Dear Reader,
It’s natural this year that we are very much taken up with the Tricentennial celebration of the Reformed Church in the United States. It’s a wonderful milestone, and the celebration coming up in June will be an occasion to remember. In a future issue of the Reformed Herald, Lord willing, we’ll be able to focus a good bit of attention on giving thanks to God for the unique historical path on which we have been guided.
There is another important occasion this year, the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325. One of the most important results of that church council, the first ecumenical council in history, was the Nicene Creed. The version we use in our churches was somewhat edited by the Council of Constantinople in 381; and one phrase (“and from the Son”) was added by the Council of Toledo in 529. The bulk of it, however, comes from that council.
It’s worth reviewing that noble statement.
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 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.
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit 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 sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory,
to judge the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of life;
who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke 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.
Most of us are probably more familiar with the Apostles’ Creed. The Nicene Creed is structurally and doctrinally very similar but adds some important ideas.
In terms of similarities, the Nicene Creed is also structured around the persons of the Trinity, with an article for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The article concerning the Son is the longest in both creeds, with considerable emphasis placed on the historic sequence of Christ’s accomplishment of redemption. Both creeds attribute creation especially to the Father, redemption especially to the Son, and connect the Holy Spirit with the church and the application
of redemption.
There are some differences, as well, between the creeds. In the Nicene Creed, the idea that the Father is the maker of all things is spelled out with a little bit more detail to specify that invisible things are included in “all things.”
The Nicene Creed has a tremendous emphasis on the true deity of Christ. That shows the impact of the Arian controversy in which some denied that Christ was truly God. Phrases like “begotten, not made” or “of one substance with the Father” are meant to confess the truth and prevent heresy. The phrase “by whom all things were made,” speaking of the Son, highlights that the Son himself was not made. His existence is eternal. Also with reference to Christ, the Nicene Creed addresses his motivation: “for us men and for our salvation” he did all that he did from the Incarnation to the Resurrection.
There’s also significant clarity on the personality, deity, and equality of the Holy Spirit. After the Council of Nicaea, there were those who were opposed to the Spirit’s deity. They were called the Pneumatomachi, that is, “the fighters against the Spirit.” But the Nicene Creed is quite clear: the Spirit is worshiped just as the Father and Son are. He spoke by the prophets, which makes clear that the Spirit was active and present in Old Testament times.
The Nicene Creed does not include the phrase, “he descended into hell,” as does the Apostles’ Creed. The Nicene Creed mentions baptism, which the Apostles’ Creed does not.
Those differences don’t indicate a different doctrine. It’s a question of emphasis and detail, rather than disagreement. For a compact statement of the basic truth about God and the Gospel, it’s hard to beat the Apostles’ Creed. The additional detail from the Nicene Creed prevents certain possible misinterpretations. It also conducts us a little deeper into the genuine splendor of the most fundamental doctrines of our faith.
A few years ago, the congregation at Ebenezer Reformed Church in Shafter decided to recite the Nicene Creed once a month (the other Lord’s Days we use the Apostles’ Creed). I enjoy having that bit of variety in our services, and I also delight in the additional details supplied in this slightly more expansive statement of our faith. I hope this 1700th anniversary finds all the RCUS churches warmly appreciating the Nicene Creed.
Rev. Ruben Zartman
Editor