The early councils and the creeds

Ages 13 to 17 Read alone · about 45 minutes

Read together

In the 300s and 400s, bishops met in councils to settle disputes about who Jesus is and about the Trinity. The Council of Nicaea met in 325.

Their statements, such as the Nicene Creed, are still used in many churches today.

Do it

1. Make a timeline: Nicaea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451).
2. Read the Nicene Creed slowly in a translation used by your church. Underline what it says about the Father, the Son and the Spirit.
3. Find which churches use it and which do not use it in worship.
4. Note one difference in the creed's wording between traditions.

Talk about it

• Why did the church need to state its faith clearly?
• How do we read old statements with respect and honesty?

For the grown-up

THEOLOGY NOTE. Churches differ about the councils: Catholic and Orthodox churches accept seven ecumenical councils, many Protestants accept the first four or the creeds, and some churches do not use creeds. The Western churches added the filioque clause ('and the Son') to the Nicene Creed, which Orthodox churches do not accept. Present these fairly and let your tradition speak for itself.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Kelly, J. N. D., Early Christian Creeds (Longman, 3rd edition, 1972)
• Pelikan, J., The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1 (University of Chicago Press, 1971)
• Ayres, L., Nicaea and Its Legacy (Oxford University Press, 2004)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.