Symbol of faith in Orthodox language. Symbol of faith

The Creed Prayer is a brief and precise statement of the fundamentals of Christian doctrine, compiled and approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils.

What is the Creed Prayer?

The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, the dogma of our Orthodox faith.
The 1st member speaks about God the Father, the 2nd to 7th members talk about God the Son, the 8th - about God the Holy Spirit, the 9th - about the Church, the 10th - about baptism, the 11th and 12th th - about the resurrection of the dead and eternal life.

Text of the prayer “Creed”

Icon “Symbol of Faith”

How the “Creed” is sung at the Liturgy

Valaam Choir

Interpretation of the prayer “Creed”

Archpriest Alexander Shmeman

Explanation of the Creed

Protopresbyter A. Schmemann

1. Introduction

In the life of the Christian Church, the so-called Symbol of faith: A relatively short confession of what the Church believes. The word “symbol” in its original meaning can be translated as follows: something that “holds together, connects, contains.” So, the Creed is precisely contains all these truths that the Church believes are necessary for man, for the fullness of his life and for salvation from sin and spiritual death.

Historically, the Creed arose from the preparation of converts, that is, new believers preparing to enter the Church, for the sacrament of baptism. In ancient times, it was mainly adults who were baptized. As in our days, people came to faith, accepted Christ, wanted to join the Church, become members of the church community - each as a result of their own special path. For every conversion, every meeting of a person with God is a mystery of God’s grace, which we are not given the opportunity to penetrate. Some come to God in suffering and grief, others in joy and happiness. So it was, so it will always be.

The origin of faith in the human soul is a mystery. And yet, faith in Christ itself leads a person to the Church, to the community of those who believe in Christ. Faith itself seeks and demands the unity of believers, who, precisely by this unity and love for each other, testify to the world that they are disciples and followers of Christ. “Therefore everyone will know that you are My disciples,” said Christ, “if you have love for one another.” Love and unity of faith, about which St. Paul says that it constitutes the main joy of Christians: “I greatly desire to see you,” he writes to the Christian Church in Rome, “so that I may be comforted by the common faith with you, yours and mine...”

The Christian life of a new believer thus began with the fact that he was brought to the bishop of the local Church, and he drew a cross with his hand on the forehead of the new Christian, as if putting the mark of Christ on him. A man came to God and believed in Christ. Now, however, he must learn the content of faith. He becomes student it begins, as they say in church books, announce. For Christianity is not an emotion, not just a feeling, no, it is an encounter with the Truth, it is a difficult feat of accepting it with the whole being. Just as a person who passionately loves music, in order to perform it, must go through difficult training, so one who has believed in Christ, who has fallen in love with Christ, must now realize the content of his faith and what it obliges him to do.

On the eve of Easter - for in the early Church baptism was performed on Easter night - everyone preparing for baptism solemnly read the Creed, made a “giving” of it, confessed its acceptance and their entry into the unity of faith and love. Each large local Church - Roman, Alexandrian, Antioch - had its own baptismal creed, and although they were all everywhere an expression of a single and indivisible faith, they differed in style and phraseology from each other. At the beginning of the 4th century, great disputes arose in the Church concerning the basic Christian doctrine of Christ as God. In 325, the first Ecumenical Council met in the city of Nicaea, and at it a common Creed, common to all Christians, was developed. Several decades later, at the Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople, the Creed was supplemented and received the name Nicene-Constantinople, common to the entire universal Church. Finally, the third Ecumenical Council, in Ephesus in 431, decided that this symbol should remain forever inviolable so that, in other words, no more additions would be made to it.

The “Creed” prayer, the text of which in Russian will be given below, is considered one of the main prayers of Christianity of all denominations. It briefly sets out the basic truths of the Christian faith, i.e. what Christians around the world believe. For this reason, the name “Creed” is often replaced with the synonym “I Believe” - after the first word with which this prayer begins.

Every church gives a special place to the “Creed”: services begin with this prayer, and it is read by the godparents when a child is baptized. Those who themselves accept Baptism, including children who have reached conscious age, must also know it. The power of “I Believe” allows you to establish a close connection with the Lord and strengthen your faith in him.

In Russian, the text of the prayer “Creed” is as follows:

Brief historical background on the origin of prayer

The prototype of the “Creed” originated during the formation of the Church. Even then there were several short truths, the purpose of which was to remind baptized converts of what they should believe. Over time, as the rite of baptism underwent changes, the prayer began to take on its modern appearance, and new formulations were included in its content.

