Trinity Church's faith is founded on the Bible. All of Scripture is divinely inspired. We read the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) from the perspective of the New Testament (the new covenant of grace that God has established with mankind in Jesus Christ) - and the New Testament through the eyes of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). The Bible bears witness to the faith delivered to us by the original apostles, hence, we claim the Biblical and Apostolic faith. The essential truths of the Biblical and Apostolic faith find concise expression in the Creeds
In A.D. 325, the Roman Emperor Constantine convened a conference of all of the bishops of the various churches throughout the Roman Empire. He chose the city of Nicaea in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) to assemble some 300 of these leaders to establish doctrinal unity. The church had to determine, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the essential Truths of the Christian faith and religion as so many diverse claims were being made as to the nature, identity and saving work in human history of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The result was the Nicene Creed.
Over the centuries, various other statements of faith and doctrine have been attempted. None of them has ever equaled the Nicene Creed. This creed expands the Apostles' Creed, the generally accepted statement of faith in use as part of an oral tradition from the times of the original twelve apostles. Both Creeds bear witness to the essential Truths of the Gospels delivered to the world through the witness and testimony of the original apostles. The Nicene Creed is simply an elaboration of the Apostles' Creed.
Trinty Church uses both of these Creeds as the best expression of the true Christian faith and religion. The Apostles' Creed is used in conjunction with the Sacrament of Baptism. The Nicene Creed is used with the administration of the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic* Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
I believe in one God the Father almighthy, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of theVirgin Mary - and was made man ** - and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And I believe one holy catholic and Apostolic church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* Catholic means universal and does not specifically refer to the Roman Catholic Church
** These words - and was made man - are emphasized because they proclaim the Incarnation. God the Father became fully human in His Son, Jesus Christ. Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh. God the Father, pure Spirit, becomes man in God the Son, in full flesh. Jesus Christ is paradoxically and mysteriously both fully human and fully divine. Jesus Christ is God. When we say the Creed we speak these words more slowly to emphasize this great, saving mystery.