First Creed of Sirmium (CPG 8577)
| Reference: | CPG 8577 |
| Incipit: | Πιστεύομεν … |
| Date: | 351 |
| Council: | Sirmium |
| Ancient Sources: | Athanasius, De Synodis, 27; Socrates, HE 2.30.5-30; Hilary, De Synodis, 38 |
| Modern Edition: | Hahn, Bibliothek der Symbole und Glaubensregeln der Alten Kirche (Breslau: E. Morgenstern, 1897), 196-9. |
| English Translation: | NPNF2 vol. 4, p. 464-5, adapted for FCC by SMT and LR |
This work is licensed [or adapted] under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
| Greek | English |
| Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα θεόν, πατέρα παντοκράτορα, τὸν κτίστην καὶ ποιητὴν τῶν πάντων, ἐξοὗπᾶσαπατριὰἐνοὐρανῷκαὶἐπὶγῆςὀνομάζεται· | We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the Creator and Maker of all things, “from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named” [Eph. 3:15]. |
| καὶ εἰς τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ υἱὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν, τὸν πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεννηθέντα, θεὸν ἐκ θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτός, δι’ οὗ ἐγένετο τὰ πάντα τά τε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, λόγον ὄντα καὶ σοφίαν καὶ φῶς ἀληθινὸν καὶ ζωήν, τὸν ἐπ’ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν δι’ ἡμᾶς ἐνανθρωπήσαντα καὶ γεννηθέντα ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου καὶ σταυρωθέντα καὶ ἀποθανόντα καὶ ταφέντα καὶ ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἀναληφθέντα εἰς οὐρανὸν καὶ καθεσθέντα ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, οὗ ἡ βασιλεία ἀκατάπαυστος οὖσα διαμένει εἰς τοὺς ἀπείρους αἰῶνας· ἔσται γὰρ καθεζόμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ πατρός, οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. | And in his Only-Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who before all the ages was begotten from the Father, God from God, Light from Light, by whom all things were made, in heaven and on the earth, visible and invisible, being Word and Wisdom and True Light and Life, who in the last of days was made man for us, and was born of the holy virgin, and was crucified and died and was buried, and rose again from the dead the third day, and was taken up into heaven, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and is coming at the end of the age, to judge the living and the dead, and to repay to everyone according to his works; whose kingdom being unceasing endures unto the infinite ages; for he will sit on the right hand of the Father, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. |
| καὶ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τουτέστι τὸν παράκλητον, ὅπερ ἐπαγγειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις μετὰ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς αὐτοῦ ἄνοδον ἀποστεῖλαι, διδάξαι καὶ ὑπομνῆσαι αὐτοὺς πάντα ἔπεμψε, δι’ οὗ καὶ ἁγιάζονται αἱ τῶν εἰλικρινῶς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων ψυχαί. | And in the Holy Spirit, that is, the Paraclete; which, having promised to the apostles to send forth after his ascension into heaven, to teach and to remind them of all things, he did send; through whom also are sanctified the souls of those who sincerely believe in him. |
| I. Tοὺς δὲ λέγοντας ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὸν υἱὸν ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως καὶ μὴ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὅτι ἦν χρόνος ἢ αἰών, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλοτρίους οἴδεν ἡ ἁγία καὶ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία. | 1. But those who say that the Son was from nothing or from other subsistence and not from God, and that there was a time or age when he was not, the holy and catholic church regards as aliens. |
| II. Πάλιν οὖν ἐροῦμεν· εἴ τις τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν δύο λέγει θεούς, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 2. Again we say, whoever says that the Father and the Son are two Gods, let him be anathema. |
| III. Καὶ εἴ τις λέγων θεὸν τὸν Χριστὸν πρὸ αἰώνων υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ὑπουργηκότα τῷ πατρὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν ὅλων δημιουργίαν μὴ ὁμολογοίη, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 3. And whoever, saying that Christ is God, before ages Son of God, does not confess that he has subserved the Father for the framing of the universe, let him be anathema. |
| IV. Εἴ τις τὸν ἀγέννητον ἢ μέρος αὐτοῦ ἐκ Μαρίας λέγειν γεγενῆσθαι τολμῷ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 4. Whoever presumes to say that the ingenerate, or a part of him, was born of Mary, let him be anathema. |