This version, in which the “Creed” exists now, was compiled at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils. The first was held in 325, in Nicaea, the second - in 381, in Constantinople (Constantinople). Based on the names of these cities, the modern “Creed” was called Nicene-Constantinopolitan. During the First Council, the first 7 truths of prayer were compiled, during the Second - the remaining 5.

Contents and interpretation of the prayer “I Believe”

The “Creed” consists of 12 members (parts). Each part contains one truth:

• 1st member - one God is mentioned;
• from 2 to 7 - dedicated to Jesus Christ, the son of the Lord;
• 8th member - we are talking about the Holy Spirit;
• 9th member - dedicated to the united Church;
• 10th member - the sacrament of baptism, its benefit;
• The 11th and 12th members are a mention of the Kingdom of Heaven, the resurrection of those who have passed into another world, and eternal life.

The meaning of prayer

It’s not for nothing that the “Creed” begins with the word “I Believe” - it contains a huge meaning, and it must be pronounced sincerely and resonate in the soul and consciousness of the person praying. Believing is the first thing required of a true Christian. Next, it lists what exactly he must believe in: in the trinity of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), in one Church and eternal life, which will reign on earth after the Last Judgment, where every single one will receive what they deserve.

Unity of God

The first part of the prayer is dedicated to the one God, precisely the one, since Christianity is a monotheistic religion. Before the birth of Christianity, people invented many gods for themselves and associated them with natural phenomena. And in the Christian religion there is one Lord, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are parts of it.

The essence of the Creator is revealed in the first member: thanks to him, life arose on earth, it was he who created everything living and inanimate, “visible and invisible.”

God's Son

After the mention of the one God, there is a story about His Son - Jesus, who sacrificed his own life so that humanity would be granted deliverance from all sins. The Son of the Lord, born of an ordinary mortal woman, is considered by Christians to be God.

Christ grew up like an ordinary person, but differed from other people in the gift of miracles. He created many miracles in his life. People followed Jesus, and the apostles became his first disciples. He taught them God's word without hiding his origins. He was born, as all people are born, lived a human life and died as a human, and then was resurrected according to the will of his Father.

The Christian faith begins with the acceptance of the mystery of the birth, life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For this reason, a large part of the prayer is devoted to the Son of the Lord - in this part his life path is briefly revealed. It is believed that now he is next to his Father and awaits the onset of the Last Judgment.

Holy Spirit

The 8th part of the prayer is dedicated to the Holy Spirit. He is part of the one God and is revered along with the Creator and His Son.

United Church

In the ninth part of the “Creed” the Church is called one, catholic and apostolic. United - because it unites believers all over the world, disseminating Christian truths among them. Sobornaya means universal. For Christianity there are no separate nations - any person living in this world can profess this religion. Apostolic - because the first followers of Christ were the apostles. They recorded the life of Jesus and his deeds, and spread this story throughout the world. The apostles chosen by Christ during his earthly life became the founders of the Christian religion.

Sacrament of Baptism

The tenth part of “I Believe” is dedicated to the sacrament of baptism. This prayer accompanies any baptismal ceremony. It is pronounced by the convert or his godparents. The roots of prayer itself originated with baptism, which is one of the key Christian traditions. By being baptized, a person accepts Jesus and prepares to pray and honor the triune God.

Resurrection of the dead and the advent of heaven on earth

The final, 12th member of the “Creed” tells about the coming resurrection of the departed and the future paradise on earth for righteous Christians, which Christ will arrange after the Last Judgment and victory over darkness, not without the help of his mighty Father.

“The Creed” ends on an optimistic note - anticipation of a wonderful time. These twelve members contain the whole essence and history of the Christian religion.

Symbol of the Orthodox Faith in Church Slavonic:

1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.

3. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human.

4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

5. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.

7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

11. I hope for the resurrection of the dead,

12. and the life of the next century. Amen.

Symbol of the Orthodox Faith in Russian:

1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things came into being.

3. For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, He came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human.

4. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.

5. And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

6. And ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.

7. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His Kingdom will have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who is to be worshiped and glorified alike with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.

9. Into one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

10. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

11. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,

12. and the life of the next century. Amen (truly so).

The Creed is a brief and precise statement of all the truths of the Christian faith, compiled and approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. And whoever does not accept these truths can no longer be an Orthodox Christian.

The entire creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth, or, as they also call it, the dogma of our Orthodox faith.

