The creed of the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople, the definitive conciliar form.
Most liturgical texts are from the Book of Common Prayer (2019) of the Anglican Church in North America.
The New Coverdale Psalter, © 2019 by the Anglican Church in North America. Used by permission.
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is the enlarged form set forth by the Second Ecumenical Council, convened by Theodosius at Constantinople in AD 381 against the Macedonians, who denied the deity of the Holy Spirit. It revises the first two articles of the original Nicene Creed and adds every clause from "the Lord and Giver of life" onward — including the procession of the Spirit from the Father, the Church, baptism, the resurrection, and the life of the world to come — while omitting the original anathema. The Council of Chalcedon (451) formally received it as the "Creed of the 150 Fathers," and it remains the received form in the Eastern Church. The additional clauses were already current in the creeds of Epiphanius (374) and Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350).
Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes, vol. I, §8 ("The Nicene Creed"). New York: Harper & Brothers, 1877; revised by David S. Schaff, 1931. Public domain; transcription from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, visible and invisible.
Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πατέρα παντοκράτορα,
ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων·
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again 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.
Καὶ εἰς ἕνα κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ,
τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων,
φῶς ἐκ φωτός, θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ,
γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα,
ὁμούσιον τῷ πατρί, δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο·
τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους
καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν
κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν
καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς παρθένου
καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα,
σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου
καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα,
καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατὰ τὰς γραφάς,
καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς
καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ πατρός,
καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης
κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς,
οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Καὶ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον καὶ ζωοποιόν,
τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον,
τὸ σὺν πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον,
τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν·
Εἰς μίαν ἁγίαν καθολικὴν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν·
ὁμολογοῦμεν ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν·
προσδοκῶμεν ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν
καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.
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The oldest text in Christian liturgy. The Nicene Creed was composed at two universal councils of the undivided church – Nicaea in AD 325 and Constantinople in AD 381 – to state what Christians believe about the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the resurrection. It has been prayed in East and West for sixteen centuries and entered English worship with the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549.