The Nicene Creed

With Biblical Support and Explanation
Italicized Verses are Recommended for Memorization

We believe in one God, (Deuteronomy 6.4–5, Mark 12.29, 1 Corinthians 8.6)

There is one living and true God, infinitely perfect in glory, wisdom, holiness, justice, power and love, one in his essence but eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

the Father Almighty, (Genesis 17.1, Daniel 4.35, Matthew 6.9, Ephesians 4.6, Revelation 1.8)

God is the Almighty One. He is completely free from restriction or limitation. The Almighty reveals himself to us as a gracious and compassionate Father who loves the world.

maker of heaven and earth, (Genesis 1.1, Isaiah 40.28, Revelation 10.6) of all things visible and invisible. (Psalm 148, Romans 11.36, Hebrews 11.3, Revelation 4.11)

From eternity past our Triune God existed in perfect joy. He alone is uncreated. As the sovereign Lord, he created all that exists out of nothing and reigns as the one true king of all. In blasphemous pride, Satan rebelled against the Lord’s reign and ignited a cosmic war. Human beings, created in God’s own image, joined the rebellion by obeying Satan, the ancient serpent. God’s world was plunged into darkness and subjected to sin and death.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, of the same essence as the Father, (John 1.1–2, 3.16–18, 8.58, 14.9–10, 20.28, Colossians 1.15–17, Hebrews 1.3–6)

In the Trinity none is before or after the others; none is greater or less than another; but the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal.God the Son, who in his incarnation is Jesus of Nazareth, shares in total equality the nature and position of the Father and the Spirit. His status as only begotten Son in no way implies that he is a subordinate or created being.

Through whom all things were made. (John 1.3, Colossians 1.16)

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. God created by the power of his word alone. Everything that exists came into being through the Son, the Word of God.

Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. (Matthew 1.20–23, John 1.14, 6.38, Luke 19.10, 1 John 3.8)

In the fullness of time, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, became human without ceasing to be God by uniting to his divine nature a true human nature in his incarnation, and so continues to be both God and man, in two distinct natures and one person, forever. The two natures exist in one person without confusion, without change, without division, and without separation.He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He came down from heaven as the champion to invade the dark realm of the evil one. He exhibited the presence of God’s kingdom in his person through manifold miracles.

Who for us too was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. (Matthew 27.1–2, Mark 15.24–39, 15.43–47, Acts 13.29, Romans 5.8, 1 Corinthians 15.3–4,Colossians 2.13–15, Hebrews 2.10)

Jesus of Nazareth, the Word made flesh, suffered, died, and was buried. He lived a perfectly sinless life and died as the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. His shed blood is the vicarious and propitiatory atonement for human sin. He is the only way that we can find salvation and reconciliation with God.

The third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, (Mark 16.5–7, Luke 24.6–8, Acts 1.3, Romans 6.9, 10.9, 1 Corinthians 15.4–6, 2 Timothy 2.8)

The same Jesus who died was truly and bodily raised from the dead on the third day. He appeared to the disciples and to many believers, proving himself to be alive with various signs. His resurrection proves his victory over sin, death, and Satan and opens the way for us to receive eternal life in his kingdom.

ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Luke 24.50–53, Acts 1.9–11, 7.55–56, Ephesians 1.19–20)

Jesus ascended into heaven while the disciples looked on, sat down at the right hand of the Father, and now intercedes in glory for his redeemed as our great high priest and advocate, and as the head of the Church and Lord of the individual believer.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.(Isaiah 9.7, Matthew 24.30, Luke 1.33, John 5.22, Acts 1.11, Romans 14.9, 2 Corinthians 5.10, 2 Timothy 4.1)

One day very soon, the Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily, visibly and personally to receive his own, to conform believers to his own image. He will complete the victory initially won at the cross, utterly destroying Satan, all demonic activity, sin, and death, and establishing his eternal kingdom.He will judge the living and the dead and will effect a final separation of the redeemed and the lost, assigning unbelievers to eternal punishment and believers to eternal glory, enjoying conscious fellowship with him.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver, (Genesis 1.1–2, Job 33.4, Psalm 104.30, Luke 4.18–19, John 3.5–6, 16.7–11, 1 Corinthians 2.11,2 Corinthians 3.17, Revelation 3.22)

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, through the ministry of regeneration and sanctification applies salvation and places believers into the Church, guides and comforts God's children, indwells, directs, gifts and empowers the Church in godly living and service in order to fulfill the great commission, and seals and keeps the believer until Christ returns.

who proceeds from the Father and the Son, (John 14.16–18, 14.26, 15.26, 20.22)

When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his church at Pentecost. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God is present in the Church and in the individual believer.

who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, (Isaiah 6.3, Matthew 28.19, 2 Corinthians 13.14, Revelation 4.8)

As an equal member of the Trinity, the Spirit is equally deserving of worship and glory. We should neither ignore the Spirit, nor emphasize the Spirit over the Father and the Son.

who spoke by the prophets. (Numbers 11.29, Acts 2.17–18,2 Timothy 3.16–17, 2 Peter 1.21)

The sixty-six books which form the canon of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. (Matthew 16.18, Ephesians 4.4–6, 5.25–28, 1 Corinthians 1.2, 10.17, 1 Timothy 3.15, Revelation 7.9)

The holy Church is the one institution specifically ordained of God to function in the furthering of the kingdom until Christ comes again. It consists of all those regenerated by the Spirit of God, in mystical union and communion both with Christ, the head of the body, and with fellow-believers. Neighborhood congregations are the local manifestation of the Church universal. In obedience to the command of Christ, these congregations preach the Word of God, equip God's people for the work of ministry, and administer the sacraments of baptism and communion.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin, (Acts 2.38–39, 22.16, 1 Peter 3.21, Ephesians 4.4–5)

Every person, regardless of race or rank, who receives the Lord Jesus Christ by faith is born into the family of God and receives eternal life. This occurs solely because of the grace of God and has no ground in human merit. Water baptism is the believer’s incorporation into the visible body of Christ and a pledge to renounce sin and evil, to die to ourselves, and to live under the lordship of Jesus Christ as a part of his Church.

and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. (Isaiah 11.6–10, Luke 18.29–30, 1 Corinthians 15.22–25, Revelation 21.1–5, 21.22–22.5)

One day, at the return of our Lord, all the dead in Christ will be resurrected to everlasting life. Those who are alive at his coming will be changed from mortality to immortality. Our eternal dwelling will be with God in a new heaven and a new earth, free from the devil, death, pain, sin, and curse of our present world. We will live with him in eternal bliss and perfect communion.

Amen.