
The Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian creed is not easy to read, and it illustrates the hazards of trying to formulate human constructions from the Bible.
The major part looks further into the nature of the Trinity, stating, “all three persons are co-equal and co-eternal … three persons are to be worshipped in one Godhead and one God is to be worshipped in three persons.”
A second part outlines the nature of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, “at once God and man … begotten before the ages of the substance of the Father … and born in the world of the substance of his mother, perfect God and perfect man … one Christ, not by confusion of substance but by unity in one person.”
It ends with a very short section on the final judgement of Jesus Christ, stating, “Those who have done good will enter eternal life, and those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire.”
Full version of the creed ...
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that they hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt they shall perish everlastingly.
And the Catholic Faith is this: 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, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Spirit uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise 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 the Christian verity 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 of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. They therefore that will be saved must think thus of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that they also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Human; God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Human of the substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Human, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his humanity; Who, although they be God and Human, yet they are not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of Humanity into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, He sitteth at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all people will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, which except a person believe faithfully, they cannot be saved.
Amen.
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