Full Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator 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 the Father before all ages. Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten, not created; of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And he rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, who proceeds from the Father; who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
We believe in
| Isaiah 43:10 | You are my witnesses, says YHWH, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. |
| 2 Corinthians 4:13 | But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture, “I believed, and so I spoke”, we also believe, and therefore we also speak.. |
| John 3:18 | Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. |
| John 14:1 | Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:10:1 |
The church, dispersed throughout the world to the ends of the earth, received from the apostles and their disciples the faith.. |
| Tertullian of Carthage (ca. 210 CE), Prescription Against Heretics 13 |
Now the rule of faith, that we may declare what we must defend, that by which it is believed that.. |
| Tertullian, Against Praxeas 2 |
We however as always .. believe in.. |
| Old Roman Creed (2nd-3rd century CE) | I believe in.. |
one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible
| Genesis 1:1 | When God began to create the heavens and the earth.. |
| 1 Corinthians 8:6 | yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist.. |
| Ephesians 4:6 | one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. |
| Acts 14:15 | People, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. |
| Shepherd of Hermas 26:1 (90-120 CE) | First of all, believe that God is one, who created all things and set them in order, and made out of what did not exist everything that is, and who contains all things but is himself alone uncontained. |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp 14:1 (160-240 CE) | O Lord God Almighty, Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ .. the God of angels and powers and of all creation.. |
| Martyrdom of Ignatius 2 (120-300 CE) | For there is but one God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that are in them. |
| Justin Martyr (155 CE), First Apology 6-8 |
the most true God, the Father .. and Creator of all.. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:10:1 |
in one God the Father Almighty, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.. |
| Tertullian of Carthage (ca. 210 CE), Prescription Against Heretics 13 |
there is but one God, who is none other than the Creator of the world.. |
And in one Lord Jesus Christ
| 1 Corinthians 8:6 | and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist |
| Jude 1:4 | our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. |
| Martyrdom of Ignatius 2 (120-300 CE) | and one Jesus Christ.. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:10:1 |
and in one Christ Jesus |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp 14:2 (160-240 CE) | eternal and heavenly high priest, Jesus Christ.. |
| An Alexandrian creed found in Athanasius of Alexandria, Ad Afros Epistola Synodica 11 | and in one Lord Jesus Christ.. |
the only-begotten [τον μονογενη] Son of God
| John 1:14; 18 | And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son [τον μονογενη], full of grace and truth. .. No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God [μονογενης θεος], who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son [τον μονογενη], so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp 20:2 (160-240 CE) | through his only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:9:3 |
the only-begotten Son of the only God.. |
| Origen of Alexandria, (248 CE), Against Celsus 8:8 |
His only-begotten Son, the Word and Wisdom. |
| Epistle of the Council of Antioch (269 CE) | This the begotten Son, the only-begotten Son, who is the image of the invisible God. |
begotten of the Father before all ages
| Proverbs 8:22-25 LXX | The Lord made [ἔκτισέν] me at the beginning of his works, for the sake of his works. Before the time was [αἰῶνος], he established me, in the beginning. Before he made the earth and before he made the depths, before he brought forth the springs of the waters, before the mountains were established and before all the hills, he begets me. |
| Psalm 109:3 LXX | From the womb, before the morning star, I begat you. |
| John 17:5 | So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (115-130 CE), To the Magnesians 6:1 |
Jesus Christ who before the ages was with the Father.. |
| Justin Martyr, (155 CE), Dialogue with Trypho 61:1 |
I shall now show from the Scriptures that God has begotten of himself a certain rational power as a beginning before all creatures. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), Fragment 1:11 |
we are worshippers of the only God who is before all and over all, and of his Christ who is the word of God before the ages. |
| Origen of Alexandria, (ca. 220 CE), [Rufinus] On the First Principles 4:4 |
