Apostles Creed Timeline
(historical context in italics)Timeline with Ante-Nicene Fathers and KJV Scripture
Additionally, commentaries on Kierkegaard, Lewis, and Leibniz, are as follows.
This timeline traces the development of early Christian creeds leading up to the Apostles’ Creed, highlighting relevant Ante-Nicene Fathers and associated Scripture (KJV only).
Note: Early Church Fathers rarely cited chapter and verse directly, but their teachings clearly echo biblical texts.
180 AD - Adversus Haereses
Original Greek Title: Ἔλεγχος καὶ ἀνατροπὴ τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως
English Translation: Refutation and Overthrow of Knowledge Falsely So-Called
Common Title: Against Heresies
Author: Irenaeus of Lyon
Language: Originally written in Greek (much survives only in early Latin translation)
Purpose
Irenaeus wrote Against Heresies to:
- Refute Gnosticism, particularly Valentinianism
- Defend the apostolic faith handed down from the original disciples
- Preserve Christian orthodoxy through Scripture, tradition, and episcopal succession
Key Themes
- Apostolic Tradition
- Emphasis on teachings passed down through the apostles and bishops
- Rejection of "secret knowledge" claimed by Gnostics
- Unity of God and Creation
- God is the sole creator of the physical and spiritual world (Genesis 1:1, KJV)
- Refutes dualistic cosmologies of Gnosticism
- Christology
- Strong affirmation of Jesus as both fully God and fully man (John 1:1, 14, KJV)
- Emphasizes the incarnation, passion, and bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, KJV)
- Scriptural Authority
- Scripture is public, apostolic, and authoritative
- Warns against misinterpretation and selective use of texts
- Church Unity and Succession
- Validates teachings through the unbroken succession of bishops, especially in Rome
Legacy
- One of the earliest systematic Christian theological works
- Laid groundwork for later creedal formulations (e.g., Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed)
- Remains a cornerstone for patristic studies, especially in refuting early heresies
200
~200 Irenaeus Describes a Creed
Irenaeus Describes a Creed
In Gaul, Irenaeus outlines a "rule of faith" with Trinitarian structure.
- Irenaeus - Key Work: Against Heresies (Book I, Chapter 10)
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- God the Father Almighty: Genesis 1:1 – "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
- Jesus Christ, His Son: John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..."
- Born of the Virgin: Isaiah 7:14 – "Behold, a virgin shall conceive..."
- Crucified, dead, buried: 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 – "Christ died for our sins... he was buried..."
- Resurrection: Acts 2:24 – "Whom God hath raised up..."
220
~220 Tertullian’s Latin Creed
Tertullian’s Latin Creed
Tertullian presents a Latin form of the rule of faith in North Africa.
- Key Works: Prescription Against Heretics, Against Praxeas
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Trinity: Matthew 28:19 – "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"
- Virgin Birth: Luke 1:35 – "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee..."
- Crucifixion under Pontius Pilate: Matthew 27:2 – "delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor"
- Resurrection and Ascension: Acts 1:9 – "while they beheld, he was taken up"
- Judgment: 2 Corinthians 5:10 – "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ"
235
~235 - Fall of the Severan Dynasty
Fall of the Severan Dynasty
Persecution increases; creeds help affirm orthodoxy amid fear and martyrdom.
- Historical Echo: Christians used baptismal confessions to confirm belief.
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Confession under persecution: Romans 10:9 – "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus..."
- Faith in resurrection: Philippians 3:10 – "the power of his resurrection"
- Hope of eternal life: Titus 1:2 – "In hope of eternal life, which God... promised"
311
311 - Edict of Toleration (Galerius)
Edict of Toleration (Galerius)
Christian worship is legalized; creeds circulate more freely.
- Impact: Public worship resumes; doctrine solidifies.
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Church unity in doctrine: Ephesians 4:5 – "One Lord, one faith, one baptism"
- Boldness in faith: Acts 4:29 – "grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word"
313
313 - Edict of Milan
Edict of Milan
Constantine and Licinius legalize Christianity fully; restoration of property begins.
- Impact: Creedal instruction becomes part of catechesis and public liturgy.
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Public witness of faith: Matthew 10:32 – "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men..."
- Inheritance of the saints: Colossians 1:12 – "partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light"
313
313 - Licinius's Letter
Licinius's Letter
Licinius expands the Edict of Milan to the East.
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Peace and goodwill toward believers: Romans 12:18 – "live peaceably with all men"
- Spreading the gospel: Mark 16:15 – "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel"
325
325 - Council of Nicaea
Council of Nicaea
The Nicene Creed was developed at the council of Niceia, or First Council of Nicaea, which was a council of Christian bishops and was convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325.
Originally, the Nicene Creed was developed in response to the heretical beliefs about Jesus being spread by a Christian leader named Arius. The Catholic bishops, pope, and the Emperor Constantine gathered to affirm the Church's beliefs about the one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed is very descriptive about Jesus's humanity and divinity because it was formulated in response to misguided teachings of Arius and other heresies.
