Christians believe that the truths of our faith are found in the Bible and summed up in the historic creeds of the Church.
These creeds are short statements that express what Christians believe about God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Creeds help us:
- Stay rooted in Scripture – they reflect what the Bible teaches.
- Connect with the wider Church – Christians across the world and throughout history have used these words.
- Express our faith together – in worship and in daily life.
The Church uses two main creeds that go back to the early centuries of Christian history.
The Apostles’ Creed
This is so called because it summarises the teaching of the apostles of Jesus (his first followers) and was at one time believed to date back to them.
It has been used in the Western Church (the churches of western Europe and the traditions that grew from them, including the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant churches) since its early days, hundreds of years ago, in the teaching of those being prepared for admission to the Church. It is the affirmation of faith traditionally used at baptism.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.
The Nicene Creed
The Creed of Nicaea was first formulated at the Council of Nicaea (a city in modern-day Turkey) in AD 325. What is now commonly known as the Nicene Creed is a later development of this original statement, expanded and refined at the Council of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in AD 381, and later affirmed by the wider Church at the Council of Chalcedon (a town that’s now part of Istanbul) in AD 451. These Councils and others like them were gatherings of church leaders to establish church ‘orthodoxy’ – beliefs that everyone agreed on.
This creed is the one most commonly used in Methodist Communion services and other key acts of worship, such as ordinations. It is also shared widely across other Christian traditions.
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
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.
We 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 worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The creeds in hymns
Traditionally creeds were sung, rather than just recited. Two hymns in the Methodist hymn book, Singing the Faith – 688 and 764, offer beautiful reflections on the faith expressed in the creeds. They don’t just state beliefs; they weave them into worship and song.