For we do not say, as the heretics suppose, that some part of the substance of God was converted into the Son, or that the Son was procreated by the Father out of things non-existent, i.e., beyond His own substance, so that there once was a time when He did not exist. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus (ca. 260 CE) Declaration of Faith |
true Son of true Father .. Eternal of Eternal.. |
| Epistle of the Council of Antioch (269 CE) | begotten before the whole creation .. who existed before the worlds. |
Light of Light
| Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 | For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. |
| 1 John 1:5 | This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. |
| John 1:6-9 | There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Hebrews 1:3 | He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being.. |
| Clement of Alexandria, (195 CE), Exhortation to the Heathen 11 |
let us contemplate the only true God, first raising our voice in this hymn of praise: Hail, O light! For in us, buried in darkness, shut up in the shadow of death, light has shone forth from heaven, purer than the sun, sweeter than life here below. That light is eternal life; and whatever partakes of it lives. |
| Origen of Alexandria, (ca. 220 CE), On the First Principles 1:7 |
According to John, "God is light." The only-begotten Son, therefore, is the glory of this light, proceeding inseparably from (God) Himself, as brightness does from light, and illuminating the whole of creation. |
| Dionysius of Alexandria, (ca. 250 CE), Refutation and Defense |
The Father then being eternal, the Son is eternal, being Light of Light. |
| Methodius of Olympus, (ca. 300 CE), Oration on Simon and Anna 14 |
Thou art the true Light, proceeding from the true Light. |
true God of true God
| John 17:3 | And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. |
| 1 John 5:20 | And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (115-130 CE), To the Ephesians Prologue |
united and elect through genuine suffering by the will of the Father and of Jesus Christ our God. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 190 CE), Fragment 53 |
With regard to Christ .. the Chief also of the cherubim, the Prince of the angelic powers, God of God, Son of the Father, Jesus Christ, King forever and ever. |
| Tertullian of Carthage, (197 CE), Apology 21 |
Thus Christ is Spirit of Spirit, and God of God, as light of light is kindled. |
| Clement of Alexandria, (ca. 200 CE), Exhortation to the Heathen 10 |
The Divine Word, he that is truly most manifest Deity, he that is made equal to the Lord of the universe, because he was his Son, and the Word was in God. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus (ca. 260 CE), Declaration of Faith |
There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity.. |
| Methodius of Olympus, (ca. 300 CE), Oration on Simon and Anna 14 |
the true God, begotten of the true God.. |
begotten, not created
| Micah 5:2 | But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from eternity [עוֹלָֽם]. |
| Hebrews 7:3 | Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. |
| Shepherd of Hermas 89:2 (90-120 CE) | The Son of God is prior to existence than all of his creation, with the result that he was the Father's counselor in his creation. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (115-130 CE), To Ephesians 7:2 |
There is only one physician .. who is both .. born and unborn, God in man .. Jesus Christ our Lord. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), Second Apology 6 |
And His Son .. was begotten before the works, when at first He created and arranged all things by Him, is called Christ, in reference to His being anointed.. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), On Pascha 104 |
It is he that made heaven and earth and fashioned man ίn the beginning .. through whom the Father did his works from beginning to eternity. |
| Theophilus of Antioch, (ca. 180 CE), Apology to Autolycus 2:10 |
God then .. begat [the Word], emitting Him along with His own wisdom before all things. |
of one essence with the Father
| Genesis 5:3 LXX | And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his form, and according to his image [κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα], and he called his name Seth. |
| John 5:19, 21, 26 | Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. .. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes .. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.. |
| John 10:30 | The Father and I are one. |
| John 16:15 | All that the Father has is mine. |
| Colossians 1:15 | He is the image of the invisible God [εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ], the firstborn of all creation.. |
| Athenagoras of Athens, (176 CE), Embassy for Christians 10 |
of God the Father, and of God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit .. their power in union and their distinction in order.. |
