I speak in Merriam-Webster, so let's start with the definition.
Creed -
1 : a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
2 : a set of fundamental beliefs; also : a guiding principle
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/CREED
I have heard (not talking about anyone specific here, just being very general) people say, "I don't believe in Creeds, because they are traditions of men." Like it is some kind of dirty word, forbidden man made invention. Yet a creed is simply a statement of belief, from the Latin word credo, to believe. Thus if you believe in anything you have a creed. Your creed could be: I don't have a creed. Because that is a guiding principle, fundamental belief, or creed on what you believe.
Too many times people think a creed is there to tell people what they should believe. It is just the opposite. People put in the creed what they believe.
An example of a creed could be Jesus' sermon on the Mount. Just like other creeds it is told many times, many ways (languages and translations vary), and is passed on through the generations. It is a set of beliefs and an authoritative formula.
Okay, so then let's think about some more creeds. Take for example: The Nicene Creed. You may or may not believe in it. Many Catholics and non-Catholics alike do believe this creed, but also many do not. Many argue, its not in the Bible. True you won't find the Nicene Creed word for word written in the Bible, but you will find its truths throughout the Bible. The Bible itself was not dictated word for word by God, only its Truths were dictated. The exact words are the words of each individual author and how they spoke. Well, the Nicene Creed was written to protect against heresy, by stating their basic beliefs of faith. Everyone states their basic beliefs of faith, this is something even Jesus did. Competely a biblical practice.
How biblical is the Nicene Creed?
We believe in one God,
Deuteronomy 6:4 4 " Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
the Father, the Almighty,
Matthew 6:9 9 "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
maker of heaven and earth,
Genesis 1:1 NKJ Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
of all that is seen and unseen.
Colossians 1:16 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
Acts 2:35-36 36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
the only Son of God,
John 1:18 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
eternally begotten of the Father, Through him all things were made.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
of one Being with the Father.
John 10:30 30 "I and My Father are one."
For us and for our salvation
Matthew 1:21 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
he came down from heaven:
John 3:13 13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
John 6:41 1 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."
John 6:51 51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
Luke 1:31-35 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" 35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
and was made man.
Hebrews 2:14 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
John 1:14 4 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
Mark 15:14-15 14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!" 15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
he suffered death and was buried.
Mark 15:37 37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
Mark 15:44-47 44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.
On the third day he rose again
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
in accordance with the Scriptures;
Luke 24:26-34 26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent." And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?" 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, "The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!"
he ascended into heaven
Acts 1:8-11 8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Matthew 26:64 64 Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
John 5:22-23 22 "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 "that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
and his kingdom will have no end.
2 Peter 1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
John 6:63 63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
John 15:26 26 " But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
Matthew 28:19 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
He has spoken through the Prophets.
Acts 28:25 25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
Matthew 16:18 8 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
Acts 2:37-38 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Philippians 3:20-21 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Now I am not writting to convert anyone to Catholicism or any other faith. I am not trying to get anyone to profess the Nicene Creed or believe in it. My point is simply this: Creeds can be good, biblically supported, and are done by everyone who is able to believe in anything. My purpose was simply to educate on a topic that seems to blurred by modern times. Everyone has a creed no matter what language or translation they use, because creeds are just statements of basic beliefs. Creed is not a dirty word.
