Apostles Creed vs The Nicene Creed

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff

The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed are both creeds or statements of belief. However, they have some significant differences. The Apostles Creed was written first and is shorter than the Nicene Creed. It does not mention the Holy Spirit as explicitly as the Nicene Creed does. Additionally, the language of the Apostles Creed is less formal than that of the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed was created in response to controversies within the church over doctrine and beliefs, while the Apostles creed was not intended to be a statement of doctrine but rather a declaration of faith for new Christians. Despite their differences, both creeds are important expressions of the Christian faith.

There are many differences between the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. One of the most significant differences is that the Apostles Creed was written by humans, while the Nicene Creed was written by a committee of bishops. Additionally, parts of the Nicene Creed were specifically designed to refute Arianism, while there are no such references in the Apostles Creed. Finally, while both creeds affirm Christ’s divinity, they do so in different ways. The Apostle’s creed focuses more on Jesus’ humanity, while the Nicene creed focuses more on His deity. All of these differences underscore how important it is for Christians to have an accurate understanding of scripture and church history.

Comparison between Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed

Parameters of ComparisonApostles CreedNicene Creed
WrittenThe Apostles Creed was written by an unknown author sometime before 800Nicene Creed is a profession of faith in the Christian Trinity
AffirmBoth creeds affirm that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that he resurrected from death to life on Easter Sunday morning.  Both creeds affirm that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that he resurrected from death to life on Easter Sunday morning
SalvationIn both cases, baptism is seen as necessary for salvation.  In both cases, baptism is seen as necessary for salvation.  
ComposeThe Nicene Creed is composed of two parts, the first part deals with belief in God and the second part deals with Jesus ChristThe Apostles’ Creed does not include phrases like “in one holy catholic and apostolic Church” or mention Jesus Christ at all.
SayIn the Nicene Creed, we say “we look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the world to comeApostles’ Creed this phrase is absent

What is Apostles Creed?

Apostles Creed is a statement of Christian faith. It is an affirmation of the Biblical Gospel which summarizes the Christian belief system and acts as a central creed for all Christendom. The Apostles Creed was written in 150 AD by two Christians, Caecilius (a Latin) and Charisius (an Easterner). 

The Apostles Creed consists of 12 articles of faith, each one stating different aspects about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This creed can be used to show what you believe in or it can be used to help teach others about these beliefs.

The Apostle’s Creed is a statement of faith that has been in use since the earliest days of the Christian church. Though there are many interpretations of its meaning, the creed is thought to represent the core beliefs of Christians around the world. Here we will take a look at what the Apostles Creed means, and some of its most significant points.

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What is the Nicene Creed?

The Nicene Creed is a profession of Christian faith and belief. It was written in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea, which was called by Emperor Constantine I to unify Christianity under one creed so he could stop sharing power with other religions. The text was adopted by an Ecumenical council convened in 381 AD as it expressed the orthodox doctrine that had become generally accepted among Christians who were part of the Roman Empire, but it is not universally accepted today. This blog post will explore what the Nicene Creed is and why many people don’t believe it represents their beliefs or practices.

The Nicene Creed is a profession of faith and the most widely used Christian creed. It is used in church services and other religious ceremonies, such as baptisms and weddings. The creed was originally based on an ancient baptismal formula dating back to the second century. It became customary for it to be recited at masses after the 11th century. 

The Nicene Creed has been translated into over 500 languages, making it one of the widest-used creeds in Christianity worldwide. Some denominations use their variations of this creed, but all are rooted in mainstream Christianity’s original beliefs about Jesus Christ’s life and death for humanity’s salvation from sin through his resurrection from the dead three days later.

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10 Differences Between the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed

1. Nicene Creed is a profession of faith in the Christian Trinity, which was established at the Council of Nicea in 325.

2. The Apostles Creed was written by an unknown author sometime before 800.

3. The Nicene Creed has been translated into over 500 languages and dialects.

4. There are 10 differences between the two creeds, including a difference in how Jesus Christ’s divinity is expressed.

5. Both creeds affirm that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that he resurrected from death to life on Easter Sunday morning.

6. In both cases, baptism is seen as necessary for salvation.

7. The Nicene Creed is composed of two parts, the first part deals with belief in God and the second part deals with Jesus Christ.

8. The Nicene Creed includes a line that says “I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church”.

9. The Apostles’ Creed does not include phrases like “in one holy catholic and apostolic Church” or mention Jesus Christ at all.

10. In the Nicene Creed, we say “we look for the resurrection of the dead and life of the world to come” while in the Apostles’ Creed this phrase is absent.

Interesting Statistics or Facts of Apostles Creed

1. The Apostle’s Creed is a statement of belief for Christians.

2. It was written by the 12th-century theologian, Saint Athanasius.

3. The creed has been used in Christian liturgy since at least the ninth century

4. There are two versions of this creed – one that uses the word “God” and one that doesn’t mention God at all. 

5. This creed is also known as Quicunque Vult (Latin for “Whoever wishes”) or Symbolum Apostolorum (Latin for “The Apostles’ Symbol”).

6. Its first English translation was done by John Wycliffe in 1388 AD.

Interesting Statistics or Facts of Nicene Creed

1. Nicene Creed is the most widely used Christian confession of faith.

2. The creed was written by a group of early Christian leaders which included the bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and Constantinople.

3. It has been recited in churches since at least AD 325.

4. It is called “Nicene” because it was originally adopted in AD 325 at the Councils of Nicaea.

5. The creed contains 12 articles that summarize what Christians believe about God’s nature and Christ’s role as savior.

6. Articles 1-8 address who Jesus is (the Son), while articles 9-12 address why he came to earth (to save us).

7) There are two versions of the creed – one for use during worship services, and another for catechesis or study purposes.

8) There are over 50 other creeds that have been created throughout history but none have had as much influence on Christianity as this one has had.

9) The first article says that Christians believe in “one God”, meaning there is only one true God instead of many different gods like some religions teach; they also believe that Jesus Christ is his son incarnated into human form so he could die on our behalf.

Conclusion

The Nicene Creed was written to include those who were not Christian, as well as Christians. This is why it includes the phrase “We believe in One God.” The Apostles creed does not mention other beliefs or religions and states that Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins. -The Nicene Creed also defines more explicitly what we mean by ‘God’ than the Apostles Creed: “God from all eternity; Light from Light; true God from true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father (the only-begotten Son).

The Apostles Creed is much shorter and simpler than the Nicene Creed, which has been changed over time. The original version of the creed said that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Ghost” but this was later changed to say he had his birth through a virgin. There are many other differences between these two creeds as well, including some words about sin and salvation.  -The difference in length may seem like an irrelevant detail but it speaks volumes on how different people view God’s role in our world today. Many Christians believe that there is no need for all of those details because they trust what their church teaches them enough not to worry too much about specific theological points or if they were right or wrong.

References:

Resource 01: https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/creeds/apostles-creed
Resource 02: https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe

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