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The Eucharistic Theology in The Thought of Ephrem the Syrian
Written By: Tenny Thomas on Jan 14th, 2011 and filed under Articles, We Believe, Youth And Faith.


Part 1 – Ephrem and the Liturgy
Life of Ephrem

In this paper, I will analyze Ephrem’s most important madrashe (teaching) on the liturgy, “The Mysteries of the Eucharist,” along with his madrashe on Faith, Pearls, Church, Unleavened Bread and Nativity where Ephrem considers the Holy Eucharist. Ephrem the Syrian, known as ‘Harp of the Holy Spirit’ is undoubtedly the greatest poet and theologian that the Syrian Church ever produced. He is described as ‘the greatest poet of the patristic age and perhaps the only theologian-poet to rank beside Dante.’ Ephrem was not only a well-known figure in the Syriac-speaking world but also had a great reputation in the Greek East as well as the Latin West. Within the patristic age itself Ephrem’s reputation as a holy man, poet and a theologian was widely known far beyond his Syrian homeland. Less than fifty years after Ephrem’s death Palladius included him among the ascetic saints whose memory he celebrated in the Lausiac History. Sozomen the historian celebrated Ephrem’s memory as a popular ecclesiastical writer, some of whose works had been translated into Greek even during his lifetime.

For Ephrem, the sacred is a dimension that does not submit to analytical investigation by the faculties of reason; only the more fluid logic of scriptural imagery is subtle and allusive enough to evoke it. As Sebastian Brock, a leading authority on early Syriac – speaking Christianity, has eloquently put it: “So astounding is the nature of the Christian mystery — God not just becoming Man, but becoming the very Bread for man to eat — that it is often more meaningful to describe this paradox in the language of poetry, where parable, myth and symbol can perhaps approximate to spiritual reality rather more successfully than straightforward theological description”.

Although Ephrem wrote biblical commentary, prose refutations of the teachings of those whose views he regarded as false, prose meditations, dialogue poems and metrical homilies (memre), there can be no doubt that his preferred genre was the “teaching song” (madrosho). Translators have often called these songs “hymns”, but since they are not primarily songs of praise, the term is not really apt. Rather, they are “teaching songs” (madroshe); they were to be chanted to the accompaniment of the lyre (kennoro), on the model of David, the Psalmist. Perhaps the closest analogue to the madrosho is the Hebrew Piyyut, a genre of liturgical poetry that was sung or chanted during Jewish religious services. Popular in Palestine from the eighth century on, the Piyuut featured biblical themes and literary devices strikingly similar to those employed by Ephrem.

Ephrem composed his “teaching songs” for the liturgy. According to Jerome, Ephrem composed his “teaching songs” for the Divine Liturgy and were to be recited after the scripture lessons. Madroshe would eventually find a place in the liturgy of the hours in the Syriac speaking churches from the earliest periods for which textual witnesses remain. These madroshe consisted of meditations on the symbols that God distributed in nature and scripture. These symbols, which Ephrem often called roze (sing, rozo) in Syriac, which in turn, by God’s grace, discloses to the human mind those aspects of the hidden reality that are within the range of human intelligence.

There are several symbols that Ephrem uses to explain the Eucharist that I will analyze, notably, the Eucharist as “Food”, “Living Coal”, “Pearl” and “Medicine of Life.” In his madrashe on Faith, Ephrem explains that if John the Baptist held even Christ’s sandal straps in awe, how can he hope to approach Christ’s very body? Ephrem takes refuge in the example of the woman who gained healing just through touching Christ’s garment – which in another sense is indeed his body, being the garment of his divinity. The hidden power that lay in Christ’s garment is also present in the Bread and the Wine, consecrated by the fire of the Spirit.

Qurbono (Ephrem's term for Eucharist) 

Ephrem views the Eucharistic body of Christ in dynamic continuity with the actual body of the historical Jesus. As the body of Christ, the Eucharist partakes of the entire historical and eternal reality of Christ in all its complexity — divine and human, corporeal and incorporeal, exalted and earthbound, and, of course, body and blood. In other words, for Ephrem the Eucharist is nothing less than the entire eschatological mystery of Christ taking place here and now in history:

Your bread killed insatiable death which had made us its bread. Your cup put an end to death which gulped us down. Lord, we have eaten and drunk you, not to exhaust you, but to have life in you.

Although Ephrem never used the Greek word “Eucharist,” he had much to say about the Body and the Blood of the Lord in the bread and wine of the church’s daily sacrificial offering to God. For his thoughts on the Body and Blood of the Lord, and their place in the life of the church, one must survey the wide range of his madroshe, searching for the verses in which he instructs the faith of the Christians in attendance at the sacred mysteries.

