▁the ▁Son ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁traditional ▁Christian ▁belief ▁about ▁him ▁handed ▁down ▁from ▁the ▁Apost les . ▁This ▁belief ▁was ▁expressed ▁by ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁in ▁the ▁Cre ed ▁of ▁N ica ea , ▁which ▁would ▁form ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁what ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Nic eno - Const antin opol itan ▁Cre ed . ▁ ▁Nic ene ▁Cre ed ▁▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁projects ▁undert aken ▁by ▁the ▁Council ▁was ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁Cre ed , ▁a ▁declaration ▁and ▁summary ▁of ▁the ▁Christian ▁faith . ▁Several ▁cre eds ▁were ▁already ▁in ▁existence ; ▁many ▁cre eds ▁were ▁acceptable ▁to ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁council , ▁including ▁Ari us . ▁From ▁earliest ▁times , ▁various ▁cre eds ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁identification ▁for ▁Christians , ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁inclusion ▁and ▁recognition , ▁especially ▁at ▁bapt ism . ▁ ▁In ▁Rome , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁Apost les ' ▁Cre ed ▁was ▁popular , ▁especially ▁for ▁use ▁in ▁L ent ▁and ▁the ▁E aster ▁season . ▁In ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁N ica ea , ▁one ▁specific ▁cre ed ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁define ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁faith ▁clearly , ▁to ▁include ▁those ▁who ▁prof essed ▁it , ▁and ▁to ▁exclude ▁those ▁who ▁did ▁not . ▁ ▁Some ▁distinct ive ▁elements ▁in ▁the ▁Nic ene ▁Cre ed , ▁perhaps ▁from ▁the ▁hand ▁of ▁H os ius ▁of ▁Cord ova , ▁were ▁added , ▁some ▁specifically ▁to ▁counter ▁the ▁A rian ▁point ▁of ▁view . ▁▁ ▁Jesus ▁Christ ▁is ▁described