[Click here for a YouTube video introduction to the Creeds and the Rule of Faith]
The Rule of Faith is thought to have developed soon after Pentecost when new churches were being formed and the core of Christian beliefs needed to be consistently communicated to potential converts. The Rule of Faith is really more of a proto-creed since it was passed down through oral tradition rather than in writing.
The Rule of Faith has three sections. One about the Father, one about the Son, and one about the Holy Spirit. Irenaeus (c.130– c.202) describes the Rule of Faith as follows:
Rule of Faith
I believe in God, the Father, not made, not material, invisible; one God, the creator of all things.
I believe in the Word of God, Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, was made man among men, visible and tangible, in order to abolish death and show forth life and produce a community of union between God and man.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom the righteous were led forth into the way of righteousness; and who in the end of the times was poured out in a new way a upon mankind in all the earth, renewing man unto God.
Discussion
The Rule of Faith was primarily used as a baptismal confession. Before being baptized, a person was required to recite it. As can be seen, the Rule of Faith is Trinitarian. The Father is the Creator but exists outside of His creation. Jesus Christ is the Word of God who came to earth to allow the broken relationship between God and man to be restored. The Holy Spirit leads people in the ways of righteousness and renews fallen mankind. These truths are what the early church felt were most important for baptismal candidates to confess.
It is important to recognize that the Rule of Faith came before any of the NT writings. As the NT writings started to appear, the Rule of Faith was increasingly used as a test for interpretations of these writings and teachings based on these interpretations. Trying to determine an appropriate scriptural interpretation was referred to as seeking. In his The Prescription Against Heretics, Tertullian (c.155– c.220) writes, “Let our seeking, therefore be in that which is our own, and from those who are our own, and concerning that which is our own, –that, and only that, which can become an object of inquiry without impairing the rule of faith.” A scriptural interpretation must be consistent with the Rule of Faith, or it is a bad interpretation.
The Rule of Faith gradually lengthened into what is known as the Old Roman Creed. The Old Roman Creed was expanded even further to become the Apostles’ Creed.
Creeds used for liturgical purposes were also referred to as symbols. For this reason, the Old Roman Creed is sometimes referred to as the Old Roman Symbol and the Apostles’ Creed is sometimes referred to as the Symbol of the Apostles.
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