3. The Council of Nicea (325 AD)

This important 4th century Council condemned Arianism - the belief that Jesus was a created being, rather than eternal God. This Nicene orthodoxy was not a new doctrine, but one that had to be more rigorously and carefully defended in the face of false teaching to the contrary. The truths of both the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds are easily defended from solid biblical proofs.

What makes a church apostolic is not the succession of leaders based on the hands of people, but the conformity of church doctrine to the teachings of the Apostolic generation as recorded in the New Testament under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit. This is the touchstone by which all creeds must be tested.

The Creed that bears the name of the Nicene Council (in the modern form that we use) is printed below:

The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy 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 is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.