Qurbono is the Syriac word Ephrem used for the liturgical action we call the Eucharist. It has the sense of “sacrificial offering”, and, as it occurs in the madroshe, refers both to the sacrificial offering associated with the Jewish Passover and to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. In Ephrem’s world, Christians offered the holy qurbono not only at Easter, Sundays and major feast days, but every day.

This is clearly implicated in one of Ephrem’s madroshe, On Paradise:

The assembly of the saints is on the type of Paradise. In it the fruit of the Enlivener of All is plucked each day. In it, my brothers, are squeezed the grapes of the Enlivener of All.

Ephrem refers to the daily qurbono as “the breaking of the bread and the cup of salvation,” often speaking of our Lord’s “breaking his own body”, at the Passover supper, an obvious evocation of the close connection in his mind between Calvary and the Last Supper. Ephrem says of this particular event:

He broke the bread with his own hands in token of the sacrifice of his body. He mixed the cup with his own hands, in token of the sacrifice of his blood. He offered up himself in sacrifice, the priest of our atonement.

For Ephrem, “the Last Supper and its table symbolizes the first church and the first altar, and by extension, representative of all churches and all altars”. Therefore, in his madroshe, Ephrem often calls attention to the prefigurations of the Eucharist in the New Testament and the numerous types and symbols of it in the narratives of the Old Testament. In his estimation, they all find their ultimate focus in the Last Supper and in its consummation on the cross, when blood and water flowed from the pierced side of Christ (John 19:34). This represents the sacraments of the Eucharist and Baptism respectively, and thereby inaugurating the era of the church. Ephrem’s thought on this subject is particularly rich in symbolism, involving a typological connection between the Cherubim’s sword that guarded the way to the tree of life in paradise after Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:24), and the lance which opened Christ’s side on the tree of the cross, thus providing a new entry to glory for the new Adam’s progeny:

Ephrem’s symbolic interpretation of the piercing of Christ’s side is particularly complicated. Christ is the second Adam, from whose side is born the second Eve, the Church; yet through that opening we enter paradise, to come again to the Tree of Life, which is sometimes the Cross but also sometimes Christ himself.

Bibliography
1. Sebastian Brock, “The Harp of the Spirit”. Studies Supplementary to Sobornost, No. 4 (1983) pp. 5.
2. Robert Murray S.J., Symbols of Church and Kingdom (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1975), pp. 31.
3. C. Butler, The Lausiac History of Palladius (2 vols., Texts and Studies, 6; Cambridge, 1898 & 1904), vol. II, pp. 126-127.
4. J. Bidez & G. H. Hansen (eds.), Sozomenus, Kirchengeschichte (Griechische Christliche Schriftsteller, no. 5.; Berlin, 1960), pp. 127-130. Glenn Chesnut, The First Christian Histories: Eusebius, Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, and Evagrius. Paris: Éditions Beauchesne, 1977.
5. Sebastian Brock, “The Harp of the Spirit”. Studies Supplementary to Sobornost, No. 4 (1983) pp. 5.
6. Sidney Griffith, “Images of Ephrem: the Syrian Holy Man and his Church”, Traditio (1989-1990), pp. 7-33. Sidney H. Griffith, “Spirit in the Bread; Fire in the Wine: The Eucharist as Living Medicine in the Thought of Ephraem the Syrian,” Modern Theology 15.2 (1999), pp. 225-246.
7. Koonammakkal Thoma Kathanar, “Changing Views on Ephrem”, Christian Orient 14 (1993), pp. 113-130. Also refer to Andrew Palmer, “A Lyre without a Voice, the Poetics and the Politics of Ephrem the Syrian”, ARAM 5 (1993), pp. 371-399.
8. Sebastian Brock, “The Poetic Artistry of St. Ephrem: an Analysis of H. Azym. III”, Parole de l’Orient 6 & 7 (1975-1976), pp. 21-28. Also see J Schumann, “Hebrew Liturgical Poetry and Christian Hymnology”, The Jewsh Quarterly Review, n. s. 44 (1953-1954), pp. 123. They are also comparable to the Byzantine Kontakion.
9. Pierre Yousif, L’Eucharistie chez Saint Ephrem de Nisibe. OCA 224 (Rome: Pontificium Institutum Orientale 1984).
10. Sebastian Brock, “From Ephrem to Romanos”, in E. A. Livingstone (ed.), Studia Patristica (vol. XX; Leuven: Peeters, 1989), pp. 139-151.
11. All the translations given in this paper are taken from Sebastian Brock and George Kiraz edited, Ephrem the Syrian: Select Poems, Sebastian Brock’s, Harp of the Spirit, Kathleen McVey’s, Ephrem the Syrian and Rodrigues Pereira’s, Studies in Aramaic Poetry.
12. Sebastian Brock and George Kiraz, Ephrem the Syrian: Select Poems, (Brigham Young University Press, Provo, 2006), pp. 200 – 221.
13. Sidney Griffith, “Setting Right the Church of Syria: Saint Ephrem’s Hymns against Heresies”, in William E. Klingshirn & Mark Vessey (Ed.s), The Limits of Ancient Christianity: Essays on Late Antique Thought and Culture in Honor of R.A. Markus, (University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1999).
14. Sebastian Brock, “The Harp of the Spirit”. Studies Supplementary to Sobornost, No. 4 (1983) pp. 21 – 26. Also refer to Edmund Beck, Des heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Hymnen de Paradiso und Contra Juhanum (CSCO, vols 174 & 175, Louvain Peeters, 1957), VI 8.
15. Sebastian Brock and George Kiraz, Ephrem the Syrian: Select Poems, (Brigham Young University Press, Provo, 2006), pp. 96 – 111. See also Edmund Beck, Des heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Hymnen contra Haereses (CSCO, vols 169 & 170, Louvam Peeters, 1957), XXVII 3.
16. Sebastian Brock and George Kiraz, Ephrem the Syrian: Select Poems, (Brigham Young University Press, Provo, 2006), pp. 112 – 121. Edmund Beck, Paschahymnen, De Azymis, XII 5.
17. Ibid., Beck, Paschahymnen, De Azymis, II 7.
18. Edmund Beck, “Die Eucharistie bei Ephram”, Oriens Christianus 38 (1954), pp. 50.
19. Pierre Yousif, L’Eucharistie chez Saint Ephrem de Nisibe. OCA 224 (Rome: Pontificium Institutum Orientale 1984), pp. 31 – 107.
20. Robert Murray, Symbols of Church and Kingdom, pp. 126. See also R Murray, “The Lance Which Reopened Paradise, a Mysterious Reading in the Early Syriac Fathers”, Orientalia Christiana Periodica 39 (1973), pp. 224 – 234,. S. Brock, “The Mysteries Hidden m the Side of Christ”, in S. Brock, Studies in Syriac Spirituality (The Syrian Churches Series, Vol. 13, Poona Anita Printers, 1988), pp. 62

