Creeds - Statements of Belief

Like the Scriptures, the three ecumenical creeds — the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed — are written documents. They originate from the earliest centuries of the Christian church’s history, a time when theological and philosophical questions about the identity of Jesus were widely debated among Christians. All three creeds affirm that God is fully present in Jesus, that Jesus Christ is both God and human (not a semi-divine or superhuman creature that is neither). These three creeds are called ecumenical because they are all accepted and used by the overwhelming majority of the world’s Christians. All three are affirmed in the Lutheran confessional writings.

Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, 

   creator of heaven and earth. 

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, 

   who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, 

   born of the virgin Mary, 

   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, 

   he is seated at the right hand of the Father, 

   and he will come 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. 


*Or, "he descended into hell," another translation of this text in widespread use. 

Nicene Creed

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,

   was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became truly human.

   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,*

   who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,

   who 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.


*Or, "who proceeds from the Father." The phrase "and the Son" is a later addition to the creed

Athanasian Creed

Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith. Whoever does not guard it

whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith:

We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing

the divine being. For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another. But

the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty. What the

Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit. The Father is infinite; the Son

is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite. Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit:

And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated

and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited. Almighty is the Father; almighty is

the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is

almighty.

Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods,

but one God. Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are

not three lords, but one Lord. As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as

God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created, but

was alone begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created, but is proceeding from

the Father and the Son. Thus there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one

Holy Spirit, not three spirits.

And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are

in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God

in three persons.

Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.

It is necessary for eternal salvation that one also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus became

flesh.

For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both

God and man. He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man,

born in the world from the being of his mother—existing fully as God, and fully as man with a

rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in

humanity.

Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ. He is united because God has

taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity. He is completely one in

the unity of his person, without confusing his natures. For as the rational soul and body are one

person, so the one Christ is God and man.

He suffered death for our salvation. He descended into hell and rose again from the dead. 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.

At his coming all people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds. Those who have

done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith. One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.