The Creed
The Nicene Creed, also called the Orthodox Creed, was agreed upon by the bishops and ratified in Greek at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), then expanded at Constantinople (381 AD). During his life, Saint Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373 AD), a deacon at Nicaea and later Patriarch and Pope of the Coptic Church, was its chief defender. He is now remembered as the pillar of the Nicene faith and the Father of Orthodoxy.
Here is the Orthodox Creed, followed by the original Greek in the form of its earliest manuscripts, written in the day in an unbroken stream of letters. Of interest to today’s faithful, the words ‘men’ and ‘Man’ in English renderings originally used the Greek for ‘human beings’ and ‘became human’. At SEASEM we celebrate and affirm this faithful translation.
The Orthodox Creed
Truly we believe in One God, God the Father, the Pantocrator, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and all things seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not created; of One Essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us human beings and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became human. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; suffered and was buried; and on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures; ascended to the heavens; He sits at the right hand of His Father; and He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets. And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, we confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.
The Nicene Creed in Original Greek Script (4th Century Style)
ΠΙΣΤΕΥΟΜΕΝΕΙΣΕΝΑΘΕΟΝΠΑΤΕΡΑΠΑΝΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΑΠΟΙΗΤΗΝΟΥΡΑΝΟΥΚΑΙΓΗΣΟΡΑΤΩΝΤΕΠΑΝΤΩΝΚΑΙΑΟΡΑΤΩΝΚΑΙΕΙΣΕΝΑΚΥΡΙΟΝΙΗΣΟΥΝΧΡΙΣΤΟΝΤΟΝΥΙΟΝΤΟΥΘΕΟΥΤΟΝΜΟΝΟΓΕΝΗΤΟΝΕΚΤΟΥΠΑΤΡΟΣΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΑΠΡΟΠΑΝΤΩΝΤΩΝΑΙΩΝΩΝΦΩΣΕΚΦΩΤΟΣΘΕΟΝΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΝΕΚΘΕΟΥΑΛΗΘΙΝΟΥΓΕΝΝΗΘΕΝΤΑΟΥΠΟΙΗΘΕΝΤΑΟΜΟΥΣΙΟΝΤΩΠΑΤΡΙΔΙΟΥΤΑΠΑΝΤΑΕΓΕΝΕΤΟΤΟΝΔΙΗΜΑΣΤΟΥΣΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣΚΑΙΔΙΑΤΗΝΗΜΕΤΕΡΑΝΣΩΤΗΡΙΑΝΚΑΤΕΛΘΟΝΤΑΕΚΤΩΝΟΥΡΑΝΩΝΚΑΙΣΑΡΚΩΘΕΝΤΑΕΚΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΟΣΑΓΙΟΥΚΑΙΜΑΡΙΑΣΤΗΣΠΑΡΘΕΝΟΥΚΑΙΕΝΑΝΘΡΩΠΗΣΑΝΤΑΣΤΑΥΡΩΘΕΝΤΑΤΕΥΠΕΡΗΜΩΝΕΠΙΠΟΝΤΙΟΥΠΙΛΑΤΟΥΚΑΙΠΑΘΟΝΤΑΚΑΙΤΑΦΕΝΤΑΚΑΙΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΑΤΗΤΡΙΤΗΗΜΕΡΑΚΑΤΑΤΑΣΓΡΑΦΑΣΚΑΙΑΝΕΛΘΟΝΤΑΕΙΣΤΟΥΣΟΥΡΑΝΟΥΣΚΑΙΚΑΘΕΖΟΜΕΝΟΝΕΚΔΕΞΙΩΝΤΟΥΠΑΤΡΟΣΚΑΙΠΑΛΙΝΕΡΧΟΜΕΝΟΝΜΕΤΑΔΟΞΗΣΚΡΙΝΑΙΖΩΝΤΑΣΚΑΙΝΕΚΡΟΥΣΟΥΤΗΣΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΑΣΟΥΚΕΣΤΑΙΤΕΛΟΣΚΑΙΕΙΣΤΟΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΟΑΓΙΟΝΤΟΚΥΡΙΟΝΤΟΖΩΟΠΟΙΟΝΤΟΕΚΤΟΥΠΑΤΡΟΣΕΚΠΟΡΕΥΟΜΕΝΟΝΤΟΣΥΝΠΑΤΡΙΚΑΙΥΙΩΣΥΜΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΟΥΜΕΝΟΝΚΑΙΣΥΝΔΟΞΑΖΟΜΕΝΟΝΤΟΛΑΛΗΣΑΝΔΙΑΤΩΝΠΡΟΦΗΤΩΝΕΙΣΜΙΑΝΑΓΙΑΝΚΑΘΟΛΙΚΗΝΚΑΙΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΗΝΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΝΟΜΟΛΟΓΟΥΜΕΝΕΝΒΑΠΤΙΣΜΑΕΙΣΑΦΕΣΙΝΑΜΑΡΤΙΩΝΠΡΟΣΔΟΚΩΜΕΝΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΝΝΕΚΡΩΝΚΑΙΖΩΗΝΤΟΥΜΕΛΛΟΝΤΟΣΑΙΩΝΟΣΑΜΗΝ