The Ancient Standards of the Church is a collective name for several foundational statements of Christian doctrine developed in the early centuries of the Church. These include the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Definition of Chalcedon, and the Anathemas of the Second Council of Constantinople. These documents were formed in response to various theological controversies and heresies, and they continue to serve as essential expressions of the Christian faith across many denominations.
The Ancient Standards of the Church serve several important purposes:
- Doctrinal Clarity: These documents define essential Christian doctrines, particularly concerning the nature of God, Christ, and salvation. They help distinguish orthodox belief from heretical teachings.
- Unity of the Faith: By providing clear and authoritative summaries of biblical teaching, these documents have historically united Christians across different regions and cultures around shared beliefs.
- Catechesis and Worship: These creeds and definitions are used in catechesis (religious instruction) and public worship. They have been recited, studied, and memorized by generations of Christians as expressions of their faith.
- Historical Continuity: The Ancient Documents of the Church connect contemporary believers with the early Church. They remind Christians today of the continuity of the faith handed down through the ages.
The Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Definition of Chalcedon, and the Anathemas of the Second Council of Constantinople collectively represent the foundational doctrinal standards of historic Christianity. Their enduring relevance and authority testify to the Church’s commitment to preserving and proclaiming the truth of God’s revelation in Scripture. Many Christian denominations continue to affirm these ancient documents as vital expressions of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic faith.
Апостолски Символ на Верата
Верувам во Бог, Отецот Вседржател,
создавател на небото и земјата.
Верувам во Исус Христос, неговиот един Син, нашиот Господ.Кој беше зачнат од моќта на Светиот Дух
и роден од девицата Марија.
Страдаше во времето на Понтиј Пилат,
беше распнат, почина и беше погребан.
Слезе во адот.
На третиот ден воскресна.
Се вознесе во небесата,
и седи оддесно на Отецот.
Тој ќе дојди повторно да ги суди живите и мртвите.
Верувам во Светиот Дух,
светата соборна Црква,
причест на светците,
простување на гревовите,
воскресение на телото,
и живот вечен.
Амин.
* The Apostles’ Creed is an early statement of Christian belief that likely originated in the 2nd century. While its exact origins are unclear, it was used widely in the Western Church as a baptismal confession of faith. The creed summarizes key doctrines concerning the Trinity, Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and the hope of eternal life. It is highly valued for its simplicity and clarity, making it a cornerstone of Christian catechesis.
Никејско-Цариградски Символ на Верата
Верувам во Единиот Бог Отец, Седржител, Творец на Небото и на земјата, на сè видливо и невидливо;
И во Единиот Господ Исус Христос, Син Божји, Единороден, Кој е роден од Отецот пред сите векови; Светлина од Светлината, вистински Бог од Бога вистински; роден, нестворен, едносуштен на Отецот, преку Кого сè станало;
Кој, заради нас луѓето и заради нашето спасение, слезе од Небото и се вплоти од Светиот Дух и Марија Дева и стана човек;
И беше распнат заради нас во времето на Понтиј Пилат, и страдаше, и беше погребен;
И воскресна во третиот ден, според Писмото;
И се вознесе на Небото и седи оддесно на Отецот;
И пак ќе дојде со слава, да им суди на живите и мртвите, и Неговото Царство ќе нема крај;
И во Светиот Дух, Господ, кој живот твори, Кој исходи од Отецот и од Синот, на Кого се поклонуваме и Го славиме заедно со Отецот и Синот, и Кој говорел преку пророците;
Во едната, света, соборна и апостолска Црква;
Исповедувам едно крштение, за простување на гревовите;
Го чекам воскресението на мртвите;
И животот во идниот век.
Амин.
*The Nicene Creed was formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and later expanded at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. It was created to address the Arian controversy, which denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ. The Nicene Creed affirms the doctrine of the Trinity and proclaims the consubstantiality (homoousios) of the Son with the Father.
Атанасиев Символ на Верата
Кој сака спасение, треба пред сè да се придржува до соборната вера. Секој што не ја одржува целовита и неосквернета, несомнено ќе пропадне засекогаш.
