The Fountainhead of Divinity: God the Father Almighty
Understanding the first article of the Nicene Creed is important for Orthodox Christian belief and life
Note: The following is the beginning of a series of presentations honoring 1700 years since Nicea that we are doing at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church in Boca Raton, Florida.
This is the first of five parts, and is based in part on a recent class taught by Fr. Mark Leondis.
This article also references “A Simple Catechism Based on the Nicene Creed” and “The First Ecumenical Council of Nicea: Celebrating 1700 Years of Nicene Faith.”
Introduction
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed is the definitive statement of Christian doctrine, formulated by the Church Fathers at the Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea (AD 325) and Constantinople (AD 381). As the bedrock of Orthodox Christian theology, its first article establishes the foundation upon which all other doctrines rest: “I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” Isaiah 45:5-6 says, “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides me there is no God...”
In this article, we aim to briefly unpack these words and their significance for our lives as Christians.
The Foundation of Our Faith: Belief in One God
At the outset, the Nicene Creed affirms a fundamental belief of Christianity: I believe in one God. This is not merely a declaration or statement of intellectual assent, but a personal commitment to a relationship with the Creator of all things. In a world once filled with polytheistic beliefs, the early Church, following the Hebrews before them, boldly proclaimed the existence of only one true God. This monotheism,1 rooted in Israel's ancient and foundational confession, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4), and finds its fulfillment in Christ.
The Apostle Paul affirms this for the Church, teaching that “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 8:6). The question, “How many gods are there?” is answered with this unwavering clarity: there is only one God. This impacts how we approach prayer, worship, and daily life, calling us back to the singular source of all that exists.
The Father Almighty: The Fountainhead of Divinity
The Creed continues by identifying this one God as the “Father Almighty.” In asking, “Who is the Father?” we come to understand Him as the arche, the eternal source and fountainhead of all Divinity. In Orthodox theology, the Father is the unbegotten origin, possessing the fullness of Divine authority and power, as denoted by the title “Almighty.” This term, from the Greek Pantokrator (Ruler of All), teaches us that God is sovereign over everything, the entire created order, as echoed in the book of Revelation: “I am the Alpha and the Omega… who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).
Calling God “Father” also reveals that He is not merely strength and mightiness, but is a relational being. He is not a distant, impersonal force but a loving Creator who desires intimacy with His creation. Jesus himself taught us to pray this way: “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). He cares even for the sparrows (Matthew 6:25-27), and knows the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). The Father’s “almightiness” assures us that nothing is beyond His care or control, a comforting truth in times of uncertainty or struggle.
For a short, 10 minute introduction to the Nicene Creed, check out this video:
Summary of video:
The Nicene Creed is the faith of the Christian Church, inspired by God and confirmed at the first ecumenical council in Nicea in AD 325, and has been used as the Creed of the church since that time.
The Nicene Creed has three fundamental purposes and uses: as a guardian of the faith, a missionary or catechetical usage to propagate the faith, and a liturgical or devotional usage in the Liturgy and private prayers.
After its finalization at Constantinople in 381, the Creed is not changeable and is the faith of the church—which is why Orthodox Christians often use it as their answer when asked about their beliefs. It may also be seen as a statement of faith that is renewed every time it is recited, especially during the Divine Liturgy.
Creator of Heaven and Earth: The Scope of God’s Work
The Creed then expands on God’s identity as the “Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.” This statement answers the questions, “Who made you?” and “What else did God make?” with profound simplicity: God made me, and He made all things. From the opening of Scripture, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), this belief is a cornerstone of our faith. Why the distinction between “visible and invisible”? The visible includes the material world, while the invisible encompasses the angelic hosts and spiritual realities—but even applies to consciousness and other aspects of the material world that are unseen. “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Psalm 33:6).
The Apostle Paul teaches that all creation, in both realms, was brought into being through the Son: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). While we will cover this in more detail in a future post, for now it is enough to understand that all things are under God’s sovereign care, that the members of the Trinity are interconnected in not only essence but in action—and in serving this grand God who cares, we can find purpose and dignity to our own existence.
