acts 5:3–4.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Deuteronomy 6:4 declares, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” This affirms the unity of God, which the Nicene Creed upholds against polytheism.
• Passages like Genesis 1:26 (“Let us make man in our image”) and Genesis 16:13 (Hagar calls the Angel of the LORD God) suggest a plurality within the one God, hinting at the Father, Son, and Spirit.
• The Spirit’s involvement in creation (Genesis 1:2) and in empowering individuals (Exodus 31:3; Ezekiel 2:2) points to the distinct, divine activity of God’s Persons, anticipating the Trinitarian language affirmed in the Creed.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• When the first version of the Creed was written at Nicaea in AD 325, its central concern was to affirm what the New Testament says about the deity of Jesus. It declared that Jesus is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the 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.” This conforms to Scripture. The opening of John’s Gospel teaches, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . All things were made through him” (John 1:1, 1:3). Hebrews also speaks this way when it says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).
• The 381 revision, produced at the Council of Constantinople, expanded the Creed to give fuller expression to what the New Testament teaches about the Holy Spirit and the life of the church. This version called the Spirit “the Lord and Giver of Life,” echoing Jesus’ promise that the Spirit would be sent to teach and guide His people. Jesus told His disciples, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things” (John 14:26; cf. Acts 2:33). The creed also added statements about the church, baptism, and the resurrection, reflecting passages such as Ephesians 4:4–6, which speak of one body, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. These additions did not change the creed’s original purpose; they simply expressed the New Testament with more precision.
• Centuries later, in AD 589, the Western church added a brief phrase known as the filioque, stating that the Spirit proceeds from the Father “and the Son.” This addition kicked off the filioque controversy, which eventually led to a split between the Eastern and Western churches. However, its wording was grounded in passages that talk about the Spirit’s relationship to the Son. Scripture does speak of the Spirit coming from the Son, not just from the Father. For example, Paul wrote that “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6), and when Jesus left, He said that he would send the Spirit (John 15:26; 16:7).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

From CliffsNotes to elementary school mnemonics, people have always had ways to summarize and remember important content. For Christians, the Nicene Creed does that. It summarizes the key doctrines presented in the Bible. Because of the care Christian leaders took to ensure the Creed was biblically accurate, believers today can be assured that they do not rest on human ideas but on the God who has revealed Himself in His Word.

But just as CliffsNotes don’t take the place of reading the novel, the Nicene Creed isn’t a substitute for reading the origin of the doctrines in God’s Word. Believers should have a daily discipline of Bible reading so much so that they recognize the truths in the Creed from what they learn in Scripture. The shortcut should never be the sum total. Read and even memorize the Nicene Creed—but don’t neglect immersion in the powerful Word of God.

UNDERSTAND

• The Nicene Creed summarizes biblical teaching on the Trinity and Christ’s saving work.
• The Nicene Creed affirms Jesus’ deity, the Spirit’s role, and the church’s unity.
• The Nicene Creed guides Christians today while pointing them back to Scripture for deeper understanding.

REFLECT

• How would you summarize the essentials of the faith?
• How does understanding the Nicene Creed strengthen your confidence in who Jesus is and His work for your salvation?
• How can memorizing and meditating on creeds such as the Nicene Creed deepen your faith and understanding?

ENGAGE

• How does the Nicene Creed help us clarify misunderstandings about the Trinity?
• How does the Nicene Creed encourage and help us in living out our faith?
• How do the Old and New Testament passages cited in the Creed shape our understanding of God’s character and actions?