Ова е соборната вера:
Обожуваме еден Бог во Тројство и Тројството во Единство, ниту сплотувајќи ги Личностите, ниту делејќи ја на нивната Сушност. Затоа што Личноста на Отецот е посебна, Личноста на Синот е посебна и таа од Светиот Дух исто така. Но Божеството на Отецот, Синот и Светиот Дух е едно, нивната Слава е еднаква, нивната Величественост е совечна. Како што Отецот не е создаден, така и Синот и Светиот Дух не се создадени. Како што е Отецот неограничен, така се и Синот и Светиот дух неограничени. Како што е Отецот вечен, така се и Синот и Светиот дух вечни. Но тие не се тројно вечни, туку едновечни. Тие не се тројно несоздадени, ниту тројно бесконечни, туку едно несоздадени и едно бесконечни. Отецот е Вседржател, како што и Синот и Светиот Дух се Вседржател. Но и покрај тоа тие не се три Вседржатели, туку еден Вседржател. Така Отецот е Бог, како што и Синот и Светиот Дух е Бог, но и покрај тоа тие не се три Богови, туку еден Бог. Како што Отецот е Господ, така Синот и Светиот Дух се Господ. И покрај тоа нема три Господа, туку еден Господ.
Принудени од Христијанската вистинитост, ја спознаваме секоја Личност поединечно како Бог и Господ, притоа соборната вера не ни дозволува да кажеме дека постојат три Богови или три Господа. Отецот не произлегува од никого, ниту е создаден, ниту е роден. Синот е само од Отецот, не е создаден, но е роден. Светиот Дух е од Отецот и Синот, не е создаден, ниту е роден, но произлегува од нив. Така има само еден Отец, а не три Отци. Има еден Син, а не три Сина. Има еден Свет Дух, а не три Свети Духа. И во ова Тројство никој не претходи или следи и никој не е поголем или помал од другите, но трите Личности се совечни и соеднакви. Следствено на кажаното, во сите нешта Единството на Тројството и Тројството на Единството треба да се обожува. Тој што ќе има спасение, нека размислува за Тројството на овој начин.
Понатака, неопходно за вечно спасение е да се верува доследно во Отелотворувањето на нашиот Господ Исус Христос. Вистинската Вера е да веруваме и исповедаме дека Господ Исус Христос, Синот Божји, е Бог и Човек. Тој е Бог во Суштината на Отецот, роден пред световите, но и Човек во Суштината на неговата Мајка, роден во светот. Совршен Бог и совршен Човек, инфериорен спрема Отецот само во својата Човечност. Иако е Бог и Човек, тој не е двајца, туку еден Христос. Тој не е Еден преку претварање на Божеството во тело, туку преку присвојување на Човечноста во Бог. Тоа не е соединување преку мешање на Суштественоста, туку преку единство на Личностите. Како што разумната душа и тело се еден човек, така Бог и Човекот се еден Христос.
Тој страдаше за наше спасение, се спушти во пеколот и на третиот ден воскресна од мртвите. Се вознесе во небесата, устоличен од десната страна на Бог Отецот Вседржател, од каде што ќе суди на живите и мртвите. На неговото доаѓање сите луѓе ќе воскреснат во своите тела и ќе дадат отчет за сработените дела. Тие што чинеле добро ќе одат во вечен живот, а тие што правеле зло во вечен оган.
Ова е соборната вера. Ако човек не верува вистински и силно во неа, тој нема да има спасение.
*Attributed to Athanasius, the Athanasian Creed likely originated in the 5th or 6th century. It provides a detailed and precise articulation of Trinitarian theology and Christology. Unlike other creeds, it explicitly pronounces the necessity of holding to orthodox Trinitarian belief for salvation.
