Can You Articulate What You Believe? - The Nicene Creed
By: Amy Beange
Pop quiz Christian! There’s a person who asks you what you believe – what do you say? Can you confidently state the fundamentals of your faith? Did you miss anything?
If you are reading this blog, chances are you have a good grasp of the Christian faith – even so, I dare say there are many people who have been believers all their lives that might not be able to articulate all the beliefs that add up to making them able to say “I am a Christian.”
“... a good way forward is to look to the past.”
The task of passing on knowledge of the tenets of the faith is a concern for pastors, parents and youth leaders everywhere, but it can seem overwhelming. I suggest that a good way forward is to look to the past. In earlier times, literacy was limited and, until the printing press was invented, Bibles were scarce. People did not learn the faith by reading their Bibles, since they didn’t have any. They learned by hearing scripture read aloud and by learning a creed. A creed is a straightforward statement outlining the fundamentals of a religion.
The original form of the Nicene Creed was the work of the First Ecumenical Council in the year 325. It was a month-long meeting of bishops from across the Christian world in the city of Nicaea (present day Turkey). That creed was expanded, for clarity, at another council in the year 381. For instance, the original version stated Christ “was incarnate and was made man”, while the amended version states Christ “was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man.” That addition affirms that Christ was divine like the Father and this was important because wrong beliefs about the nature of Christ abounded then, just like now.
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“The formulation of a creed enabled even the most uneducated Christian to be sure of what he believed.”
The creed was composed largely as a response to Arianism, a heresy which held that Christ is the first and most perfect creation of God rather than being God himself. This and other heresies compromised truths essential to the gospel and the council sought to precisely define Christian beliefs so that there could be an easily referenced standard. Keep in mind that copies of the Old Testament and of the documents that were collected to form the New Testament were scarce for centuries and that the majority of people were illiterate. The formulation of a creed enabled even the most uneducated Christian to be sure of what he believed.
Since the creed covers the most basic and necessary beliefs of the Christian, it would be of real benefit to teach it to our young people. Perhaps a family or a Sunday school class or youth group could take a year to learn the creed together by memorizing and discussing it, phrase by phrase, asking “what does this mean?” and “why is this important?”
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
For instance, “I believe in one God...maker of heaven and earth.” We can ask “why is it important that we believe in one God? Why not many gods?” We can answer that one creator emphasizes God’s total control over creation - there is no conflict between petty authorities and there is nothing that is outside His reach. One creator means one set of laws governing the universe in an orderly fashion. Without this order there would be no possibility of science, since science depends on order.
Or what about “I believe in one God, the Father almighty”? Why Father? Why not simply God? Father establishes the intimate relationships that are at the heart of the Christian faith. God is, at His core, a relational being. He is not distant, unconnected. He has a father’s care for His Son and a father’s care for we His creations.
Many churches today recite the creed as part of their weekly worship – wouldn’t it be great, with all our divisions and differences of opinion, to be able to set such aside for a moment and say together what we hold in common!