| Tertullian of Carthage, (ca. 210 CE), Against Praxeas 2 |
the three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost .. of one substance, and of one condition, and of one power.. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:21:4 |
Carefully, then, has the Holy Spirit pointed out, by what has been said, His birth from a virgin, and His essence, that he is God (for the name Emmanuel indicates this). |
| Refutation of All Heresies 10:29 (early 3rd century CE) | The Word alone is from God himself. Thus he is God, existing in the essence of God. |
| Origen of Alexandria, (ca. 220 CE), On the First Principles 4:36 |
the nature of Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit .. is incorruptible and eternal. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus, (ca. 260 CE), To Philagrius On Consubstantiality 4 |
In what way might the Father and Son and Holy Spirit have a nature would it be simple, or compound? .. It is an entirely simple and undivided substance, since it is what is simple and bodiless by nature. |
| Methodius of Olympus, (ca. 300 CE), Oration on Simon and Anna 8 |
your only begotten Son, who is of .. one substance with you. |
through whom all things were made
| John 1:3 | All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. |
| Colossians 1:16b | all things have been created through him and for him. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 5:5 (ca. 100 CE) | even though he is Lord of the whole world, to whom God said at the foundation of the world, "Let us make humankind according to our image and likeness".. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), New Fragment 2:20 |
It is he that spread out the heavens.. made all things, and adorned the world. For he is the Word of his Father.. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:22:1 |
there is one almighty God who founded everything through his Word and arranged it and made everything out of the non-existent.. |
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man
| Matthew 9:13 | Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.” |
| Luke 1:30-31, 35 | The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. |
| Luke 19:10 | For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost. |
| John 3:13 | No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. |
| John 6:38 | for I have come down from heaven.. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (115-130 CE), To the Ephesians 20:1-2 |
I glorify Jesus Christ, the God .. truly born of a virgin .. in order that he might raise a banner for the ages through his resurrection for his saints and faithful people. |
| Epistle to the Diognetus 11:2-8 (ca. 150-200 CE) | The Word .. explained them to disciples who .. learned the mysteries of the Father. This is why he sent the Word, namely, so that he might appear to the world; This is the Eternal One, who today is accounted a Son .. Nor is Eve corrupted; instead, a virgin is trusted. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), New Fragment 2:4 |
He sent out his own Son from heaven to earth incorporeal, and he took a body from a virgin. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:4:2 |
Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who because of His surpassing love towards His creation, condescended to be born of the virgin.. |
| Refutation of All Heresies 10:29 (early 3rd century CE) | This Word we know to have received a body from a virgin, and to have remodelled the old man by a new creation. |
And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered
| Isaiah 53:4-5 | Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases, yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he has wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:3b | that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures |
| Mark 10:45 | For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. |
| Mark 15:15 | So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus he handed him over to be crucified. |
| 1 Peter 2:21, 23-24 | For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. .. When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (ca. 115-130 CE), To the Ephesians 20:1-2 |
Jesus Christ, the God .. truly nailed in the flesh for us under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch.. |
| Martyrdom of Ignatius 2 (120-300 CE) | Trajan said, “Do you mean him who was crucified under Pontius Pilate?” Ignatius replied, “I mean him who crucified my sin, with him who was the inventor of it”.. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), Dialogue with Trypho 85:2 |
this true Son of God .. who was crucified by your people under Pontius Pilate.. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), New Fragment 2:21 |
they have no faith in the living cross nor in the Word who was crucified upon it. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:4:2 |
Christ Jesus, the Son of God .. having suffered under Pontius Pilate.. |
and was buried