Халкидонска Исповед
Следејќи ги Светите Отци, сложно давајќи согласност, учиме луѓето да го исповедаат единствениот Син, нашиот Господ Исус Христос, еднакво совршен во Божество и човечност, навистина Бог и навистина човек, од разумна душа и тело. Тој е единосуштен со Отецот во Божество, а како човек единосуштен со нас во човечноста, во сите нешта како нас, но безгрешен. Тој е роден од Отецот во Божество пред сите времиња, а во овие подоцнежни дни за нас и нашето спасение роден од девицата Марија, Мајката Божја, во човечноста. Едниот ист Христос, Син, Господ, единороден, да се знае по Неговите две природи, неслиено, непроменливо, неразделно, нераздвоиво (ἐν δύο φύσεσιν ἀσυγχύτως, ἀτρέπτως, ἀδιαιρέτως, ἀχωρίστως – in duabus naturis inconfuse, immutabiliter, indivise, inseparabiliter). Разликата во двете природи да не се изгуби во нивното единство, туку својствата од секоја да останат зачувани. Тие се обединуваат во една Личност (prosopon) и еден Ипостас (hypostasis), без делови и поделба во две лица, но еден единствен Син, единороден Бог (μονογενῆ Θεόν), Логос, Господ Исус Христос, како што древните пророците Го најавија, како Господ Исус Христос Самиот нè поучуваше и како што ни беше предадено преку символите на верата од Светите Отци.
*The Definition of Chalcedon was issued by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. This statement was crafted to address the heresy of Eutychianism, which conflated the divine and human natures of Christ into one nature. The Definition affirms that Jesus Christ is one person in two distinct but united natures—divine and human—without confusion, change, division, or separation. This doctrine is foundational for the Christological beliefs of most Christian denominations.
Анатеми на Вториот Цариградски Собор
I.
If anyone does not confess that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one nature or essence, one power or authority, worshipped as a trinity of the same essence, one deity in three hypostases or persons, let him be anathema. For there is one God and Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit, in whom are all things.
II.
If anyone does not confess that God the Word was twice begotten, the first before all time from the Father, non-temporal and bodiless, the other in the last days when he came down from the heavens and was incarnate by the holy, glorious, God-bearer, ever-virgin Mary, and born of her, let him be anathema.
III.
If anyone says that God the Word who performed miracles is one and Christ who suffered is another, or says that God the Word was together with Christ who came from woman, or that the Word was in him as one person is in another, but is not one and the same, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, incarnate and become human, and that the wonders and the suffering which he voluntarily endured in flesh were not of the same person, let him be anathema.
IV.
If anyone says that the union of the Word of God with man was only according to grace or function or dignity or equality of honor or authority or relation or effect or power or according to his good pleasure, as though God the Word was pleased with man, or approved of him, as the raving Theodosius says; or that the union exists according to similarity of name, by which the Nestorians call God the Word Jesus and Christ, designating the man separately as Christ and as Son, speaking thus clearly of two persons, but when it comes to his honor, dignity, and worship, pretend to say that there is one person, one Son and one Christ, by a single designation; and if he does not acknowledge, as the holy Fathers have taught, that the union of God is made with the flesh animated by a reasonable and intelligent soul, and that such union is according to synthesis or hypostasis, and that therefore there is only one person, the Lord Jesus Christ one of the holy Trinity — let him be anathema. As the word “union” has many meanings, the followers of the impiety of Apollinaris and Eutyches, assuming the disappearance of the natures, affirm a union by confusion. On the other hand the followers of Theodore and of Nestorius rejoicing in the division of the natures, introduce only a union of relation. But the holy Church of God, rejecting equally the impiety of both heresies, recognizes the union of God the Word with the flesh according to synthesis, that is according to hypostasis. For in the mystery of Christ the union according to synthesis preserves the two natures which have combined without confusion and without separation.
V.
If anyone understands the expression — one hypostasis of our Lord Jesus Christ — so that it means the union of many hypostases, and if he attempts thus to introduce into the mystery of Christ two hypostases, or two persons, and, after having introduced two persons, speaks of one person according to dignity, honor or worship, as Theodore and Nestorius insanely have written; and if anyone slanders the holy synod of Chalcedon, as though it had used this expression in this impious sense, and does not confess that the Word of God is united with the flesh hypostatically, and that therefore there is but one hypostasis or one person, and that the holy synod of Chalcedon has professed in this sense the one hypostasis of our Lord Jesus Christ; let him be anathema. For the Holy Trinity, when God the Word was incarnate, was not increased by the addition of a person or hypostasis.
