Creed

Moreover, the Nicene Creed is probably the most widely used of all Christian creeds. Eastern Orthodox Christians say it. Roman Catholics say it. Methodists say it. Even those hardknots, the Associate Reformed Presbyterians say it. To me, there is something awesome about knowing as we repeat the words of the creed that millions of Christians are saying it with us, and hundreds of millions of Christians have said it. In China, where the church lives on the edge of persecution, Christians say this creed, and in Moscow and in Berlin and even in York, SC. So we see then that another purpose of the creed is to unite us in love with Christians of all times and places. Christians are divided in a thousand different ways on a hundred different issues, but our ancient creeds focus on essentials and bring us together.

In Acts 2:22-32, Peter is responding to the accusation of drunkenness. The disciples had poured out of the upper room on the day of Pentecost with the fire of the Holy Spirit in their souls and foreign tongues on their lips. They were excited, they were exalted, but some said they were besotted, inebriated, stone-cold drunk.

Peter offers us a new test for sobriety. He recites the creed. The next time the police stop someone on suspicion of DUI, I suggest that they have them recite the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. If you can do that, they should let you go.

Of course, what Peter has to say in Acts 2 is not a creed in any formal sense. Acts 2:22-32 is called Peter’s first sermon, but it is not really a sermon either. It is a proclamation of a set of beliefs about Jesus. Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, God raised him from the dead and he is now exalted. Thus, this is the earliest creed of the church.

The word creed actually comes from the Latin, credo (I believe) or credimus (we believe). All religions have creeds, but Christianity historically has set a high value on saying what we believe and understanding what we believe. We probably derive this tradition from the Old Testament. Perhaps the earliest creedal statement in the Bible is Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your might.” This is known in Judaism as the “Shema” from the word, “Hear.” What is important about this statement is that it describes a common belief about God and a personal response. The creed is both communal (our God) and personal (love the Lord, your God).

Christians still affirm the Shema, but with the coming of Christ our creedal statements underwent a transformation. Peter proclaimed a common belief that Jesus was crucified, died and was buried and that God raised him from the dead, because that was the conviction that had captured his heart. Again, Peter’s statements are both personal and communal.

William Sloane Coffin also wrote a book titled Credo. He says that a creed is that “to which I give my heart.” My creed is that which I love. I said earlier that a creed affirms that God loves us. As we take that creed and affirm that creed, and make it part of our lives, we say that we love God.