The Eucharistic Theology in The Thought of Ephrem the Syrian Written By: Tenny Thomas on Jan 22nd, 2011 and filed under Articles, We Believe, Youth And Faith.

The School of Nisibis (Classical Syriac:ܐܣܟܘܠܐ ܕܢܨܝܒܝܢ), for a time absorbed into the School of Edessa, was an educational establishment in Nisibis, modern-day Turkey. It was an important spiritual center of the early Syriac Orthodox Church, and like Gundeshapur, is sometimes referred to as the world's first university. The School had three primary departments teaching, Theology, Philosophy, and Medicine. The most famous of the School's teachers was Ephrem the Syrian.

The School was originally founded in 350 in Nisibis. In 363, when Nisibis fell to the Persians, St. Ephrem accompanied by a number of teachers left the school. They went to the School of Edessa, where St. Ephrem took over the directorship of the school there. It had been founded as long ago as the 2nd century by the kings of the Abgar dynasty. When St. Ephrem took over the school, its importance grew still further. After the Nestorian Schism, when the Byzantine emperor Zeno ordered the school closed for its teachings of Nestorian doctrine, deemed heretical by Chalcedonian Christianity, the School moved back to Nisibis.

Syriac or Syrian Christianity (Syriac: ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ, mšiḥāiūṯā suryāiṯā), the Syriac-speaking Christians of Mesopotamia, comprises multiple Christian traditions of Eastern Christianity. With a history going back to the 1st Century AD, in modern times it is represented by denominations primarily in the Middle East and in Kerala, India. Christianity began in the middle east in Israel amongAramaic speaking Semitic peoples. It quickly spread to Sassanid-ruled Mesopotamia & Assyria, Roman-ruled Syria (ancient Aramea), Phoenicia,India, and Egypt. From there it spread to Asia Minor, Greece, Armenia, Georgia and the Caucasus region.

Services in this tradition tend to feature liturgical use of ancient Syriac, a dialect of Middle Aramaic that is of direct relation to the Aramaic of Jesus.

