The Nicean Creed (主后325 年)
1. 我信独一上帝,全能的父,创造天地和有形无形万物的主。
2. 我信独一主耶稣基督,上帝的独生子,在万世以前为父所生,出于神而为神,出于光而为光,出于真神而为真神,受生而非被造,与父一体,万物都是藉者他造的;
3. 他为要拯救我们世人,从天降临,因着圣灵,并从童女马利亚成肉身,而为人;
4. 在本丢彼拉多手下,为我们钉于十字架上,受难,埋葬;
5. 照圣经第三天复活;
6. 并升天,坐在父的右边;
7. 将来必有荣耀再降临,审判活人死人;他的国度永无穷尽;
8. 我信圣灵,赐生命的主,从父(和子)出来,与父子同受敬拜,同受尊荣,他曾藉众先知说话。
9. 我信独一神圣大公使徒的教会;
10. 我信使罪得赦的独一洗礼;
11. 我望死人复活;
12. 并来世生命。
The Nicean-Constantinopolitan 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, beggotten, not made, being of one substance [essence] with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost (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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost (Spirit), the Lord and Giver of Life; who procededth form the Father [and the Son]; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake 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 ressurection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
尼西亚信经对付的异端:
· 亚流派 (Arianism) :否认三位一体,认为圣子是被父所造,与父不同质。
· 亚波里那流派 (Apollinarianism) :认为基督的人性与神性相混和,神性吸收人性。
· 马其顿派(圣灵被造派, Pneumatomachinianism ):认为圣灵是被造的天使。
尼西亚信经几经演变,出现于主后 325 年,定型于主后 381 年,后者又称为尼西亚──君士坦丁堡信经。东方希腊教会(后成东正教)只按旧形式承认圣灵是从父而出;而西方拉丁教会(后成天主教)按后者加上圣灵从父(和子)而出,形成后来东西分裂的题目之一。
尼西亚信经中可被解释成偏差之处 (后来被天主教利用):
· 从使徒信经强调基督的救赎,变到强调基督的国度,并通过教会实现,产生政教合一。
· 强调灵从子而出,忽略了子先从灵而出的经文,造成与东方教会的分裂原因之一。
· 建立“使徒的教会”承传,倒推至彼得作第一个罗马教皇,抬高罗马主教的地位。
· 混淆灵洗与水洗的区别;认为洗礼参与人的得救,使得以后教会礼仪也成为得救的需要。
· 强调圣灵的神性和与父子的同等性,但没有提到圣灵虽然配得这些荣耀,但他却不求自己的荣耀,只求荣耀父子。这一点被灵恩派所利用。