ECUMENICAL 325 AD, REVISED 381 AD

The Nicene Creed

Also known as Symbolum Nicaenum · Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day 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. I 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 adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

Other forms

Orthodox form (without Filioque)

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day 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. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

About this prayer

The Nicene Creed is the most widely accepted statement of Christian belief across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed traditions. It was formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD to address the Arian controversy, which disputed whether Christ was fully divine. The council affirmed that the Son is of the same substance as the Father. The creed was expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD to include the fuller statement on the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Apostles' Creed, which developed from baptismal practice, the Nicene Creed was the product of a formal church council and carries conciliar authority. It remains the only creed accepted by Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestant churches as fully authoritative.

When it's said

In Catholic Mass, the Nicene Creed is recited every Sunday and on major feast days, following the homily. In Orthodox Divine Liturgy, it is sung or said before the Eucharistic prayer. In Anglican services it is said on Sundays and principal feast days in both Morning Prayer and the Communion service. Lutheran and many other Protestant churches include it in their Sunday liturgy, though practice varies by congregation.

Notes on the text

The principal textual difference between Catholic and Protestant forms on one side and Orthodox on the other is the Filioque clause: the phrase "and the Son" in the line describing the Holy Spirit as proceeding from the Father. Western churches added this clause to the original text; Eastern churches did not, holding that the Spirit proceeds from the Father alone. This difference was a contributing factor to the Great Schism of 1054 AD and remains a point of formal theological difference. The Catholic form shown here includes the Filioque; the Orthodox form does not.

Common questions

Who wrote the Nicene Creed?

The Nicene Creed was composed by the bishops of the early Christian Church meeting at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The form Christians use today was expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD and is technically called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. It was written to settle theological disputes about the divinity of Christ, particularly the controversy over Arianism, which held that Christ was created rather than eternal.

What is the Filioque and why is it controversial?

The Filioque (Latin for 'and from the Son') is the phrase added to the Western form of the Creed stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds 'from the Father and the Son,' not just from the Father. It was added by the Western Church in the 6th century AD and accepted at Rome by the 11th century. The Eastern Orthodox Church rejected the addition, both because it was added without an ecumenical council and because it changes the theology of the Trinity. The Filioque dispute was one of the principal causes of the East-West Schism in 1054 AD.

Why do Christians say 'I believe' or 'We believe'?

The original Greek text uses 'we believe' (πιστεύομεν, pisteuomen), reflecting the collective decision of the Council. The Latin translation used by the Roman Catholic Church changed it to 'I believe' (credo) for use in personal baptismal confession. Most modern liturgical translations, including the 2010 English Catholic translation, have restored 'I believe' to match the Latin tradition. Eastern Orthodox liturgies and some modern ecumenical translations use 'We believe.'

Is the Nicene Creed said at every Christian service?

It is the standard creed of the Eucharistic liturgy in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Anglican and Lutheran churches. It is said or sung at every Mass and Divine Liturgy on Sundays and major feast days. Many Reformed and Methodist churches use it on principal Sundays. Baptist, Pentecostal, and most non-liturgical Protestant churches do not typically recite it in worship, though they generally accept its theology.

Source

Formulated at the First Council of Nicaea, 325 AD; expanded at the First Council of Constantinople, 381 AD. English translation from the Roman Missal (traditional form) and the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. Public domain.

Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.