Syriac Christianity is divided into two major traditions: Eastern Rite, historically centered in Assyria/Mesopotamia, and West Syrian, centered in Antioch. The Eastern Rite tradition was historically associated with the Church of the East, and is currently employed by the Middle Eastern churches that descend from it, the Assyrian Church of the East, Ancient Church of the East, and the Chaldean Catholic Church, (the members of these churches usually consider themselves to be ethnic Assyrians) as well as by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church of India. The West Syrian tradition is used by the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Maronite Church, the Syriac Catholic Church, and churches that descend from them, as well as by the Malankara churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition in India.

Martyr
A martyr is one who gives his life for Christ, physically dying as a witness to the faith. Martyr itself comes from the Greek μάρτυς, which means "witness." By traditional liturgical ranking, the martyrs are first among the saints.

BackgroundTertullian once said that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church," and the Body of Christ continually witnesses to this reality. Where the persecution of the Orthodox faith becomes great enough that Christians are killed for their faith, history typically records a resurgence of faith and piety among the people of that region.

Descriptions of Martyrs are known under a number of descriptions. These are:

Martyrs as a whole are those saints who suffered death in Christ's name, for remaining loyal to the true faith, or for refusing to serve idols.Great Martyrs are those saints who suffered particularly harsh treatment and punishments before suffering death.Hieromartyrs are those saints who suffered death as priests.Venerable Martyrs are those saints who suffered death as a member of monastic orders.






A SAMPLE OF ORTHODOX PRAYERS 
(300 Million Christians Pray this way every day) 
http://st-justin-martyr.org/about/contact-us/

These are probably the regular prayers that might be heard in the homes and churches of those martyred as seen in the picture above.

Information on Orthodox Coptic Christians 
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Church_of_Alexandria_%28Coptic%29

Prayer is one of our most important and often neglected activities.  Below are some common traditional Orthodox prayers for your use.  

Morning and Evening Prayers
+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.
+Glory to Thee O Lord, glory to Thee!

O Heavenly King, The Comforter, The Spirit of Truth Who art everywhere and fills all thingsThe Treasury of Blessings and The Giver of LifeCome and abide in us, And cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

+Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.  (3X)
+Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

O Most holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Maser, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy Name’s sake.

Lord have mercy.  Lord have mercy.  Lord have mercy.

+Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.  Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

+For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory:  of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

+Come, let us worship God our King!
+Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God!
+Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!

Morning Prayer
Arising from sleep, I thank You, O Most Holy Trinity, that, for the sake of Your great kindness and longsuffering, You have not had indignation against me, for I am slothful and sinful.  Neither have You destroyed me in my transgression.  But You have shown Your customary love toward mankind and have raised me up as I lay in heedlessness, that I might sing my morning hymn and glorify Your sovereignty.  Enlighten the eyes of my understanding, open my ears to receive Your words, and teach me Your commandments.  Help me to sing to You, to confess You from my heart, and to praise Your All-Holy Name:  of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

Evening Prayer
O eternal God, O King of all creation, Who have kept me safe to attain to this hour, forgive me the sins which I have committed this day in thought, word, and deed.  And cleanse, O Lord, , my humble soul from every stain of flesh and spirit:  Grant me, O Lord, to pass this night in peace, to rise from my bed, and to please You holy Name all the days of my life, and to vanquish the enemies, both corporeal and incorporeal, that contend against me.  Deliver me, O Lord, from the vain thoughts that stain  me, and from evil desires.  For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

The Creed
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.  And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages.  Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.  And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.  And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified:  who spoke by the prophets.  In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.  I look for the resurrection of the dead, and life of the world to come.  Amen.

Psalm 50/51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sins did my mother conceive me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Fill me with joy and gladness; let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.

Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance. O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased. The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on thy altar.

Prayer for the Acceptance of God’s Will
O LORD, I know not what ask of Thee.  Thou alone knowest what are my true needs.  Thou lovest me more then I myself know how to love.  Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.  I dare not ask either a cross of consolation.  I can only wait on Thee.  My heart is open to Thee.  Visit and help me, for thy great mercy ‘s sake.  Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.  I worship in silence Thy holy will and Thine inscrutable ways.  I offer myself as a sacrifice to thee.  I put all my trust in Thee.  I have no other desire then to fulfill thy will.  Teach me how to pray.  Pray Thou Thyself in me.  Amen.The Psalms

Morning Evening
Sunday                        Psalm 5                        Psalm 70
Monday                      Psalm 90                      Psalm 143
Tuesday                      Psalm 101                   Psalm 141
Wednesday                Psalm 3                        Psalm 130
Thursday                       Psalm 63                      Psalm 130
Friday                           Psalm 103                     Psalm 17
Saturday                       Psalm 5                        Psalm 51

(Read Epistle & Gospel of the day as time permits.)
Remember, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Your mercies and loving kindnesses, which have been from everlasting, and for the sake of which You did become man and deign to endure crucifixion and death for the salvation of all who rightly believe in You.  You rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and sit at the right hand of God the Father, and regard the humble prayers of all who call upon You with their whole heart.  Incline Your ear and hear the humble entreaty of me, Your unprofitable servant, who offers it for an odor of spiritual fragrance for all Your people.

