The Athanasian Creed is named after Athanasius, who defended the doctrine of the Trinity against the Arians. He did not write the creed, nor was it written by a Church Council. In fact, we do not know who wrote it. It first appeared in the sixth century and was soon adopted as a statement of faith by the Roman Catholic Church and later by some Protestant churches because it is a simple yet eloquent exposition on the doctrines of the Trinity and of Christ. Again, the word \u201ccatholic\u201d means \u201cuniversal\u201d and does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church.<\/p>\n
The Athanasian Creed<\/strong><\/p>\n Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic faith.<\/p>\n Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally.<\/p>\n Now this is the catholic faith:<\/p>\n That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity, What quality the Father has, the Son has, and the Holy Spirit has. The Father is immeasurable, The Father is eternal, And yet there are not three eternal beings; Similarly, the Father is almighty, Thus the Father is God, Thus the Father is Lord, Just as Christian truth compels us The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten from anyone. Accordingly there is one Father, not three fathers; Nothing in this trinity is before or after, So in everything, as was said earlier, Anyone then who desires to be saved But it is necessary for eternal salvation Now this is the true faith:<\/p>\n That we believe and confess He is God from the essence of the Father, Although he is God and human, He suffered for our salvation; This is the catholic faith: \u00a0\u00a9 1987, CRC Publications, Grand Rapids MI. <\/em>www.crcna.org<\/em><\/a>. Reprinted with permission.<\/em>
\nneither blending their persons
\nnor dividing their essence.
\nFor the person of the Father is a distinct person,
\nthe person of the Son is another,
\nand that of the Holy Spirit still another.
\nBut the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,
\ntheir glory equal, their majesty coeternal.<\/p>\n
\nThe Father is uncreated,
\nthe Son is uncreated,
\nthe Holy Spirit is uncreated.<\/p>\n
\nthe Son is immeasurable,
\nthe Holy Spirit is immeasurable.<\/p>\n
\nthe Son is eternal,
\nthe Holy Spirit is eternal.<\/p>\n
\nthere is but one eternal being.
\nSo too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings;
\nthere is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.<\/p>\n
\nthe Son is almighty,
\nthe Holy Spirit is almighty.
\nYet there are not three almighty beings;
\nthere is but one almighty being.<\/p>\n
\nthe Son is God,
\nthe Holy Spirit is God.
\nYet there are not three gods;
\nthere is but one God.<\/p>\n
\nthe Son is Lord,
\nthe Holy Spirit is Lord.
\nYet there are not three lords;
\nthere is but one Lord.<\/p>\n
\nto confess each person individually
\nas both God and Lord,
\nso catholic religion forbids us
\nto say that there are three gods or lords.<\/p>\n
\nThe Son was neither made nor created;
\nhe was begotten from the Father alone.
\nThe Holy Spirit was neither made nor created nor begotten;
\nhe proceeds from the Father and the Son.<\/p>\n
\nthere is one Son, not three sons;
\nthere is one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.<\/p>\n
\nnothing is greater or smaller;
\nin their entirety the three persons
\nare coeternal and coequal with each other.<\/p>\n
\nwe must worship their trinity in their unity
\nand their unity in their trinity.<\/p>\n
\nshould think thus about the trinity.<\/p>\n
\nthat one also believe in the incarnation
\nof our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.<\/p>\n
\nthat our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son,
\nis both God and human, equally.<\/p>\n
\nbegotten before time;
\nand he is human from the essence of his mother,
\nborn in time;
\ncompletely God, completely human,
\nwith a rational soul and human flesh;
\nequal to the Father as regards divinity,
\nless than the Father as regards humanity.<\/p>\n
\nyet Christ is not two, but one.
\nHe is one, however,
\nnot by his divinity being turned into flesh,
\nbut by God’s taking humanity to himself.
\nHe is one,
\ncertainly not by the blending of his essence,
\nbut by the unity of his person.
\nFor just as one human is both rational soul and flesh,
\nso too the one Christ is both God and human.<\/p>\n
\nhe descended to hell;
\nhe arose from the dead;
\nhe ascended to heaven;
\nhe is seated at the Father’s right hand;
\nfrom there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
\nAt his coming all people will arise bodily
\nand give an accounting of their own deeds.
\nThose who have done good will enter eternal life,
\nand those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.<\/p>\n
\none cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.<\/p>\n
\n