Early Creeds

The following three creeds are essential, they are known as the "universal" creeds and are believed by all mainline Christian churches of all denominations. The Apostle's Creed is an early definition of the true Christian faith. You need to be able to say you believe it to enroll in GlobalChristians.Org. The Nicene Creed deals with the Trinity and defines Jesus as "very God of very God". The Formula of Chalcedon deals with the dual nature of Christ - being fully God and fully man. All three Creeds are essential and all three are believed by those who run GlobalChristians.Org and by your lecturers. They are very important.

Apostles' Creed

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:

5. The third day he rose again from the dead:

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:

7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:

10. The forgiveness of sins:

1l. The resurrection of the body:

12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene Creed

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 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 quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped 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.

Definition of Chalcedon (451 AD)

Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to
confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame
one is perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is
also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul <meaning
human soul> and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as
his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as
far as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin
only excepted. Before time began he was begotten of the Father, in
respect of his deity, and now in these "last days," for us and behalf
of our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who
is God-bearer in respect of his humanness.

We also teach that we apprehend this one and only Christ-Son, Lord,
only-begotten -- in two natures; and we do this without confusing
the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other,
without dividing them into two separate categories, without con-
trasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness
of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the
"properties" of each nature are conserved and both natures concur
in one "person" and in one reality <hypostasis>. They are not
divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and
only and only-begotten Word <Logos> of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus
Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol of Fathers <the Nicene
Creed> has handed down to us.

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