And first of all remember Your Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church which You have purchased with Your precious blood.  Confirm and strengthen it, enlarge and multiply it, keep it in peace, and preserve it unconquerable by the gates of hell forever.  Heal the schisms of the churches, quench the raging of the heathen, speedily undo and root out the growths of heresies, and bring them to naught by the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon all world rulers, on our president (name), and all our civil authorities and our armed forces.  Speak peace and blessing in their hearts for Your Holy Church and for all Your people, in order that we may live a calm and peaceful life, in all godliness and dignity.

Save O Lord, and have mercy upon Patriarchs, Metropolitans, Archbishops, Priests, and Deacons, and the whole clergy of Your Church, which You have established to feed the flock of Your word, and by their prayers have mercy 
upon me, and save me, a sinner.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon my spiritual father (name) and by his holy prayers forgive me my transgressions.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon my parents (names), my spouse (name), my brothers and sisters (names), my children (names), my kinsmen after the flesh, and my friends, and grant them Your blessings both here and hereafter.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon the old, the young, the needy, the orphans and the widows, and on all that are in sickness and sorrow, in distress and affliction, in oppression and captivity, in prison and confinement.  More especially have mercy upon Your servants who are under persecution for Your sake and for the sake of the Orthodox Faith at the hands of heathen nations, of apostates, and of heretics:  remember them, visit, strengthen, keep, and comfort them, and make haste to grant them, by Your power, relief, freedom, and deliverance.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon all who are sent on duty, all who travel, our fathers, brothers, and sisters, and upon all true Christians.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon those who envy and affront me, and do me harm, and do not let them perish through me, a sinner.

Those who depart from the Orthodox Faith, dazzled by destroying heresies, enlighten by the light of Your holy wisdom, and unite them to Your Holy, Apostolic, Catholic Church.
[Add here any additional petitions]

Prayer for the Beginning of the Day
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace.  Help me in all things to rely upon Your Holy will.  In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me.  Bless my dealings with all who surround me.  Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all.  In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings.  In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You.  Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.  Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that is shall bring.  Direct my will, teach me to pray, and You, Yourself, pray in me.  Amen.

A Prayer
O Christ our God, who at all times and in every hour in heaven and on earth are worshiped and glorified; who are long suffering, merciful, and compassionate; who love the just and show mercy upon sinners; who call all to salvation through the promise of the good things to come; O Lord, in this hour receive our supplications and direct our lives according to Your commandments.  Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our minds; deliver us from all tribulation, evil, and distress.  Surround us with Your holy angels, so that guided and guarded by them, we may attain to the unity of the Faith and to the full knowledge of Your unapproachable glory.  For You are blessed unto ages of ages.  Amen.

To the Theotokos (In Eastern Orthodox this name "Theotokos" is the name used for Holy Mother Mary)
It is truly right to bless you, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God.  More honorable than the cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word:  true Theotokos, we magnify you.
+Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.
Lord have mercy (three times)

Just Before Going to Sleep
Into Your hands, O Lord Jesus Christ, I commend my spirit and body; bless me, save me, and grant me eternal life.  Amen.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy upon us and save us.  Amen.

A Prayer of a Single Person
O Blessed Lord, who hast set up for us an example of ideal purity, strengthen me, I beseech Thee, when temptation besets me, and when strong passions seek to overwhelm me, that I may remain constant in virtue and innocent in thought, word, and deed, doing such things that are well-pleasing unto Thee.  Grant me growth in wisdom and understanding, that I may serve Thee in holiness all the days of my life; through the intercessions of Thy all-pure Mother and of all Thy saints, especially my patron Saint(Name).  Amen.