| V. Εἴ τις κατὰ πρόγνωσιν πρὸ Μαρίας λέγοι τὸν υἱὸν εἶναι καὶ μὴ πρὸ αἰώνων ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς γεγεννημένον πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εἶναι καὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι τὰ πάντα, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 5. Whoever says that according to foreknowledge the Son is before Mary and not that, generated from the Father before ages, he was with God, and that through him all things were originated, let him be anathema. |
| VI. Εἴ τις τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ θεοῦ πλατύνεσθαι ἢ συστέλλεσθαι φάσκοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 6. Whoever will pretend that the essence of God is dilated or contracted, let him be anathema. |
| VII. Εἴ τις πλατυνομένην τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν υἱὸν λέγοι ποιεῖν ἢ τὸν πλατυσμὸν τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ υἱὸν ὀνομάζοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 7. Whoever says that the essence of God being dilated made the Son, or will name the dilation of his essence Son, let him be anathema. |
| VIII. Εἴ τις ἐνδιάθετον ἢ προφορικὸν <λόγον> λέγοι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 8. Whoever calls the Son of God the internal or spoken Word, let him be anathema. |
| IX. Εἴ τις ἄνθρωπον μόνον λέγοι τὸν ἐκ Mαρίας υἱόν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 9. Whoever says that the Son from Mary is man only, let him be anathema. |
| X. Εἴ τις θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον τὸν ἐκ Mαρίας λέγων θεὸν τὸν ἀγέννητον οὕτω νοοῖ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 10. Whoever, speaking of him who is from Mary, God and man, thereby means God the Ingenerate, let him be anathema. |
| XI. Εἴ τις τὸ ἐγὼ θεὸς πρῶτος καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ πλὴν ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς ἐπ’ ἀναιρέσει εἰδώλων καὶ τῶν μὴ ὄντων θεῶν εἰρημένον ἐπ’ ἀναιρέσει τοῦ μονογενοῦς πρὸ αἰώνων θεοῦ Ἰουδαικῶς ἐκλαμβάνοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 11. Whoever explains, “I God the First and I the Last, and besides me there is no God” [Is. 44:6], which is said for the denial of idols and of gods that are not, to the denial of the Only-Begotten, before ages God, as Jews do, let him be anathema. |
| XII. Εἴ τις τὸ ὁλόγοςσὰρξἐγένετο ἀκούων τὸν λόγον εἰς σάρκα μεταβεβλῆσθαι νομίζοι ἢ τροπὴν ὑπομεμενηκότα ἀνειληφέναι τὴν σάρκα λέγοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 12. Whoever hearing “the Word was made flesh” [John 1:14], considers that the Word has changed into flesh, or will say that he has undergone alteration by taking flesh, let him be anathema. |
| XIII. Εἴ τις τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσταυρωμένον ἀκούων τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ φθορὰν ἢ πάθος ἢ τροπὴν ἢ μείωσιν ἢ ἀναίρεσιν ὑπομεμενηκέναι λέγοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 13. Whoever hearing the Only-Begotten Son of God to have been crucified, says that his Godhead has undergone corruption, or passion, or alteration, or diminution, or destruction, let him be anathema. |
| XIV. Εἴ τις τὸ ποιήσωμενἄνθρωπον μὴ τὸν πατέρα πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν λέγειν, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν λέγοι τὸν θεὸν εἰρηκέναι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 14. Whoever says that “Let us make man” [Gen. 1:26], was not said by the Father to the Son, but by God to himself, let him be anathema. |
| XV. Εἴ τις μὴ τὸν υἱὸν λέγοι τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἑωρᾶσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀγέννητον θεὸν ἢ μέρος αὐτοῦ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 15. Whoever says that Abraham saw, not the Son, but the ingenerate God or part of him, let him be anathema. |
| XVI. Εἴ τις τῷ Ἰακὼβ μὴ τὸν υἱὸν ὡς ἄνθρωπον πεπαλαικέναι, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀγέννητον θεὸν ἢ μέρος αὐτοῦ λέγοι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 16. Whoever says that with Jacob, not the Son as man, but the ingenerate God or part of him, has wrestled, let him be anathema. |
| XVII. Εἴ τις τὸ ἔβρεξε κύριος πῦρ παρὰ κυρίου μὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐκλαμβάνοι, ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν παρ’ ἑαυτοῦ λέγοι βεβρεχέναι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω· ἔβρεξε γὰρ κύριος ὁ υἱὸς παρὰ κυρίου τοῦ πατρός. | 17. Whoever explains, “The Lord rained fire from the Lord” [Gen. 19:24], was not the Father and the Son, and says that he rained from himself, let him be anathema. For the Son, being Lord, rained from the Father, who is Lord. |
