We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father…
The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo which means “I believe.” Though creeds are not the Word of God, they are helpful for three reasons:
1) To establish church liturgy.
2) To provide a guide for teaching and preaching.
3) To confront heresy.
Throughout church history, the creeds became the verdicts concerning a doctrinal dispute or heretical teaching. When someone presented a teaching about the Christian faith (i. e. Arius stated that Jesus Christ was the created Son of God not the eternal Son of God). Constantine ordered a council meeting at Nicaea to discuss the matter. Athanasius debated the matter with Arius and the council voted in favor of Athanasius that Jesus was eternal Son of God and not the created Son of God. This meeting resulted in the Nicene Creed quoted above.
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.”
The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo which means “I believe.” When the church began, it became fertile ground for heresy and false doctrine, so the early church leaders needed to set parameters of what it means to be a Christian. Though creeds are not the Word of God, they are helpful for three reasons:
1) Church liturgy.
2) Guide for teaching and preaching.
Because many doctrines of the Christian faith are not sketched out in a single section of the Bible (i.e. the incarnation of Christ, trinity, etc.), creeds are helpful by categorizing the biblical evidences and historical church teachings and arranging them in a simple way to understand and memorize. The creeds become helpful tools to teach and disciple others about the truths found in God’s Word.
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.”
The Apostle’s Creed is considered the oldest of the church creeds. The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo which means “I believe.” When the church began, it became fertile ground for heresy and false doctrine, so the early church leaders needed to set parameters of what it means to be a Christian. Though creeds are not the Word of God, they are helpful for three reasons:
1) Church liturgy.
Teachers and disciples needed to know the bare minimum of what Scripture says about certain teachings of the Bible. When someone wanted to be a Christian or be baptized, they were questioned about the Christian faith: “What does it mean to be a Christian? Who is Jesus Christ? Who is God?” What are the necessary answers that one needed to confirm and believe in order to be a Christian and develop a solid Christian life.