| 1 Corinthians 15:4a | that he was buried, |
| John 19:38-42 | After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), Dialogue with Trypho 97:1 |
For indeed the Lord remained upon the tree almost until evening, and they buried him toward evening. |
| Tertullian of Carthage, (ca. 210 CE), On the Resurrection of the Flesh 44 |
You will also allow that it was in the flesh that Christ was raised from the dead. For the very same body that fell in death, and which lay in the sepulcher, did rise again.. |
| Tertullian, On the Flesh of Christ 5 | And the Son of God .. was buried.. |
| Meltio of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), On Pascha 71 |
It is he that was buried on earth .. the lamb being slain .. and buried at night. |
And he rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures
| Psalm 16:10 | For you do not give me up to Sheol or let your faithful one see the Pit. |
| Jonah 1:17, 2:2b | But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. .. out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. |
| Hosea 6:1-2 | Come, let us return to the Lord, for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:4b | that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, |
| Mark 16:6 | But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him”. |
| Luke 24:45-47 | Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (ca. 115-130 CE), To Romans 6:1 |
Him I seek, who died on our behalf; him I long for, who rose again for our sake. |
| Ignatius, To Smyrnaeans 2:1-3:1 | He raised Himself truly.. For I know and believe that He was in the flesh even after the resurrection |
| Epistle of Barnabas 15:9 (ca. 100 CE) | This is why we spend the eighth day in celebration, the day on which Jesus both arose from the dead.. |
| Polycarp of Smyrna, (120-160 CE), To Philippians 2:1 |
believing in the one who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), Dialogue with Trypho 36:5 |
Accordingly, it is shown that Solomon is not the Lord of hosts; but when our Christ rose from the dead.. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), On Pascha 70 |
It is he that was raised from the dead. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:12:2 |
but that there was one and the same God the Father, and Christ Jesus who rose from the dead. |
and ascended into heaven
| Acts 1:9-11 | When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” |
| Epistle of Barnabas 15:9 (ca. 100 CE) | Jesus.. ascended into heaven.. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), First Apology 42 |
But our Jesus Christ, being crucified and dead, rose again, and having ascended to heaven, reigned. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:6:2 |
For it is He who descended and ascended for the salvation of men. |
and is seated at the right hand of the Father
| Acts 7:55-56 | But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” |
| Psalm 110:1 | The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” |
| Polycarp of Smyrna, (120-160 CE), To Philippians 2:1 |
believing in the one who raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead and gave him glory and a throne at his right hand. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), Dialogue with Trypho 32 |
God, the Father of all, raised him up from the earth, and placed him at his right hand, until he makes his enemies his footstool.. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), On Pascha 105 |
He is Jesus.. He is the Lord.. He is the one who sits at the Father's right hand. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:16:9 |
Jesus Christ, the Son of God .. who is at the right of the Father. |
And he will come again with glory
| Mark 13:26 | Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.. |
| Matthew 25:31 | When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. |
| 2 Clement 17:5 (100-150 CE) | Now by this he means the day of his appearing.. and the unbelievers will see his glory and might.. |
| Polycrates of Ephesus, (ca. 195 CE), Letter |
on the day of the Lord's appearing, when he comes with glory from heaven to seek out all his saints.. |
| Ps-Hippolytus, On the End of the World |
So then His second advent is declared to be in glory; for He comes from heaven with power, and angels, and the glory of His Father. |
to judge the living and the dead
| Matthew 16:27 | For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. |
| 2 Timothy 4:1 | In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom.. |
| 1 Peter 4:5 | But they will have to give an accounting to him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (ca. 115-130 CE), To Polycarp 2:1 |
To him all things in heaven and on earth were subjected, whom every breathing creature serves, who is coming as judge of the living and the dead. |
| 2 Clement 1:1 (100-150 CE) | Brothers and sisters, we ought to think of Jesus Christ as we do of God, as judge of the living and the dead. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 7:2 (ca. 100 CE) | therefore, the Son of God, who is Lord and is destined to judge the living and the dead.. |