VI.
If anyone says that the holy, glorious, and ever-virgin Mary [Note: The claim that Mary is “ever-virgin” is Roman Catholic folklore. (Jonathan Barlow)] is called God-bearer by misuse of language and not truly, or by analogy, believing that only a mere man was born of her and that God the Word was not incarnate of her, but that the incarnation of God the Word resulted only from the fact that he united himself to that man who was born of her; if anyone slanders the Holy Synod of Chalcedon as though it had asserted the Virgin to be God-bearer according to the impious sense of Theodore; or if anyone shall call her manbearer or Christbearer, as if Christ were not God, and shall not confess that she is truly God-bearer, because God the Word who before all time was begotten of the Father was in these last days incarnate of her, and if anyone shall not confess that in this pious sense the holy Synod of Chalcedon confessed her to be God-bearer: let him be anathema.
VII.
If anyone using the expression, “in two natures,” does not confess that our one Lord Jesus Christ is made known in the deity and in the manhood, in order to indicate by that expression a difference of the natures of which the ineffable union took place without confusion, a union in which neither the nature of the Word has changed into that of the flesh, nor that of the flesh into that of the Word (for each remained what it was by nature, even when the union by hypostasis had taken place); but shall take the expression with regard to the mystery of Christ in a sense so as to divide the parties, let him be anathema. Or if anyone recognizing the number of natures in the same our one Lord Jesus Christ, God the Word incarnate, does not take in contemplation only the difference of the natures which compose him, which difference is not destroyed by the union between them — for one is composed of the two and the two are in one — but shall make use of the number two to divide the natures or to make of them persons properly so called, let him be anathema.
VIII.
If anyone confesses that the union took place out of two natures or speaks of the one incarnate nature of God the Word and does not understand those expressions as the holy Fathers have taught, that out of the divine and human natures, when union by hypostasis took place, one Christ was formed; but from these expressions tries to introduce one nature or essence of the Godhead and manhood of Christ; let him be anathema. For in saying that the only-begotten Word was united by hypostasis personally we do not mean that there was a mutual confusion of natures, but rather we understand that the Word was united to the flesh, each nature remaining what it was. Therefore there is one Christ, God and man, of the same essence with the Father as touching his Godhead, and of the same essence with us as touching his manhood. Therefore the Church of God equally rejects and anathematizes those who divide or cut apart or who introduce confusion into the mystery of the divine dispensation of Christ.
IX.
If anyone says that Christ ought to be worshipped in his two natures, in the sense that he introduces two adorations, the one peculiar to God the Word and the other peculiar to the man; or if anyone by destroying the flesh, or by confusing the Godhead and the humanity, or by contriving one nature or essence of those which were united and so worships Christ, and does not with one adoration worship God the Word incarnate with his own flesh, as the Church of God has received from the beginning; let him be anathema.
X.
If anyone does not confess that our Lord Jesus Christ who was crucified in the flesh is true God and the Lord of Glory and one of the Holy Trinity; let him be anathema.
XI.
If anyone does not anathematize Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, Apollinaris, Nestorius, Eutyches and Origen, together with their impious, godless writings, and all the other heretics already condemned and anathematized by the holy catholic and apostolic Church, and by the aforementioned four Holy Synods and all those who have held and hold or who in their godlessness persist in holding to the end the same opinion as those heretics just mentioned; let him be anathema.
*The Anathemas of the Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD) were issued to combat the lingering influence of Nestorianism and other Christological heresies. These anathemas reaffirm the decisions of previous ecumenical councils, particularly those of Ephesus and Chalcedon, and condemn any teachings that undermine the unity of Christ’s person. They emphasize the full divinity and full humanity of Christ in one person and uphold the authority of earlier creeds and definitions.