Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds
The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are the first two of the three Ecumenical Creeds of the church catholic. The Creeds themselves form the rule of faith for the Christian church, that is a distillation of the basics of the faith as drawn from Scripture. Below we have provided a table that breaks down the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds by section and provide the Biblical texts from which these sections are drawn. After all the Creeds are drawn from the Scriptures themselves. We will note that the references below are not exhaustive.
Article I: God the Father, Creation
| Apostles’ Creed | Nicene Creed | Scripture | Hymn |
|---|---|---|---|
| I believe | I believe | Rom. 10:9, Jas 2:19, John 14:1 | Sing Praise to God, The Highest Good (LSB 819) |
| in God, | in one God, | Deut. 6:4, Isaiah 44:6 | |
| the Father | the Father | Isaiah 63:16, 2 Pet. 1:17, Mt. 6:9 | Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (LSB 802) |
| Almighty, | Almighty, | Gen. 1:7:1, Ps 9:1:1, Rev. 4:8 | |
| Maker | Maker | Job 4:17, 35:10, Isaiah 17:7, 54:5 | Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (LSB 790) |
| of heaven | of heaven | Gen. 1:1, 1:8 | |
| and earth | and earth | Ps. 104:5, Jer. 51:15 | |
| and all things | Gen. 1:31 | ||
| visible and invisible. | Ps. 89:11-12, Amos 4:13, Rev. 3:5, Col. 1:16 |
Article II: Redemption
| Apostles’ Creed | Nicene Creed | Scripture | Hymn |
|---|---|---|---|
| suffered* | He suffered | 1 Pet. 2:21, Heb. 2:10 | O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (LSB 450) |
| died | Mt. 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, John 19:30, 19:33, Rom. 5:6, 6:3, 1 Cor. 11:26, 15:3 | ||
| and was buried. | and was buried. | Mark 15:46, 1 Cor. 15:4 | |
| He descended into hell. | 1 Pet. 3:19, Eph. 4:9 | Christ is the World’s Redeemer (LSB 539) | |
| The third day | And the third day | Mt. 27:63, 28:1, 1 Cor. 15:4 | Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands (LSB 458) |
| He rose again from the dead. | He rose again | Mark 16:6, 2 Tim. 2:8 | |
| according to the Scriptures | Ps. 16:10, Luke 24:25-27, 1 Cor. 15:4 | ||
| He ascended | and ascended | Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9 | Up Through Endless Ranks of Angels (LSB 491) |
| into heaven | into heaven | Mark 16:19, Acts 1:11 | |
| and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. | and sits at the right hand of the Father. | Ps. 110:1, Mt. 26:64, Acts 7:56, Heb. 1:3 | See, the Lord Ascends in Triumph (LSB 494) |
| From thence He shall again come | And He will come again | John 14:3, 1 Thes. 4:16 | The Day Is Surely Drawing Near (LSB 508) |
| with glory | Mt. 16:27, 24:30, 25:31, 26:64, Mark 8:38, Col. 3:4 | ||
| to judge | to judge | Mt. 25:31-46, Acts 17:31 | |
| the living and the dead. | both the living and the dead, | Acts 10:42, 1 Pet. 4:5 |
Article III: God the Holy Spirit, Sanctification
| Apostles’ Creed | Nicene Creed | Scripture | Hymn |
|---|---|---|---|
| I believe in the Holy Spirit, | And I believe in the Holy Spirit, | Mt. 28:19, Acts 13:2 | Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord (LSB 497) |
| the Lord | 2 Cor. 3:17 | O Day Full of Grace (LSB 503) | |
| and giver of life, | John 6:63, Rom. 7:6, 8:2, 2 Cor. 3:6 | ||
| Who proceeds from the Father | John 14:16-17 | Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB 498/499) | |
| and the Son, | John 15:26, Rom 8:9, Gal. 4:6 | ||
| Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped | Luke 4:8, John 4:24 | The Lord, My God, Be Praised (LSB 794) | |
| and glorified, | John 4:24, 1 Tim. 1:17 | ||
| Who spoke by the prophets. | 1 Pet. 1:10-11, 2 Pet. 1:21 | God Has Spoken by His Prophets (LSB 583) |
| Apostles’ Creed | Nicene Creed | Scripture | Hymn |
|---|---|---|---|
| And I believe in the | And I believe in one | 1 Cor. 10:16-17, 12:12-13 | The Church’s One Foundation (LSB 644) |
| holy | holy | Eph. 3:16-17, 5:27, 1 Pet. 2:9 | |
| catholic | catholic | 1 Cor. 1:2 | |
| and apostolic | Eph. 2:20, Rev. 21:14 | ||
| Church, | Church, | Acts 20:28, Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:24, Heb. 12:23, 1 Pet. 2:9 | |
| the communion of saints, | 1 Cor. 1:2, 10:16-17, Eph. 2:19, 6:18, Rev. 7:9, 7:14 | For All the Saints (LSB 677) | |
| I acknowledge one Baptism | John 3:5, Rom. 6:3, Eph. 4:5 | God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It (LSB 594) | |
| the forgiveness of sins, | for the remission of sins, | Acts 2:38, 1 Pet. 3:21, Tit. 3:5 | |
| the resurrection of the body, | and I look for the resurrection of the dead | 1 Thes. 4:16, 1 Cor. 15:12-13, 15:16, 15:52 | Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart (LSB 708) |
| and the life everlasting. | and the life of the world to come. | 1 Cor. 15:54-57, Rev. 22:5 | Jerusalem the Golden (LSB 672) |
| Amen. | Amen. | Ps. 41:13, 2 Cor. 1:20 | Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow (LSB 805) |