The Creeds of the Church
11.4 - Foundations of the Christian Faith
There are two important concepts that you need to understand concerning what we as Christians believe and what we practice. These concepts are best expressed in these two words: Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy.
Orthodoxy means “right belief,” while orthopraxy means “right practice.” Christians all around the world use the Holy Scriptures to determine orthodoxy and orthopraxy. However, in the early church, the scriptures had not yet been formed. For this reason, the early Church formulated creeds that served as litmus tests for good doctrine and good practice. If a new doctrine or practice did not line up with the creeds, it was rejected as heresy. In the later church, the scriptures were not widely available to the average believer since the scriptures were in Latin and few people could read Latin, so the creeds were of great importance in the life of the church. Today, with many heretical movements at work in the world and the church, the creeds help us sort out twisted and erring doctrine from good and holy doctrine. Remember, the apostle Paul warned us that in the last days, “some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Many of these heretics use the scriptures to establish their evil doctrines, so they have a ring of truth about them, even as they twist the scriptures to deceive the faithful. The creeds can still help us today to separate truth from error.
What is a creed? A creed is simply a statement of faith. The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, which means “I believe.” The purpose of the Christian creeds is to declare and safeguard for all generations essential truths about God, the Church, and the world, as revealed in Holy Scripture. You should embrace the creeds and use them to establish orthodoxy and orthopraxy in your own Christian walk. Do not reject the creeds as being “too Catholic” or the like. One of the creeds has been in use since the first century. To reject any element of the creeds signifies a departure from the Christian faith.
There are three traditional creeds in the historic church: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. These creeds state (in a nutshell) the essential beliefs of the Christian faith.
The Apostle’s Creed dates to the first century.
It is the oldest and simplest of the three creeds.
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
You will note that the phrase “the holy catholic Church” uses a lowercase “c.” The word catholic means “universal,” so it is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church. Some denominations, like the Lutherans, have altered this phrase to “the holy Christian Church.” Do NOT be troubled by this reference, thinking that it is Roman Catholic alone. All believers in all ages comprise the Church of Jesus Christ, regardless of what church denomination or faith expression they belong to. We are all one in Christ Jesus!
The Nicene Creed was created at the Council of Nicaea, which was the first complete gathering of all the Bishops of the known world. This gathering happened in the year 325 AD.
THE NICENE CREED
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Nicene Creed shares much with the earlier Apostle’s Creed but grows more specific in regard to the identity of Jesus Christ as God’s son. This was added as a defense against growing heresies in their own age. Again, you will note the word “catholic” with a lowercase “c” means “universal,” so it is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church. All believers of all ages comprise the Church of Jesus Christ, regardless of what church denomination or faith expression they belong to. We are all one in Christ Jesus!
The Athanasian Creed dates from the 5th century BC, or perhaps earlier. It was not used as widely but serves the important purpose of explaining the nature of the Trinity, which is a difficult concept that has led many people into error. This creed will serve you well if you struggle to comprehend the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Athanasian Creed
Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith.
Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally.
Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.
But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty.
What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.
Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.
The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite.
Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit: And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited.
Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty.
Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God.
Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord.
As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.
The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created, but was alone begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created, but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Thus there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.
And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons.
Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.
It is necessary for eternal salvation that one also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh.
For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and man.
He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother — existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in humanity.
Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ.
He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity.
He is completely one in the unity of his person, without confusing his natures.
For as the rational soul and body are one person, so the one Christ is God and man.
He suffered death for our salvation. He descended into hell and rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
At his coming all people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds.
Those who have done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith.
One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.
Amen.
This more modern English text is provided by the Reformed Church in America. For many, this creed has fallen out of use in the Modern age. Regardless, it still serves an important function, even if that function is limited.
Congratulations!
This brings us to the end of our study. Congratulations on completing this exploration of the Foundations of the Christian Faith. You’ve traced the great arc of redemptive history—from creation through fall, covenant, incarnation, and consummation. These aren’t merely doctrines to master but living realities that shape how we understand God, ourselves, and our place in His unfolding story. As you move forward, may these foundations continue to deepen your faith and inform your practice, drawing you ever closer to the heart of the One who is Himself the cornerstone of all we believe.