Introduction by Father Nektarios Serfes:
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is used in
the Eastern Orthodox Church, or simply known as the Nicene Creed. This Creed
the “symbol of faith” and confessed in many of the services of the church, is
also known as the ‘Pistevo’ (I Believe). The Pistevo contains all of the
dogmatic truths of our Church that are necessary for our salvation.
The Nicene Creed was formulated at the First
Ecumenical Council or Synod in the city of Nicea, Asia Minor, in 325 A.D. The
decisions of the First Ecumenical Synod gave us the largest part of our Creed
of Faith, its first seven articles. In later years the Second Ecumenical
Council – Synod took place in Constantinople, in 381, with its new decisions,
completed the Creed, adding the last five articles, and has been recognized
since then as the authoritative expression of the fundamental beliefs of the
Orthodox Church.
The Orthodox Church gave us the Sacred Creed of
Faith. This Creed which was prepared with great wisdom and prudence, as well as
with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, contains our Orthodox beliefs in a few,
concise words. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
Churches” (Revelation 2:7).
There are 12 articles included in the Nicene
Creed which define the most important doctrines (dogmas) of our faith in the
following order:
Article
1 - God the Father.
Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ
Article 8 – The Church
Article 10 – Holy Baptism
Article 11 – The Resurrection of the dead.
Article 12 – The Second Coming, or Judgment Day.
I would like to present to you references from
Holy Scripture to the Nicene-Creed:
I
believe in (Romans 10: 8-10; 1 John 4: 15)
One God (Deuteronomy 6: 4, Ephesians 4: 6)
Father (Matthew 6: 9)
Almighty, (Exodus 6: 3)
Creator of heaven and earth, (Genesis 1: 1)
and of all things visible and invisible; (Colossians 1: 15-16) and in one Lord,
Jesus
Christ, (Acts 11: 17)
Son of God (Matthew 14: 33; 16: 16)
begotten (John 1: 18; 3: 16)
begotten of the Father before all ages; (John 1: 2)
Light of Light (Psalm 27: I; John 8: 12; Matthew 17: 2,5)
true God of true God, (John 17: 1-5)
of one essence with the Father, (John 10: 30)
through Whom all things were made; (Hebrews 1: 1-2)
Who for us and for our salvation (I Timothy 2: 4-5)
came down from the heavens ((John 6: 33,35)
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, (Luke 1: 35)
and became man. (John 1: 14)
Crucified for us (Mark 15: 25; I Corinthians 15: 3)
under Pontius Pilate, (John 1: 14)
He suffered, (Mark 8: 31)
and was buried; (Luke 23: 53; I Corinthians 15: 4)
Rising on the third day according to the Scriptures, (Luke 24: 1; 1 Cor. 15: 4)
And ascending into the heavens, (Luke 24: 51; Acts 1: 10)
He is seated at the right hand of the Father; (Mark 16: 19; Acts 7: 55)
And coming again in glory (Matthew 24: 27)
to judge the living and dead, (Acts 10: 42; 2 I Timothy 4: 1)
His kingdom shall have no end; (2 Peter 1: 11)
And in the holy Spirit, (John 14: 26)
Lord (Acts 5: 3-4)
the Giver of life, (Genesis 1: 2)
Who proceeds from the Father, (John 15: 26)
Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, (Matthew 3:
16-17)
Who spoke through the prophets; (I Samuel 19: 20; Ezekiel 11: 5, 13)
In one, (Matthew 16: 18)
holy, (I Peter 2: 5, 9)
catholic (Mark 16: 15)
and apostolic Church; (Acts 2: 42; Ephesians 2: 19-22)
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; (Ephesians 4: 5)
I expect the resurrection of the dead; (John 11: 24; I Cor. 15: 12-49)
And the life of the age to come. (Mark 10: 29-30)
Amen. (Psalm 106:48)
(The translation used is from the text approved 1993 by His Eminence,
Metropolitan Isaiah)
Compiled By Archimandrite
Nektarios Serfes
Boise, Idaho
Source: http://www.serfes.org/orthodox/holyscripturereferencestothecreed.htm
CONVERSATION