C U L T -AND- C U L T U R E
T H E A T H A N A S I A N C R E E D
INTRODUCTION TO THE ATHANASIAN CREED - This creed is attributed to Athanasius, the fourth century bishop of Alexandria who was the strongest defender at that time of the doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. However, It seems to have come from the Western church and to have been an anonymous work with its present form dating no earlier than the ninth century. It defines the doctrines of the Trinity and the nature of Christ in very concise language. The sources are the Institute for Christian Leadership website with a link to a page on the Coptic Network website and a very minor reference to Volume II of Philip Schaff's The Creeds of Christendom.
THE ATHANASIAN CREED
Whoever wills to
be in a state of salvation, before all things it is necessary that he hold the
catholic [1] faith, which except everyone shall have kept whole and undefiled
without doubt he will perish eternally. Now the catholic faith is that we
worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons
nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of
the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as
the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father
uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the father
infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal,
the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but one
eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated,
and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and
the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one almighty. So the
Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but
one God. So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet
not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to
acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord; so are we forbidden
by the catholic religion to say, there be three Gods or three Lords. The Father
is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone,
not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son,
not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one Father not
three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and one Holy Spirit not three Holy
Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after, nothing greater
or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal. So that
in all things, as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is
to be worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation, let him
think thus of the Trinity.
But it is necessary to eternal salvation that he also believe faithfully the
Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The right faith therefore is that we
believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.
He is God of the substance of the Father begotten before the worlds, and He is
man of the substance of His mother born in the world; perfect God, perfect man
subsisting of a reasoning soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as touching
His Godhead, inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood. Who although He be
God and Man yet He is not two but one Christ; one however not by conversion of
the Godhead in the flesh, but by taking of the Manhood in God; one altogether
not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person. For as the reasoning soul
and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our
salvation, descended into hell, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven,
sits at the right hand of the Father, from whence He shall come to judge the
living and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies
and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall
go into life eternal, and they who indeed have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith, which except a man shall have believed faithfully
and firmly he cannot be in a state of salvation.
1. apostolic/universal