“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; descended into hell, on the third day rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.»
The “Creed” (Symbol of Faith) is a brief summary of the main Christian truths, formulated in the first centuries of the Church. It does not replace the Bible—it summarizes it in a few sentences that can be memorized and repeated as a prayer or confession of faith. There are two main Creeds: the Apostles’ Creed (shorter) and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (longer). Here you will find the full texts, history, and an explanation of each phrase.
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (full form)
An expanded version adopted at the Councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). This is the “Creed” heard in the liturgy and in most Christian communities.
“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And rose again on the third day, as it is written. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I await the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.»
Explanation of the main statements
1. “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty”
The first truth: God is one. Not a pantheon, not nature, not a “higher power.” This is a personal God who is Father (near) and Almighty (powerful at the same time). The word “Father” is a direct reference to how Jesus Himself spoke about God (Matt 6:9).
2. “Creator of heaven and earth”
God is the Creator. The world did not generate itself and did not appear by chance. The Bible states this directly (Gen 1:1). This statement declares that matter, time, and space are God’s creation, not something eternal and self-existing.
3. “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God”
Jesus is not merely a Teacher, not a prophet, not “one of the ways.” He is God the Son, of one substance with the Father. This is the most important statement of the Creed and the greatest stumbling block for many. Because if Jesus is God, then His words are not merely wise advice, but ultimate truth.
4. “Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary”
This emphasizes Christ’s two natures: divine (conceived by the Spirit) and human (born of Mary). He did not “become” God, nor did He merely “pretend” to be human. He is fully God and fully Man at the same time.
5. “Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified”
This is a specific historical event, not a symbol. Pilate was a real Roman governor whose records have been found by archaeologists. It is a reminder that Christianity is about a real Person in a real era, not a myth.
6. “And rose again on the third day”
The central statement—without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile” (1 Cor 15:17). The resurrection is not a metaphor for spiritual renewal, but a bodily coming forth from death, witnessed by hundreds of people (1 Cor 15:6).
7. “He will come to judge the living and the dead”
The Second Coming. World history has an endpoint, not endless continuation. Every person will meet God—either at His coming or in the general resurrection.
8. “I believe in the Holy Spirit”
The third Person of God. The Spirit is not an impersonal force, but a living “I” who guides, comforts, convicts, and sanctifies (John 14:26, 16:13). Through the Spirit, God works in the human heart today.
9. “In one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church”
The Church is not a building or an organization, but the community of those who believe in Christ. “Catholic” = universal (throughout the whole world). “Apostolic” = founded on the teaching of the apostles. This means: a Christian is not alone—he is part of a vast spiritual family stretching across centuries and continents.
10. "I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins"
Baptism is a public declaration of faith and a sign of new life. Biblically, it is done once, upon belief, in adulthood (Acts 2:38, 8:36–38).
11. "I await the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come"
The final statement is about hopehope. Death is not the end. There will be a resurrection of all who died in Christ, and life in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev. 21:1).
How the Creed differs from prayer
"I believe" is not a request to God, but a acknowledgmentconfession of faith. When a person repeats it, they declare: "I believe this. This is my position. This is where I stand."
This is especially important in times of doubt. When the mind is full of questions, repeating the Creed means coming onto solid ground, moving from "what I feel" to "what I know."
Can the Creed be repeated as a prayer
Yes, but with the understanding that this is not an ordinary prayer of request, but a confession of faith. God does not need to be reminded what He believes — it is we who remind ourselves what we believe. Regular repetition of the Creed helps to:
- Structure our own faith (and not just our feelings).
- Pass on to children a brief framework of Christian truths.
- Resist doubts and the attacks of lies.
- Unite with all Christians across the centuries — because these words are spoken in all churches.
What to do with the line "he descended into hell"
This is a phrase that raises questions. What was Jesus doing in hell between death and resurrection?
In the Greek original, it says "hades" — the realm of the dead, not "hell" in the modern sense (a place of eternal torment). This means that Jesus truly died — He passed through the state of death, as every human being does. He did not "disappear" for three days, but was truly dead, as it was said in Psalm 16:10: "You will not abandon my soul to Sheol."
How to teach children the Creed
- Break it into small phrases. Do not teach the whole text at once. Start with the first sentence: "I believe in God the Father, the Creator."
- Explain each word. "Almighty" — who is that? "Only begotten" — what does that mean? Children's questions are the best ones.
- Connect it with familiar stories. "Born of the Virgin Mary" — recall the Christmas story.
- Repeat it every day before bedtime. The child will memorize it in a week. The meaning will come later.
Questions about faith
If you want to explore a particular statement of the Creed more deeply — about the triune nature of God, the nature of Christ, the resurrection, the Second Coming — ask your question to our AI assistant below. It will provide relevant Scripture texts and historical context.