A Prayer of Married Persons
O merciful God, we beseech Thee ever to remind us that the married state is holy, and that we must keep it so.  Grant us Thy Grace, that we may continue in faithfulness and love.  Increase in us the spirit of mutual understanding and trust, that no quarrel or strife may come between us.  Grant us Thy blessings, that we may stand before the people and in Thy sight as an ideal family.  And by Thy mercy, account us worthy of everlasting life: for Thou art our sanctification, and unto Thee we ascribe glory:  to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

A Prayer of Parents for Their Children and for Relatives and Friends
O God, our heavenly Father, who lovest mankind, and art most merciful and compassionate, have mercy upon Thy servants (NN.) for whom I humbly pray Thee, and whom I commend to Thy gracious care and protection.  Be Thou, O God, their guide and guardian in all their endeavors.  Lead them in the path of Thy truth, and draw them nearer to Thee, that they may lead a godly and righteous life in Thy love and fear, doing Thy will in all things.  Give them grace that they may be temperate, industrious, diligent, devout, and charitable.  Defend them against the assaults of the enemy, and grant them wisdom and strength to resist all temptation and corruption of this life.  Direct them in the way of salvation, through the mercy of Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the intercessions of his Holy Mother and Thy blessed Saints.  Amen.

A Prayer of Children for Their Parents
Our Father, who art in Heaven, bless my Father and Mother and those who are in authority over me, for their love and tender care for me and the benefits I receive at their hands.  Help me, I pray Thee, to be respectful and obedient to them in all things according to Thy will.  Give me Thy grace to perform all my duties carefully and faithfully, to avoid undesirable company and influence, and to resist all temptations that may come my way.  Abide in me always, that I may live a sober, righteous and godly life, ever praising Thee, and glorifying Thy Holy Name.  Amen.

A Prayer for Our Enemies
Thou who didst pray for them that crucified Thee, O Lord, the Lover of mankind, and who didst command Thy servants to pray for their enemies, forgive those who hate and maltreat us, and turn our lives from all harm and evil to brotherly love and good works.  For this we humbly bring our prayer, that with one accord and one heart we may glorify Thee who alone lovest mankind.  Amen.

A Prayer for the Sick
O Holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and bodies, who hast sent Thine only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal our diseases and deliver us from death.  Do Thou visit and heal Thy servant (N.), granting (him/her) release from pain and restoration to health and life, that (he/she) may give thanks unto Thee and bless Thy Holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

A Prayer for the Departed
Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend the souls Thy servants (NN.), and beseech Thee to grant them rest in the place of Thy rest, where all Thy blessed Saints repose, and where the light of Thy countenance shineth forever.  And I beseech Thee also to grant that our present lives may be godly, sober, and blameless; that we too may be made worthy to enter into Thy heavenly Kingdom with those whom we love but see no longer: for Thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of Thy departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of age Amen.

Prayers Before a Meal
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, bless this food and beverage of ours through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother and all Thy saints.  Amen.

They that hunger shall eat and be satiated; they that seek after the Lord shall praise Him; their hearts shall live forever.  Amen.

Bless us, O Lord, and these gifts of which we are about to partake, for Thou art blessed and glorified, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

A Prayer Before Lessons
O Most merciful God, send us the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, Who enlightens and strengthens our spiritual powers.  Help us to be attentive to the teaching presented, that we may grow up for the glory of Thee, our Creator, for the joy of our parents, and for the benefit of our Church and of our country.  Amen.

A Prayer of Repentance
O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my sins which I have committed every day of my life, in thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike.  I am truly sorry that I have ever offended Thee, and I sincerely repent.  With tears I humbly pray Thee, O Lord: because of Thy mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and absolve me from them.  I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more; that I may walk in the way of righteousness and offer praise and glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Prayer for the Acceptance of God’s Will
O Lord, I know not what to ask of Thee.  Thou alone knowest what are my true needs.  Thou lovest me more than I myself know how to love.  Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.  I dare not ask either a cross or consolation.  I can only wait on thee.  My heart is open to Thee.  Visit and help me, for thy great mercy’s sake.  Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.  I worship in silence Thy holy will and Thine inscrutable ways.  I offer myself as a sacrifice to Thee.  I put all my trust in Thee.  I have no other desire than to fulfill Thy will.  Teach me how to pray.  Pray Thou Thyself in me.  Amen.

The Prayer of St. Ioannikios
The Father is my hope; the Son is my refuge; the Holy Spirit is my protector.  O Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim
O Lord and Master of my life!  Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk.
(prostration)
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant.
(prostration)
Yea, O Lord and King!  Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages.  Amen.
(prostration)
O God cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me (12X)

The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

What is a "Creed"? Creed \'kreed\

[ME crede, from OE creeda, from Latin credo ("I believe" the first word of the Apostles' and Nicene creeds), from credere to believe, trust, entrust; akin to OIr cretid "he believes"]

1: a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
2: a set of fundamental beliefs
3: a guiding principle

The Creeds and Confessions produced by the Christian Church over the centuries are not inspired additions to Scripture nor in any way replacements for the words of Christ and his apostles or the prophets which preceded them. Instead these human documents are carefully considered and usually thoughtfully worded responses to various issues, heresies and historical situations that have troubled the Church and the world over the centuries. Creeds are statements of faith that are true and authoritative insofar as they accurately reflect what Scripture teaches. Those linked here have been found useful either by the entire Church or by important segments and/or denominations of it over the ages. They are thus helpful "measuring sticks" for orthodoxy. Canons but not the canon.