| XVIII. Εἴ τις ἀκούων κύριον τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν κύριον καὶ κύριον τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱόν, ἐπεὶ κύριος ἐκ κυρίου, δύο λέγοι θεούς, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. οὐ γὰρ συντάσσομεν υἱὸν τῷ πατρί, ἀλλ’ ὑποτεταγμένον τῷ πατρί. οὔτε γὰρ κατῆλθεν ἐπὶ Σόδομα ἄνευ βουλῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὔτε ἔβρεξεν ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ κυρίου αὐθεντοῦντος δηλαδὴ τοῦ πατρός, οὔτε κάθηται ἐκ δεξιῶν ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ’ ἀκούει λέγοντος τοῦ πατρός· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου. | 18. Whoever, hearing that the Father is Lord and the Son Lord and the Father and Son Lord, for there is Lord from Lord, says there are two Gods, let him be anathema. For we do not place the Son in the Father’s order, but as subordinate to the Father; for he did not descend upon Sodom without the Father’s will, nor did he rain from himself, but from the Lord, that is, the Father authorizing it. Nor is he of himself seated on the right hand, but he hears the Father saying, “Sit on my right hand” [Ps. 110:1]. |
| XIX. Εἴ τις τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἓν πρόσωπον λέγει, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 19. Whoever says that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one person, let him be anathema. |
| XX. Εἴ τις τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παράκλητον λέγων τὸν ἀγέννητον λέγοι θεόν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 20. Whoever, speaking of the Holy Spirit as Paraclete, is referring to the ingenerate God, let him be anathema. |
| XXI. Εἴ τις, ὡς ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ὁ κύριος, μὴ ἄλλον λέγοι τὸν παράκλητον παρὰ τὸν υἱόν· εἴρηκε γὰρ καὶ ἄλλονπαράκλητονπέμψει ὑμῖνὁπατὴρ ὃνἐρωτήσωἐγώ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 21. Whoever denies, what the Lord taught us, that the Paraclete is other than the Son, for he said, “and the Father will send you another Paraclete, whom I will ask” [John 14:16], let him be anathema. |
| XXII. Εἴ τις τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον μέρος λέγοι τοῦ πατρὸς ἢ τοῦ υἱοῦ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 22. Whoever says that the Holy Spirit is part of the Father or of the Son, let him be anathema. |
| XXIII. Εἴ τις τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα τρεῖς λέγοι θεούς, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 23. Whoever says that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three Gods, let him be anathema. |
| XXIV. Εἴ τις βουλήσει τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἓν τῶν ποιημάτων γεγονέναι λέγοι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 24. Whoever says that the Son of God at the will of God has come to be, as one of the works, let him be anathema. |
| XXV. Εἴ τις μὴ θελήσαντος τοῦ πατρὸς γεγεννῆσθαι λέγοι τὸν υἱόν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. οὐ γὰρ βιασθεὶς ὁ πατὴρ ὑπὸ ἀνάγκης φυσικῆς ἀχθείς, ὡς οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἐγέννησε τὸν υἱόν, ἀλλ’ ἅμα τε ἠβουλήθη καὶ ἀχρόνως καὶ ἀπαθῶς ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸν γεννήσας ἐπέδειξεν. | 25. Whoever says that the Son has been generated, the Father not wishing it, let him be anathema. For not by compulsion, led by physical necessity, did the Father, as he wished not, generate the Son, but he at once willed, and, after generating him from himself apart from time and passion, manifested him. |
| XXVI. Εἴ τις ἀγέννητον καὶ ἄναρχον λέγοι τὸν υἱόν, ὡς δύο ἄναρχα καὶ δύο ἀγέννητα λέγων καὶ δύο ποιῶν θεούς, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. κεφαλὴ γάρ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀρχὴ πάντων, ὁ υἱός. κεφαλὴδέ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀρχή, τοῦΧριστοῦὁθεός, οὕτω γὰρ εἰς μίαν ἄναρχον τῶν ὅλων ἀρχὴν δι’ υἱοῦ εὐσεβῶς τὰ πάντα ἀνάγομεν. | 26. Whoever says that the Son is without beginning and ingenerate, as if speaking of two unbegun and two ingenerate, and making two Gods, let him be anathema. For the Son is the head, namely the beginning of all; and “God is the head”, namely the beginning of Christ [1 Cor. 11:3]. And so to one unbegun beginning of the universe do we religiously refer all things through the Son. |
| XXVII. Καὶ πάλιν συνδιακριβοῦντες τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ τὴν ἔννοιαν λέγομεν, ὅτι εἴ τις Χριστὸν θεὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ προαιώνιον ὄντα καὶ ὑπουργηκότα τῷ πατρὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν ὅλων δημιουργίαν μὴ λέγοι, ἀλλ’ ἐξ οὗ ἐκ Μαρίας ἐγεννήθη, ἐκ τότε καὶ Χριστὸν καὶ υἱὸν κεκλῆσθαι καὶ ἀρχὴν εἰληφέναι τοῦ θεὸν εἶναι, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. | 27. And in accurate presentation of the idea of Christianity we say this again: Whoever does not say that Christ is God, Son of God, as being before ages, and having subserved the Father in the framing of the universe, but that from the time that he was born of Mary, from then he was called Christ and Son, and took an origin of being God, let him be anathema. |
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