The Creed We Share
Recited in Cairo and in Athens, in Coptic, Arabic, Greek, Syriac, Armenian, Ge'ez and Slavonic, without one word of difference in meaning.
There is no better place to begin. Whatever divides the Orthodox families, this does not. A Copt and a Greek can stand shoulder to shoulder and say every syllable together.
It was hammered out at Nicaea in 325 against those who denied the Son is truly God, and completed at Constantinople in 381 against those who denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. It is not a scholars’ summary, it is the baptismal confession, the words a person says before going down into the water.
As the Coptic Orthodox Church confesses it
Truly we believe in one God, God the Father, the Pantocrator, Who created heaven and earth, and all things, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light; True God of True God; Begotten not created, of One Essence with the Father, by 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 of the Virgin Mary and became Man.
And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; suffered and was buried.
And the third day He arose from the dead, according to the Scriptures.
Ascended into the heavens; He sits at the right hand of His Father.
And He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.
Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.
And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
We confess one Baptism for the remission of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the coming age. Amen.
The Symbol of Faith, from the Synaxarium reading for 9 Hatour, Coptic Orthodox Metropolis of the Southern United States.
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As the Greek Orthodox Church confesses it
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence 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.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;
and He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
And He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Symbol of Our Faith, from the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Read it at the source
English renderings differ slightly from diocese to diocese. Each text above is printed exactly as the Church named beneath it publishes it.