Some have said the creeds are man made and hence should be ignored in favor of Scripture. Should we then dispose of all sermons, Bible study texts, commentaries, doctrinal outlines, books on theology, devotionals, et cetera? Certainly not! The creeds do not masquerade as Scripture and many specifically point out that it is the Scriptures themselves which are "the only infallible rule of faith and practice." Yet as Christians is it not valuable to consider how the Holy Spirit has spoken to our brothers and sisters over the millennia as they have struggled with various issues, poured over the Scriptures and often fasted and prayed heartily with their fellow Christians in the light of the inspired texts? Surely, to quote the pulpit prince C. H. Spurgeon to his students,

 "you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound the Scripture without the assistance from the works of divine and learned men who have labored before you in the field of exposition . . . . It seems odd that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others."(Commenting and Commentaries) 

Even if we reject some of their insights at least we should pause to consider what they have gleaned from Holy Writ and how their historical situation influenced their Biblical interpretations. Let us remember the words of Peter when he said, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21 KJV)

Creeds in the Bible 
The following scripture passages are considered by many to be creeds or declarations of faith. These are taken from both Lieth's Schaff's books.

Deuteronomy 6:4 
Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone.

1 Kings 18:39 
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God."

Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Matthew 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

John 1:49
Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

John 6:68-69
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

John 20:28
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"

Acts 8:36-37
And as they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What is to prevent my being baptized?" And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Acts 16:31
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

1 Corinthians 8:6 
yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

Philippians 2:6-11 
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Timothy 3:16
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Hebrews 6:1-2
Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

1 John 4:2 
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.



APOSTLES CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,  
creator of heaven and earth. 
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,  
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,  
born of the Virgin Mary,  
suffered under Pontius Pilate,  
was crucified, died, and was buried;  
he descended to the dead.  
On the third day he rose again;  
he ascended into heaven,  
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,  
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Spirit,  
the holy catholic church,  
the communion of saints,  
the forgiveness of sins,  
the resurrection of the body,  
and the life everlasting. AMEN.

The Symbolum Apostolorum was developed between the second and ninth centuries. It is the most popular creed used in worship by Western Christians. Its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator. It has been called the Creed of Creeds.

Legend has it that the Apostles wrote this creed on the tenth day after Christ's ascension into heaven. That is not the case, though the name stuck. However, each of the doctrines found in the creed can be traced to statements current in the apostolic period. The earliest written version of the creed is perhaps the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus (ca. A.D. 215). The current form is first found in the writings of Caesarius of Arles (d 542).

The creed was apparently used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates in the churches of Rome. Hence it is also known as The Roman Symbol. As in Hippolytus' version it was given in question and answer format with the baptismal candidates answering in the affirmative that they believed each statement.



THE NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, 
the Father, the Almighty, 
maker of heaven and earth, 
of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, 
the only Son of God, 
eternally begotten of the Father, 
God from God, light from light, 
true God from true God, 
begotten, not made, 
of one Being with the Father; 
through him all things were made. 
For us and for our salvation 
he came down from heaven, 
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary 
and became truly human. 
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; 
he suffered death and was buried. 
On the third day he rose again 
in accordance with the Scriptures; 
he ascended into heaven 
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, 
and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, 
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], 
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, 
who has spoken through the prophets. 
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. 
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 
We look for the resurrection of the dead, 
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

• The Creed of Nicaea as approved by the Nicene Council (A.D. 325)
  • The First Ecumenical council of Nicaea was called by emperor Constantine. The council met to deal with the schism created by Arianism. The Arians wished to avoid the heresy of Sabellius who believed in a divine monad which, by expansion, projected itself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit--a form of Modalism. The Arians separated the Son from God entirely so that they believed he was a creature having a beginning. "There was when he was not." The Son was but God's first creation, yet out of nothing and hence has preeminence over the rest of creation.
  • The symbol answers the question, "Who is Jesus Christ."
    Its answer: God
• The Nicene Creed as approved by the Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381)
• -- The Nicene Creed -- Constantinopolitan Creed -- Creed of 150 Fathers
• Usually associated with the Council of Constantinople this symbol is an expansion and revision of the earlier Creed of Nicaea with which it is often confused. This is the creed recited in churches. The council met to refute Apollinarianism. Apollinarius taught that Jesus was a combination of the divine Logos spirit, a sensitive human soul and a human body. He taught that Jesus did not have a human spirit. His views were based on the platonic tripartite view of human nature. The council condemned this view in order to show that Christ, as truly human, could redeem the whole person.
• The symbol emphasizes the Trinitarian faith.
• The symbol is very suitable for liturgical use and was used as an early baptismal and eucharistic creed. It goes beyond the Creed of Nicaea in its affirmation of the full deity of the Spirit though it uses biblical rather than philosophical terms to do so. The filioque clause found in the Western version of this creed is one of the major disagreements between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity. This clause was not accepted even by the Western Church until the turn of the first millennium