| Melito of Sardis, (ca. 170 CE), New Fragment 2:10 |
O strange and unspeakable mystery, that the judge was judged, and he who loosed the bound was bound.. |
His kingdom shall have no end
| Daniel 7:13-14 | As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. |
| Hebrews 1:8 | But of the Son he says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. |
| Luke 1:33 | He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. |
| 2 Peter 1:1 | For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:12:13 |
the Jesus who was crucified by them was the Son of God, the Judge of quick and dead, and that He has received from His Father an eternal kingdom in Israel.. |
| Tertullian of Carthage, (ca. 190 CE), An Answer to the Jews 6 |
this giver of the new law, observer of the spiritual sabbath, priest of the eternal sacrifices, eternal ruler of the eternal kingdom.. |
| Archelaus of Carrhae, (280 CE), Disputation with Manes 21 |
God, who is the true light that never suffers eclipse, and whose is also the kingdom that is holy and everlasting.... |
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord
| 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 | Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. |
| Acts 5:3-4 | “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? .. You did not lie to men but to God!” |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp 14 (160-240 CE) | and the Holy Ghost be glory both now and to all coming ages |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:10:1 |
and in the Holy Spirit.. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus, (ca. 260 CE), Declaration of Faith |
And there is one Holy Spirit.. |
| Martyrdom of Ignatius 7 (120-300 CE) | with the Holy Spirit for evermore.. |
| Alexander of Alexandria, (ca. 320 CE), Epistle 1:12 |
And besides the pious opinion concerning the Father and the Son, we confess to one Holy Spirit, as the divine Scriptures teach us. |
the Life-Giver
| Genesis 2:7 | then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. |
| Job 33:4 | The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. |
| Psalm 104:30 | When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. |
| John 6:63 | It is the spirit that gives life. |
| Odes of Solomon 28:8 (ca. 100 CE) | And from that life is the spirit which is within me. And it cannot die because it is life. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 5:12:2 |
Therefore, just as the one who became a living soul turning to evil, lost life, so again, that same one, in turning to what is better and receiving the life-creating Spirit, finds life. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus, (ca. 260 CE), Declaration of Faith |
one Holy Spirit .. Life, the cause of the living; Holy Fount, Sanctity, the supplier of sanctification.. |
who proceeds from the Father
| John 15:26 | When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. |
| Athenagoras of Athens, (176 CE), Embassy for Christians 10 |
The Holy Spirit himself .. we assert to be an effluence of God, flowing from him, and returning back again like a beam of the sun. |
| Tertullian of Carthage, (ca. 210 CE), Against Praxeas 4:1 |
I believe the Spirit to proceed from no other source than from the Father through the Son. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus, (ca. 260 CE), Declaration of Faith |
Holy Spirit .. having substance from God, and manifested by the Son.. |
who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified
| 2 Corinthians 13:13(14) | The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. |
| Matthew 28:19 | Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 155 CE), First Apology 6 |
But both Him, and the Son (who came forth from Him and taught these things to us and to the host of the other good angels who follow and are made like to Him), and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, knowing them in reason and truth.. |
| Martyrdom of Ignatius 7 (120-300 CE) | in Christ Jesus our Lord; by whom, and with whom, be glory and power to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, for evermore! |
| Passion of the Scilitan Martyrs (ca. 180 CE) | and they reign with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. |
| Dionysius of Alexandria, (ca. 250 CE), Fragment |
And to God the Father, and his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus, (ca. 260 CE), Declaration of Faith |
There is one God, the Father of the living Word.. There is one Lord, Only of the Only .. And there is One Holy Spirit .. There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged. |
| Methodius of Olympus, (ca. 300 CE), Oration Concerning Simon and Anna |
For thine is the glory, and the power, and the greatness, and the majesty, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever. |
who spoke through the prophets
| 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7-11 | Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, .. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.. |
