This article should be read in conjunction with Part 3 (here), especially paragraph 3 of the Nicene Creed presented there.
the Lord and Giver of life,
The Nicene Creed (AD 325) stated nothing more than a belief in the Holy Spirit. Some began to teach that the Holy Spirit was not divine. Therefore, it was affirmed in the AD 381 revisions of the creed that the Holy Spirit is the Lord and Giver of life. Various scriptures bear this out, with 2 Corinthians 3:17 expressly stating “the Lord is the Spirit”. Further, the Holy Spirit’s activity in creation is observed in His presence in Genesis 1:2 hovering over the waters. According to Psalm 33:6, the breath (Spirit) of God is the means through which God spoke creation into existence. His activity is implicit in the creation of man in Genesis 2:7 as life is given to his clay-formed body. The breath of life is the Spirit and is understood in Job 33:4 in a similar way. Therefore, this first clause demonstrates that the Holy Spirit is no less Lord and Creator than the Father and the Son.
who proceeds from the Father (filioque)
Since the Holy Spirit is God, He must be co-eternal with the Father and the Son. How should we understand this relationship? When it came to the Son, His eternal generation was expressed in relation to the Father. The Holy Spirit’s being is described as proceeding from the Father in John 15:26 and 1 Corinthians 2:12. In the years after AD 381, a phrase was added called the filioque. Filioque is Latin for “and the Son”. This addition was to make explicit that the Holy Spirit was also proceeding from the Son (cp. John 16:7) to complete the triangle of relationships within the Trinity (i.e., the relationships between Father and Son, Father and Spirit and Son and Spirit). A more familiar way of describing this would be that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, through the Son. This seems to be a small addition, but it was vigorously opposed by the Eastern wing of the Church. Even today, those who identify as Orthodox Christians do not affirm the filioque. It is thus one of the teachings that contributed to the split in the Church which occurred officially in AD 1054.
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
As God, the Holy Spirit should be worshiped and glorified alongside the Father and the Son. This may be something you do not often think about and may be helpful to consider in your personal Christian life. When we worship God, we worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we give the Holy Spirit His proper place in our bodies, we are worshipping Him by enthroning Him in His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). As the conduit through Whom we interact with the Father and the Son, we should be careful to recognize that He is no less worthy of our worship.
who spoke by the prophets.
This clause affirmed the role of the Holy Spirit in inspiration (1 Timothy 3:16). God has communicated with us through the Holy Spirit. Luke records this explicitly in Acts 21:11 and the writer of Hebrews attributes the words of a Psalm to the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 3:7). Peter emphasizes that the Scriptures are the words of God, stating that the men who recorded them “were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Apostolic
This word added a fourth characteristic of the Church (one, holy, catholic and apostolic) and emphasizes that Church practice is based on the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42). What constitutes the apostles’ teaching? In short, the New Testament. The apostles were entrusted with making the teachings of the Lord Jesus known (Matthew 28:18-20). In the Upper Room ministry of John 13-17, Jesus encouraged the disciples in this mission by promising the arrival of another Helper, of the same kind as Himself: His Spirit, who would be their guide and help in this task.
we acknowledge one baptism
As a single clause, this seems to be in accord with Ephesians 4:5. However, it has been a source of controversy since it is linked with the forgiveness (remission) of sins. It is possible, even likely, that some in the council believed in baptismal regeneration. That is the belief that baptism saves you. This is patently false, because salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). However, the phrase could also be construed to mean that Christians are baptized because they have received forgiveness through faith Christ. This would accord with the New Testament teaching that all believers in the Lord Jesus are to be baptized as a mark of their membership in the one holy catholic (i.e., universal)[1] and apostolic Church. The fact that there is one baptism affirms that all believers own in baptism an association with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. This is clearly pictured in the baptismal mode of immersion in water. Therefore, baptism is not the entrance into a particular denomination or set of beliefs (as some had been teaching), but a marker of belonging to the one body of Christ.
The Nicene Creed of AD 381 has become recognized as the minimum belief for orthodoxy. It does not cover all there is to believe, but expresses the most basic truths about the Persons and work of the Godhead that ought to be appreciated by every believer. What a blessing it is to know this God as Father, through the salvation that is made possible by the work of His Son and made accessible through the ministry of His Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God, our God!
References
The Nicene Creed: Every Word Explained by Gavin Ortland on Truth Unites Youtube Channel
Know the Creeds and Councils by Justin Holcomb
