The Armenian Church accepts the first three ecumenical councils of the Church. They are the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.), the Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.), and the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.). Her doctrines are founded upon the creeds and the dogmas of these councils. The Nicean Creed is a major basis of the doctrine of the Armenian Church. According to the doctrine of the Armenian Church, Christ is at one and the same time perfect God and perfect man. CHRIST IS GOD BECOME MAN. Neither His Divine nature nor His human nature are separated. These natures are united so that they are indivisible. Hence, we speak of the ONE NATURE of Christ (according to the formula of St. Cyril of Alexandria), “en mia physis.”
The Armenian Church also believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone and does not teach the western doctrine of the “Filioque.” The Armenian Church administers the seven sacraments and upholds the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures. She also ordains Deacons, Priests, and Bishops. The Divine Liturgy is the central act of worship in the Armenian Church. She accepts both the Holy Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition as comprising the single Orthodox rule of faith.
Creed of the Armenian Church
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father.
God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten and not made; of the same nature of the Father, by whom all things came into being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible;
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, took body, became man, was born perfectly of the holy Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.
He suffered and was crucified and was buried and rose again on the third day and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right hand of the Father. He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.
We believe also in the Holy Spirit, the uncreated and the perfect; who spoke through the Law and through the Prophets and through the Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles and dwelled in the saints.
We believe also in only one catholic and apostolic holy Church; In one baptism with repentance for the remission and forgiveness of sins; In the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies, in the kingdom of heaven and in the life eternal.
ՀԱՆԳԱՆԱԿ ՀԱՒԱՏՈՅ
Հաւատամք ի մի Աստուած՝ Հայր ամենակալ, յարարիչն երկնի եւ երկրի, երեւելեաց եւ աներեւութից։
Եւ ի մի Տէր՝ Յիսուս Քրիստոս, յՈրդին Աստուծոյ, ծնեալն յԱստուծոյ Հօրէ՝ միածին, այսինքն յէութենէ Հօր։
Աստուած յԱստուծոյ, լոյս ի լուսոյ, Աստուած ճշմարիտ՝ յԱստուծոյ ճշմարտէ, ծնունդ եւ ոչ արարած։ Նոյն ինքն ի բնութենէ Հօր, որով ամենայն ինչ եղեւ յերկինս եւ ի վերայ երկրի, երեւելիք եւ աներեւոյթք։
Որ յաղագս մեր՝ մարդկան, եւ վասն մերոյ փրկութեան իջեալ ի յերկնից՝ մարմնացաւ, մարդացաւ, ծնաւ կատարելապէս ի Մարիամայ սրբոյ կուսէն՝ Հոգւովն Սրբով։
Որով էառ մարմին, հոգի, եւ միտ, եւ զամենայն որ ինչ է ի մարդ՝ ճշմարտապէս եւ ոչ կարծեօք։
Չարչարեալ, խաչեալ, թաղեալ, յերրորդ աւուր յարուցեալ. ելեալ ի յերկինս նովին մարմնովն, նստաւ ընդ աջմէ Հօր։ Գալոց է նովին մարմնովն եւ փառօք Հօր ի դատել զկենդանիս եւ զմեռեալս. որոյ թագաւորութեանն ոչ գոյ վախճան։
Հաւատամք եւ ի Սուրբ Հոգին, յանեղն եւ ի կատարեալն, որ խօսեցաւ յօրէնս եւ ի Մարգարէս եւ յԱւետարանս։ Որ էջն ի Յորդանան, քարոզեաց յառաքեալսն, եւ բնակեցաւ ի սուրբսն։
Հաւատամք եւ ի մի միայն ընդհանրական եւ առաքելական Եկեղեցի։ Ի մի մկրտութիւն, յապաշխարութիւն, ի քաւութիւն եւ ի թողութիւն մեղաց։ Ի յարութիւն մեռելոց, ի դատաստանն յաւիտենից հոգւոց եւ մարմնոց. յարքայութիւնն երկնից, եւ ի կեանսն յաւիտենականս։
The Nicean-Athanasian Creed of the Armenian Orthodox Church:
We believe in One God [Deut 6:4, Mk 12:29, 1 Cor 8:6], the Father Almighty [Rev 16:7, Eph 4:6, Mt 6:9], maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible [Gen 1:1].
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ [Lk 2:11, 1 Cor 8:6, Jam 1:1], the Son of God [Mt 3:17, 17:5], begotten of God the Father [Psalm 2:7], only-begotten [Jn 1:18], that is of the substance of the Father [Jn 10:30, Heb 1:3]. God from God [Jn 11:42, 10:30], light from light [Jn 8:12], true God from true God [Jn 17:3, 10:30], begotten and not made [Ps 2:7] of the same nature of the Father [Jn 10:30, Heb 1:3], by whom all things came into being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible [Col 1:16, Jn 1:1-3]. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven [Jn 6:38, Mt 1:21], was incarnate [Jn 1:14], was made man [Jn 10:33, 1 Cor 15:47], was born perfectly of the holy Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit [Lk 1:35]. By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance [Lk 24:39, 1 Jn 1:1, Jn 11:38, Lk 23:46]. He suffered [Heb 2:18, 13:12] and was crucified [Mk 15:25] and was buried [Mk 15:46, 1 Cor 15:3-4] and rose again on the third day [Mt 20:19, 28:6], and ascended into heaven with the same body [Lk 24:51, Mk 16:19], and sat at the right hand of the Father [Mk 16:19, Acts 7:55, Eph 1:20]. He is to come with the same body [Acts 1:11] and with the glory of the Father [Mt 16:27] to judge the living and the dead [1 Pt 4:5, Mt 16:27]; of His Kingdom there is no end [Lk 1:33, Jn 18:36].
We believe also in the Holy Spirit [Mt 28:20, Jn 14:15-17, Heb 3:7, Heb 10:15, 1 Tim 4:1], the uncreate and the perfect [Jn 15:26]; who spoke through the Law and through the prophets and through the Gospels [Heb 1:1-2, Neh 9:30]; who came down upon the Jordan [Mt 3:16, Jn 1:32], preached through the apostles [Acts 2:4] and dwelled in the saints [1 Cor 3:16, Acts 4:31].
We believe also in only one catholic and apostolic holy Church [Mt 16:18, 1 Cor 3:11, Eph 1:22-23, 2:20, 5:23-27, Rom 12:5, Mt 28:19]; in one baptism with repentance [Acts 2:38] for the remission and forgiveness of sins [1 Jn 4:10, Mt 26:27-28]; in the resurrection of the dead [Jn 5:28-29], in the everlasting judgment of souls and bodies [1 Cor 15:51-54, 1 Thes 4:13-18]; in the Kingdom of Heaven [Luke 23:43] and in the life eternal [1 Jn 5:20]
-Adapted from the original text by Vartabed Vahan Hovhanessian