Definition of Chalcedon (October 22, 451 AD)

Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame one is perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul {meaning human soul} and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as far as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin only excepted. Before time began he was begotten of the Father, in respect of his deity, and now in these "last days," for us and behalf of our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of his humanness.

We also teach that we apprehend this one and only Christ-Son, Lord, only-begotten -- in two natures; and we do this without confusing the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two separate categories, without con- trasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the "properties" of each nature are conserved and both natures concur in one "person" and in one reality {hypostasis}. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and only and only-begotten Word {Logos} of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol of Fathers {the Nicene Creed} has handed down to us.

THE SYMBOL OF CHALCEDON ("Addendum" to the Nicene Creed)

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable [rational] soul72 and body; consubstantial [coessential]73 with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, according to the Manhood;74 one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures,75 inconfusedly, unchangeably,76 indivisibly, inseparably;77 the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the prophets from the beginning [have declared] concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us

The Greek text, together with the Latin version, is taken from the ὅρος τῆς ἐν Χαλκηδόνι τετάρτης Συνόδου , Act. V. in Mansi, Conc.Tom. VII. p. 115. We have inserted ἐν δύο φύσεσιν (see note 4). There are several other Latin versions which Mansi gives, Tom. VII. pp. 115 and 751–758, with the various readings. See also Hahn, l.c. pp. 117 sqq.

The Creed is preceded in the acts of the Council by an express confirmation of the Nicene Creed in both forms, 'the Creed of the three hundred and eighteen holy Fathers of Nicæa,' and 'the Creed of the hundred and fifty holy Fathers who were assembled at Constantinople.' The Fathers of Chalcedon declare that 'this wise and saving Creed [of Nicæa] would be sufficient for the full acknowledgment and confirmation of the true religion; for it teaches completely the perfect doctrine concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and fully explains the Incarnation of the Lord to those who receive it faithfully.' The addition of a new Creed is justified by the subsequent Christological heresies (Apollinarianism, Nestorianism, and Eutychianism). After stating it, the Synod solemnly prohibits, on pain of deposisition 64and excommunication, the setting forth of any other Creed for those 'who are desirous of turning to the acknowledgment of the truth from Heathenism and Judaism.'



ATHANASIAN CREED

1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.
14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.
26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.
36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;
40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. and shall give account of their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.


The Athanasian Creed, also know as the "Quicumque vult", was formerly recited at the office of Prime on Sundays. It is one of the four authoritative Creeds of the Catholic Church. The Anglican Church and some Protestant Churches also hold it to be authoritative. While the Creed has always been attributed to St. Athanasius (d 373 AD), it was unknown in the Eastern Churches until the 12th century and thus it is unlikely he is the author. St. Ambrose is one suggested author, but many authors have been proposed with no conclusive agreements reached. Current theory suggests it was composed in southern France in the 5th century. In 1940, the lost 'Excerpta' of St. Vincent of Lerins (flourished in 440: "quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est") was discovered, and this work contains much of the language of the Creed. Thus, either St. Vincent, or an admirer have been suggested as the author. The earliest known copy of the creed was included in a prefix to a collection of homilies by Caesarius of Arles (died 542).


Quicumque vult (Athanasian Creed) (ca. A.D. 500) (Encarta® article)

• The fullest statement of the Trinitarian faith in abstract metaphysical terms.
• Part one: Augustinian definition of the Trinity
  • Each persona of the Trinity is fully divine
  • Each is unique to itself
  • Each is within the other, in perpetual intercommunication and motion, coequal and coeternal.
  • Damnatory clause for those who do not accept this teaching.
• Part two: The doctrine of Christ
• Anti-
  • Appollinarian
  • Nestorian
  • Eutychian
  • Monophysite
• Reaffirms Ephesian and Chalcedonian council decisions.
• Damnatory clause for those who do not accept this teaching

Reference Links
http://www.creeds.net/
https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library.html
http://www.theopedia.com/Church_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_creeds
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/christian-history.html