This 1-Pager analyzes the origins of the Nicene Creed texts.

Our modern “Nicene Creed” is actually the “ Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed,” having been developed at the first two ecumenical councils of 325 (Nicaea) and 381 (Constantinople). The following ecumenical council of 431 (Ephesus) affirmed the original Nicene Creed and the next council of 451 (Chalcedon) affirmed both the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creeds.

The black and red text of this resource shows the original Nicene creed, per the 325 council (the red text was omitted later in the 381 expansion). The yellow and orange text is what was added at the 381 council. The creed draws from several sources — the scriptures (verses in purple), local creeds, and potentially other church writings, such as the “Jerusalem Creed” which is a creed reconstructed from the teachings of Cyril of Jerusalem. Text in the 381 Creed that matches Cyril’s work is indicated in yellow. The council may have drawn directly upon Cyril’s work, or upon local creeds which used Cyril’s work, or other common sources were shared between these creeds.

Perhaps the most important reason for developing a creed, not just locally, but at these ecumenical councils, was to rebuke heresy which threatened the church. These heresies are briefly outlined in this resources, and include:

Gnosticism and Marcionism

Semi-Arianism

Arianism, Anomoeanism, & Aetianism

Acacianism and Homoeanism

Apollinarianism

Marcellianism

Macedonianism and Pneumatomachianism

Chiliasm and Millenarianism

Also mentioned in this resource is the following website which gives a good history of the Creed, and lays out line-by-line the 325 Creed next to the 381 Creed: slife.org/nicene-creed