The Creed
The Creed (from Lat. “credo” = I believe) or the Symbol of Faith is one of the ancient prayers of the Orthodox Church. It was composed, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the Fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils (Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), respectively).
In those times, different heretical doctrines attempted to overthrow the faith in the Holy Trinity. As a response to Arius’ false teaching that the Son of God was created by God – the Father and thus His existence had a beginning, the First Ecumenical Council formulated the first seven parts of the Creed:
(1) I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
(2) And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; True God of True God; begotten, not created; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made.
(3) Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.
(4) And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
(5) And on the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures.
(6) And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
(7) And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.
The Second Ecumenical Council refuted the Pneumatomachi (Adversaries of the Spirit) theory, which called the Holy Spirit the servant and fulfiller of God's wishes and did not recognize Him as a Hypostasis (Person) of the Holy Trinity. It expanded the Nicaean Creed with the additional five parts:
(8) And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke by the prophets.
(9) In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
(10) I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
(11) I look for the resurrection of the dead.
(12) And the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Church made a decisive stand to protect the purity of the Orthodox teachings, setting out the basic truths of Christian teachings in the Creed. The Creed is the whole Church articulating and expressing its faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
With the exception of the Filioque (“and the Son”) clause (related to the procession of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son and which was inserted by the West in the 6th century and accepted by papacy around the 11th century and rejected by the East based on theological grounds), the Creed is the only ecumenical statement of faith. It is accepted by the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and major Protestant Churches, but only the Orthodox Church has preserved its original form.
Recited during the Divine Liturgy, the Creed is a constant renewal of Orthodox Christians’ confession of faith and a guide in our spiritual life. Although it goes without saying that no finite creed can ever say everything there is to say about our infinite God, we cannot remain silent and must communicate our faith.
We need to know what we believe and in Whom we believe if we are to live a truly Christian life.