How can I defend the Niceean Creed?

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How can I prove to someone who claims that the Apostolic Creed is the only true Creed, that the Church acted within her authority to write the Niceean Creed and then put the additions?
Please help me find New Testament proofs that the Church has power in defining the Creed or writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church that explain the necessity of the Creed to be written as it was in Niceea. And if you can find texts that explain the need for the additions please help me there too.
 
I’m not sure I’m understanding. Is the issue the church’s authority (i.e. the church has no authority to author or amend a Creed) or a dispute on the text of the Niceean Creed ( ie. someone has issue with content / text itself)? Understanding the back-story of your conversation and where the objection is coming from and the nature of the objection would be helpful.
 
The fact that it is the first recorded Creed early Christians used.
 
It is the case of him saying that the Apostles said " one Creed" and the Church not only changed it but now there are at least 4 versions of it and the Catholic Church allows it and the Orthodox only accept one Creed but it is the Niceean extended version without filioque.
 
You may find this link helpful. The filioque issue was one of language (semantics) which significantly affected the trinitarian beliefs on both sides … several centuries of heated arguments and finger-pointing on both sides. Common ground was found and it was pretty much settled back in the 1400’s and mutually agreed and proclaimed in the Council of Florence in 1439 … until under pressure by Muslim conquerers the Eastern Church separated again from the Western Church.


See Catholic Catechism on filioque discussion of differences CCC 243-248 and particularly the last sentence of CCC 248 “This legitimate complementarity, provided it does not become rigid, does not affect the identity of faith in the reality of the same mystery confessed.”

These types of linguistically-inspired differences should not be allowed to divide us… God is love. While we may have doctrinal differences (i.e. papal authority and whether Mary was born with original sin), I was not aware that this was still an issue … does your individual believe we are separated and at odds over this issue?
 
The guy who asked me about the Apostolic Creed has a good point here in my conscience. He never said this but inspired me again to think over a thought that has crossed my mind recently, when I began considering that filioque isn’t a big issue.
Here is my thought - from the point of explaining Holy Spirit, knowing that three hypostasis represented by three Divine Persons had to be defended - to add anything did mean opening a rocky road from the start. Could this be a sign that the Creed shouldn’t have changed?
You and I may not be divided over it but our bishops are and… St. Photius the Great said " where is a bishop there is church". I pray they solve it.
I pray with lots of love without taking sides. 😊
 
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Mary888 said:
represented by three Divine Persons
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I hear what you’re saying … but going across languages is very, very difficult. I mean I have a hard time describing a concept like the Trinity in my own language (English) but the prospect of adequately describing it across other languages … without losing the “true” meaning … it boggles my mind. Some languages just don’t have the “right words” to express things as precisely they can or should be expressed when going from one language to another. Eeeps!
 
I think they discuss the meanings in Greek and Latin. Both parties speak these languages. Then they translate to present it to everyone.
 
@Mary888

Read Acts Ch 15 full
Acts 15:6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers.Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.”

Acts 9:31 Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Romans 11:33-35 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”“ Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return? “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Ephesians 1:11 In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will,
 
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Mary888 said:
How can I prove to someone who claims that the Apostolic Creed is the only true Creed, that the Church acted within her authority to write the Niceean Creed and then put the additions?
Please help me find New Testament proofs that the Church has power in defining the Creed or writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church that explain the necessity of the Creed to be written as it was in Niceea. And if you can find texts that explain the need for the additions please help me there too.
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Ask your friend to explain the basis for his believing in the Apostles Creed.
 
He said, besides the point that the changes seem to have brought division in the Church which seems like a sign to him (I agree here) and the fact that the Council of Nicaea was about combating arianism and heresies not changing the Creed, this reason: the Rosary, which is a prayer given in revelation right?, is said with the Apostolic Creed. The versions of the Rosary I found are indeed said with the Apostolic Creed. Could it have been said so by Theotokos when she presented it?
I am as you an see tempted by the idea that changing the Creed by adding to it was a risky trip the Church it, by my love for her (both East and West) am sure is strong enough to prevail for me judging her.
Pray for me!
St. Nicholas today on your feast, help me understand since you were at the Council of Nicaea and you helped me before!
🤲🙏
 
But that still doesn’t make much sense. He doesn’t know the source of the Apostles Creed, other than the Church, herself, presumably, and the same Church later expands the creed at Nicea in order to cover more exhaustively her beliefs-as a direct result of the council since the heresies addressed by the council were the very reason for the changes made in the creed! That’s one of the jobs of the Church, to bring increasing clarity to the faith. And where did the changes bring about division? Significant and lasting controversy was to come much later in my understanding, with the filoque, and not due to Nicea.

As to the association of the Apostles Creed with the Rosary, the historical reasons for that relationship would require speculation at this point. Either way, both creeds have continued to be valued and used by the Church down through the centuries.
 
Mary888 said:
How can I prove to someone who claims that the Apostolic Creed is the only true Creed, that the Church acted within her authority to write the Niceean Creed and then put the additions?
Please help me find New Testament proofs that the Church has power in defining the Creed or writings of the Holy Fathers of the Church that explain the necessity of the Creed to be written as it was in Niceea. And if you can find texts that explain the need for the additions please help me there too.
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When we are asked by anyone, what do you believe as Catholics, we don’t have to stand there and think about how to answer the question. We can recite either the apostles creed or Nicean creed. Everything is there from scripture and tradition.

As an aside, scripture (73 books) were officially canonized in 382. Many years after the the council wrote and confirmed the Nicean creed.
 
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