February 5th, 2023
It has been some time since I last wrote a note to the church. Before this hiatus, I had begun a series of notes on the Nicene Creed. I want to resume this series of notes.
We recite the Nicene Creed in our worship service on Sunday mornings. The final form of the creed was written at the Council of Constantinople in 381. It is a confession of faith, which is the fruit of three centuries of the church’s worship of the Triune God revealed in Scripture.
Some of the words and phrases sound strange to us. Why do we confess that the Son is “eternally begotten” or that he is “true God from true God”? Why do we confess that the church is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic”? What do the words “catholic” and “apostolic” mean? Also, why do we have creeds and why do we recite the Nicene Creed in our worship?
In this series of notes, I want to consider the meaning and significance of key words and phrases in the Nicene Creed, to help us better appreciate why we recite it and better understand what we’re confessing.