Origins Pf the Nicene Creed

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As formal statements of Christian faith and beliefs The Nicene and Apostles creed have been used for over 1600 years in Christian ceremonies particularly baptisms and church services. They outline and summarise the core beliefs of the Christian faith and particularly at the time they were written, 'safeguard' the faith against heretical or erroneous beliefs. These creeds are recited during worship as a 'profession of faith' particularly in the traditional Christian denominations rather than the more modern streams of Christianity. 1. What are the origins of these creeds? The Apostles Creed was thought to have been written around 180 AD and reflects the theological formulations of the first century church. Over the next 400 years it underwent further development and change to reflect theological growth. It does not appear in the bible but reflected the words early Christians used that could frame how they were living their lives without comprehension of the mysteries of their new faith. The first recorded version of it however is not seen until the Council of Milan in AD 390. It was though to have been strongly influenced by the Nicene Creed. Today every denomination has a slightly different version of the apostles creed. The origins of the Nicene Creed are more clear-cut. The original version was written and approved by a Council of bishops and church elders at a Council in Nicea, convened by Constantine in AD 325. It was modified in 381 at the council of Constantinople which added detail about the holy spirit, Christ's incarnation and crucifixion. A final controversial clause the 'Filioque clause' was added around the 6th century and but not given formal papal approval until the 11th century. The Nicene Creed and the New Testament are interwoven. The wording and concepts in the Creed come from the new testament and when the New Christian Church looked at the

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