| 2 Peter 1:21 | because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. |
| Clement of Rome, (80-100 CE), To Corinthians 8:1 |
The ministers of the grace of God spoke about repentance through the Holy Spirit. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 9:2 (ca. 100 CE) | And again the Spirit of the Lord prophesies, “Who is the one who desires to live forever? With the ear let him hear the voice of my servant." |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Proof of the Apostolic Preaching 6 |
Therefore, the Spirit of God descended on Him, [the Spirit] of him who by the prophets had promised that he will anoint him.. |
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church
| Matthew 16:17-18 | And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." |
| Matthew 18:20 | For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. |
| Ephesians 5:25-27 | Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, so that she may be holy and without blemish. |
| Ignatius of Antioch, (ca. 115-130 CE), To Ephesians 17:1 |
that [the Lord] might breathe incorruptibility upon the church. |
| Ignatius, To Smyrnaeans 8:2 | Wherever the bishop appears, there let the congregation be; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church. |
| Martyrdom of Polycarp Prologue (160-240 CE) | all the communities of the holy and catholic church sojourning in every place. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:3:1 |
It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church.. to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times. |
| Cyprian of Carthage, (ca. 240 CE), Epistle 51:24 |
and although there is one Church, divided by Christ throughout the whole world into many members, and also one episcopate diffused through a harmonious multitude of many bishops. |
We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
| Ephesians 4:5 | one Lord, one faith, one baptism.. |
| Acts 22:16 | And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 11:1 (ca. 100 CE) | it is written with reference to Israel that they would never accept the baptism that brings forgiveness of sins.. |
| Shepherd of Hermas 4:3:1-2 (90-120 CE) | I have heard, sir.. that there is no other repentance except that which took place when we went down into the water and obtained the remission of our former sins. He said to me, 'You have heard rightly, for so it is.' |
| Clement of Alexandria, (ca. 200 CE), Paedegogus 1:6 |
our transgressions being taken away by one Pœonian medicine, the baptism of the Word. |
| Origen of Alexandria, (235 CE), Exhortation to the Martyrs 30 |
It is not possible to receive forgiveness of sins without baptism. |
| Cyprian of Carthage, (ca. 240 CE)), Epistle 69 |
no one can be baptized abroad outside the Church, since there is one baptism appointed in the holy Church. |
We look for the resurrection of the dead
| Isaiah 26:19 | Your dead shall live; their corpses shall rise. Those who dwell in the dust will awake and shout for joy! For your dew is a radiant dew, and the earth will give birth to those long dead. |
| Daniel 12:2 | Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt. |
| Romans 6:4-5 | Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. |
| John 5:29 | and will come out: those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. |
| Clement of Rome, (80-100 CE), To Corinthians 24:1 |
Let us consider, dear friends, how the Master continually points out to us the coming resurrection of which he made the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruit when he raised him from the dead. |
| Justin Martyr, (ca. 160 CE), On the Resurrection 8 |
Indeed, God calls even the body to resurrection and promises it everlasting life. |
| Tatian the Syrian, (ca. 160 CE), Address to the Greeks 6 |
We believe that there will be a resurrection of bodies after the consummation of all things. |
| Theophilus of Antioch, (ca. 180 CE), To Autolycus 1:7-8 |
God will raise up your flesh immortal with your soul. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 1:10:1-4 |
the Church .. has received from the apostles and from their disciples the faith in .. the raising up again of all flesh of all humanity.. |
and the life of the age to come
| 2 Peter 3:13 | But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. |
| Revelation 21:1 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 4:1 (ca. 100 CE) | and let us hate the deception of the present age, so that we may be loved in the age to come. |
| Epistle of Barnabas 10:11 | Because the righteous person not only lives in this world but also looks forward to the holy age to come. |
| Shepherd of Hermas 24:5 (90-120 CE) | The white part is the age to come, in which God's elect will live because those chosen by God for eternal life will be spotless and pure. |
| Irenaeus of Lyons, (ca. 180 CE), Against Heresies 3:7:1 |
And he says, “the unbelievers of this world,” because they shall not inherit the future age of incorruption. |