[Click here for a YouTube video introduction to the Creeds and the Rule of Faith]
A creed is an authoritative summary of beliefs. The earliest Christian creeds were written in Greek and consisted of short sections, each beginning with “I believe,” which is a translation of the Greek word pistévo (πιστεύω). This word is related to the Greek word pistis (πίστις), which is typically translated as “faith” in the New Testament. For example, in Ephesians Paul writes that you are saved by pistis. Pistis and pistévo mean more than simply belief and faith. They also involve trust and commitment. When someone says “I believe” when reciting a creed, they are saying that they believe it, they have faith in it, they are committed to it, and they have put their trust in it.
When the creeds were translated from Greek into Latin, pistévo was translated into credo, which also means “I believe.” Old English modified the Latin to creda, which means a confession of faith. Today, a creed is a short authoritative summary of religious beliefs. But it can be helpful to simply think of creeds as compilations of “I believe” statements.
The most important creeds are the Rule of Faith, the Nicene Creed, the Apostles Creed, the Chalcedonian Definition, and the Athanasian Creed.
Creeds are not merely symbols used in baptism or conciliar rulings against heresies. They are authoritative summaries of the core of Christian faith. As such, they are doctrinally and theologically useful.
Cyril of Jerusalem (c.313–386) was a bishop who wrote a series of lectures given to catechumens in Jerusalem being prepared for baptism. Cyril, who refers to creeds as Articles of the Faith, and writes:
“[I]n the Articles, which are few, we comprehend the whole doctrine of the Faith. This I wish you to remember even in the very phrase, and to rehearse it with all diligence among yourselves, not writing it on paper, but by memory graving it on your heart as on a monument. For the Articles of the Faith were not composed at the good pleasure of men: but the most important points chosen from all Scripture, make up the one teaching of the Faith. And, as the mustard seed in a little grain contains many branches, thus also this Faith, in a few words, hath enfolded in its bosom the whole knowledge of godliness contained both in the Old and New Testaments.”[i]
And so, Christians interested in theology are strongly encouraged to be familiar with the major creeds, to recognize their dogmatic emphases, and to use them as a supplemental hermeneutic when interpreting Scripture themselves and when assessing the interpretations of others. In a liturgical context, those who recite the creeds in church services will hopefully find their worship experience strengthened and more closely aligned with theological truths.
[i] Cyril of Jerusalem, The Catechetical Lectures, 4th Ed., London: Parker & Co. and Rivingtons, 1872: Preface.
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