In this video I offer a word-by-by commentary of the Nicene Creed, the most widely used confession of faith in the Christian world, in honor of its 1700th anniversary. If you watch this video to the end, you’ll get a walk through of the entire Creed, including an understanding of:
- 3 key differences between the Latin and Greek versions of the Creed (one trivial, one interesting, one hugely divisive).
- the meaning of key theological terms like consubstantial, begotten, spiration, and procession which are essential for grasping the Holy Trinity, the mystery at the heart of the Christian faith that will occupy us for all eternity.
- the dramatic story of how orthodoxy hung a little tiny Greek letter, a single iota, separating these two words: Homoousios and Homoiousios.
First, I offer 5 preliminary remarks regarding:
- Why do creeds matter?
- Why focus on the Nicene Creed?
- Is the Nicene Creed biblical?
- Nicene vs. Niceno-Constantinopolitan
- The structure of the creed.
Then we work through the creed in 20 chapters:
- I/we 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
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