We Believe: Why the Nicene Creed Still Matters After 1700 Years

“Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”- Jude 1:3

This year marks a historic milestone, 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea, when Christian leaders from across the known world gathered to defend the truth of the gospel. The result was a creed, a confession of faith, that has echoed through the centuries as one of the most important and enduring summaries of what Christians believe.

We call it the Nicene Creed, and for the next several weeks, we’re going to walk through it together as a church family. Line by line. Truth by truth. Not just to study it, but to let it shape us.

Why a Creed?

As Baptists and Protestants, we are a people of the Book. The Bible alone is our final authority, not creeds or councils. But throughout history, the Church has found it helpful, and sometimes absolutely necessary, to summarize biblical truth in short, memorable statements. That’s what a creed is: a faithful, time-tested summary of what the Scriptures teach.

The Nicene Creed was written to combat false teaching, especially the idea that Jesus was a created being rather than fully God. The early church stood its ground. They searched the Scriptures. They prayed. And they confessed rather boldly and clearly that Jesus Christ is true God of true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father.

So, why study a 1700-year-old document in 2025? Isn’t it outdated?

Not at all. In fact, I believe that in a world of increasing confusion even among churches, about who Jesus is, what the gospel means, and what the Church is called to be, we need clarity, unity, and depth. The Nicene Creed helps us with all three.

1. It clarifies what the Bible teaches.
   Creeds don’t replace Scripture, but they are meant to reflect it. They help us grasp the big truths that tie the Bible together, like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the resurrection of the body.
2. It unites us with the Church across time and space.
   When we say “We believe,” we are joining voices with faithful believers from every century and every nation. We are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Church universal, declaring the same gospel.
3. It trains our hearts to worship.
   The Nicene Creed is not just doctrine, it’s devotion. It teaches us to lift our eyes to the majesty of the Triune God and the wonder of the gospel. It is a call to worship.

What I hope to do…

Each week we’ll reflect on one portion of the Creed:

• We’ll explain its meaning and where it comes from in Scripture.
• We’ll offer encouragement for families and individuals to memorize the Creed together.
• We may even read or recite it in our gatherings, not as a lifeless ritual, but as a living reminder of our shared faith.

Take time this week to slowly read through the Nicene Creed (full text below). Read it aloud. Share it with your children. Let its language and rhythm begin to sink in. Consider memorizing it. Use it in your prayers.

And remember: this is your faith.
Not just the faith of ancient councils or theologians, but the same faith that leads you to the Lord’s Table, the same faith that saves you in Christ.

Let us be a church that says, and truly means, “We believe…”

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 the 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;
he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
and suffered and was buried,
and the third day he rose again,
according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge 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.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

* Meaning Universal in Latin, not the same as Roman Catholic