A priest named Arius presented his argument that Jesus Christ was not an eternal being, that He was created at a certain point in time by the Father. Bishops such as Alexander and the deacon Athanasius argued the opposite position: that Jesus Christ is eternal, just like the Father is. It was an argument pitting trinitarianism against monarchianism. Constantine prodded the 300 bishops in the council to make a decision by majority vote defining who Jesus Christ is. The statement of doctrine they produced was one that all of Christianity would follow and obey, called the “Nicene Creed.” This creed was upheld by the church and enforced by the Emperor. The bishops at Nicea voted to make the full deity of Christ the accepted position of the church. The Council of Nicea upheld the doctrine of Christ’s true divinity, rejecting Arius’s heresy. The council did not invent this doctrine. Rather, it only recognized what the Bible already taught.
330
330 - Creed of Marcellus of Ancyra
Creed of Marcellus of Ancyra
Marcellus writes a creed very close in structure to the Apostles’ Creed.
- Key Doctrine: Defense against Arianism (denial of Christ’s divinity)
- Scriptural Echoes (KJV):
- Divinity of Christ: John 1:1 – "In the beginning was the Word... and the Word was God"
- Return of Christ: Acts 1:11 – "this same Jesus... shall so come in like manner"
- Forgiveness of sins: 1 John 1:9 – "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins"
340
340 First penned version of the Apostles' Creed
First penned version
380
380 (February) Edict of Thessalonica
Edict of Thessalonica
The edict was followed in 381 by the First Council of Constantinople, which affirmed the Nicene Symbolum and gave final form to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. The edict was issued under the influence of Ascholius, and thus of Pope Damasus I, who had appointed him. It re-affirmed a single expression of the Apostolic Faith as legitimate in the Roman Empire, "catholic" (that is, universal) and "orthodox" (that is, correct in teaching). The Nicene Creed states: "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty ... And in one Lord Jesus Christ." It declares Jesus Christ be "consubstantial with the Father," which may be interpreted as numerical or as qualitative sameness. The Nicene Creed adds that we also believe in the Holy Spirit but does not say that the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father. The Edict of Thessalonica goes much further and declares "the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" to be "one deity ... in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity."
381
381 Council of Constantinople
Council of Constantinople
Condemmed Arianism as heresies of "foolish madmen". (authorized punishment)
390
390 Rufinus writes a similar creed after study in Rome, Egypt, and Judea
Rufinus writes a similar creed
397
397 New Testament is Cannonized
New Testament is Cannonized
650
650 Creed is standard in Gaul
Creed is standard in Gaul
(Gaul is modern day France)Augustine, a bishop in North Africa, reports
750
750 Modern Accepted Text
Modern Accepted Text
The modern accepted text is penned by Pirminius from what is not modern day Switzerland
1054
1054 - The Great Schism
The Great Schism
The Great Schism
The break of communion between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches since 1054. A series of ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes between the Greek East and Latin West preceded the formal split that occurred in 1054.
1965 Catholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965
Catholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration
The Catholic–Orthodox Joint Declaration of 1965 was read out on 7 December 1965 simultaneously at a public meeting of the Second Vatican Council in Rome and at a special ceremony in Istanbul. It withdrew the exchange of excommunications between prominent ecclesiastics in the Holy See and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, commonly known as the Great Schism of 1054. It did not end the schism but showed a desire for greater reconciliation between the two churches, represented by Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I. The document and accompanying texts are also referred to as 'Tomos Agapes' ('Document of Love'). Many Orthodox reacted negatively to the declaration. Metropolitan Philaret of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad openly challenged the Patriarch's efforts at rapprochement with the Roman Catholic Church, claiming that it would inevitably lead to heresy, in his 1965 epistle to the Patriarch. The monks at Mount Athos reportedly excluded Athenagoras from their daily prayers after the declaration.
The “Great Schism”, as historians call it, took place in 1054 over what most people today would call trivial differences. Here are some of the minor differences that destroyed the unity of the church:
- The wording of the Nicene Creed. The original form, written in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea, said this about the Holy Spirit: “And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.” In the sixth century, the Western (Roman/Latin) Church began adding the “filioque” phrase to the creed, “proceedeth from the Father AND THE SON”, thus making the creed more Trinitarian. This does not seem like much, but it was one of the main causes of the schism.
- Whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the Eucharist. The Western (Roman/Latin) Church used unleavened bread; the Orthodox Church used leavened bread.
- Whether the Bishop of Rome (Pope) had universal authority over the entire church, or whether he was one of five equal jurisdictional leaders—the Bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch.
- Whether yellow or gold was a proper liturgical color. Yellow or gold are not used in the Western (Roman/Latin) Church. In Orthodox Churches, it is a default color on Sundays when no liturgical color is specified.
- How Easter Sunday was determined. The Western (Roman/Latin) Church used the Gregorian calendar; the Orthodox Church used the Julian calendar.