Listen to the Creed here:
The Mystery of Divine Unity: Homoousios
While the first article focuses on the Father, it sets the stage for the revelation of the Holy Trinity. In response to the question, “How has God revealed Himself?” we affirm that God has made Himself known in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To defend this mystery against heresy, the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea chose a precise and crucial word: homoousios (ὁμοούσιος). This term means “of the same substance” or “of the same essence.” Same—not similar. As Jesus says in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”
While this is frequently translated as “one essence,” it literally means “same essence,” a distinction that may be helpful to grasping Orthodox perspective on God. It affirms that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are truly distinct Persons, yet they are not separate beings or divisions within God. Rather, they all share the identical, indivisible divine nature.
The phrases later in the Creed that describe the Son—“God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God”—properly illustrate this concept. While more than a metaphor, it nonetheless helps us understand that just as light emanates from a source without diminishing it or being of a different nature, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father. As Hebrews 1:3 puts it, “He [Christ'] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...”
This relationship of origin does not imply inferiority. The Son, who is eternally begotten (Hebrews 5:1-6), and the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26), are not lesser, created beings. Rather, they are fully and eternally God because they are homoousios—of the very same substance—with the Father, who remains the sole fountainhead of Divinity. This is why Jesus can say “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) and yet he can also pray to the Father as a distinct personage (e.g., Matthew 26:36-56).
See also our “Simple Catechism” based on Nicea.
Living the Creed: Implications for Our Faith
Understanding the first part of the Nicene Creed is not merely an academic exercise; it has strong implications for how we live as Orthodox Christians.
Believing in one God calls us to reject all forms of idolatry and syncretism and to either accept and follow, or reject and walk away from, the one true God.
Recognizing God as Father Almighty instills in us a sense of trust and dependence, knowing that His power and love are ever-present realities.
Acknowledging Him as Creator of all things, visible and invisible, should foster a sense of stewardship over the world and humility before the often confusing, unseen spiritual realities that surround us.
The teaching of Nicea should bridge the gap between belief in our heads and living the faith in our life—the Creed becomes for us a living confession rather than merely a static formula of truth. The truths contained within it are meant to be transformative, shaping our worship, our relationships, and our entire way of being.
We should be reminded of Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
In confessing the words of the Creed, we not only proclaim our faith but also invite others to encounter the one true God who made us, loves us, and calls us into eternal communion with Him.
Next week: A User’s Guide to the Nicene Creed (with one hour teaching video) by Catechist James (Jamey) Bennett.
In the meantime, if you’re itching for more on Nicea, check out this six minute homily on the significance of Nicea:
Some Orthodox Christians argue they are not monotheists to emphasize the unique Trinitarian theology of our faith, which posits one God in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—sharing a single divine “essence,” distinguishing it from the view of a strict, singular unity of God in religions like Judaism or Islam.
These Orthodox believers reject the term “monotheism” as overly simplistic, failing to capture the relational and triadic nature of the Godhead, where the Father is the source, with the Son begotten and the Spirit proceeding—essentially, they are trying to defend the “monarchy of the Father” as well as the hypostatic interrelations between the three persons of the Trinity. I applaud the effort to preserve the complexity and mystery of the Trinity, avoiding reductionistic impulses to numerical oneness and to similarly distinguish from polytheism.
I really don't share this perspective because the Orthodox Church clearly affirms belief in one God, and it seems to me that if words are going to mean something, then we are monotheists in a real and undeniable sense. I think term “monotheism” adequately reflects this core belief in our one God articulated by the Nicene Creed. The Trinity certainly adds a nuanced, relational dimension that transcends simplistic definitions, so I’m not sure we need to make additional semantical distinctions.
This was refreshing. I forgot about our foundational the Nicene Creed is & how long it’s been around! Thanks for posting this