The Creed reads like this:

I believe- I believe, I am convinced; only begotten- the only one; before all ages- before all time, from eternity; consubstantial with the Father- having the same being (nature) with (God) the Father; They didn't care, - and by Him, that is, the Son of God, everything was created; embodied- who took upon himself a human body; becoming human- becoming a man like us, but without ceasing to be God; resurrected- revived: according to scripture- in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, where the prophets predicted that He would rise from the dead on the third day; ascended- ascended; right hand- on the right side of God the Father; packs- again, for the second time; dead- the dead who will then be resurrected; There will be no end to his reign- after the judgment His kingdom will come indefinitely; Life-giving- giving life; bowed and glorified- The Holy Spirit should be worshiped and glorified equally with the Father and the Son, that is, the Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and God the Son; The spoken prophets- The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets; Cathedral- consonant, unanimous, embracing people from all over the universe; I confess- I openly admit in word and deed; tea- I'm waiting; And the life of the next century- Eternal life will come after the general judgment.

1 I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. 2 And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. 3 For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. 4 She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. 5 And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. 6 And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. 7 And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. 8 And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. 9 Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 10 I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. 11 I drink the resurrection of the dead, 12 and the life of the next century. Amen.

With accents

I believe in the naked God the Father, the Almighty,The Creator is not “beyond earth”, but visible to all and invisible.

And in the flesh of the naked Lord Jesus Christ,Son of God, One and Only Begotten, And begotten of the Father before all ages;Light is from Light, God and truth is from God and truth,born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, and all things.

For our sake, for the sake of man, and for our sake, for the sake of salvation that came from heavenand incarnate the one who came from the Holy Spirit and Mary and the Virgin and the human being.

We crucified Pilate for us under Ponti, and suffered lice, and buried her.

And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

And he ascended to heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father.

And again I am coming with glory to judge the living and the dead,There will be no end to His “Reign.”

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord who gives life, and who proceeds from the Father,And with the Father and the Son we praised him and exalted him, the word of the prophet.

In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I confess alone, but I am baptized for the remission of sin.

Cha" of the resurrection of the dead,

and live for the next century. Amen.

Explanation of the text:

To believe in God means to have living confidence in His being, properties and actions and to accept with all your heart His revealed word about the salvation of the human race. God is one in essence, but trinity in Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible. In the Creed, God is called the Almighty, because He contains everything that is in His power and His will. The words of the Creator to heaven and earth, to those visible to all and to those invisible, mean that everything was created by God and nothing can exist without God. The word invisible indicates that God created the invisible, or spiritual, world to which the Angels belong.

The Son of God is the second Person of the Holy Trinity according to His Divinity. He is called Lord because He is the true God, for the name Lord is one of the names of God. The Son of God is called Jesus, that is, the Savior, this name was given by the Archangel Gabriel himself. The prophets called Him Christ, that is, the Anointed One - this is how kings, high priests and prophets have long been called. Jesus, the Son of God, is so called because all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are immeasurably imparted to His humanity, and thus to Him belong in the highest degree the knowledge of a prophet, the holiness of a high priest, and the power of a king. Jesus Christ is called the Only Begotten Son of God because He alone is the Son of God, born from the being of God the Father, and therefore He is one being with God the Father. The Creed says that He was born of the Father, and this depicts the personal property by which He differs from the other Persons of the Holy Trinity. It was said before all ages, so that no one would think that there was a time when He did not exist. The words of Light from Light in some way explain the incomprehensible birth of the Son of God from the Father. God the Father is eternal Light, from Him is born the Son of God, Who is also eternal Light; but God the Father and the Son of God are one eternal Light, indivisible, of one Divine nature. The words of the true God from the true God are taken from the Holy Scriptures: We also know that the Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, that we might know the true God and that we might be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20). The words begotten, uncreated were added by the holy fathers of the Ecumenical Council to denounce Arius, who wickedly taught that the Son of God was created. The words consubstantial with the Father mean that the Son of God is one and the same Divine being with God the Father. The words of Him who were all show that God the Father created everything with His Son as His eternal wisdom and His eternal Word. For our sake, man, and for our salvation, the Son of God, according to His promise, came to earth not for just one people, but for the entire human race in general. He came down from heaven - as he says about himself: No one ascended into heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven, who is in heaven (John 3:13). The Son of God is omnipresent and therefore was always in heaven and on earth, but on earth He was previously invisible and became visible only when He appeared in the flesh, became incarnate, that is, took on human flesh, except for sin, and became a man, without ceasing to be God . The Incarnation of Christ was accomplished with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Virgin, just as she was a Virgin before conception, remained a Virgin at conception, after conception, and at birth itself. The word made man was added so that no one would think that the Son of God took on one flesh or body, but so that in Him they would recognize a perfect man, consisting of body and soul. Jesus Christ was crucified for us - by His death on the cross He delivered us from sin, curses and death.

The words under Pontius Pilate indicate the time when He was crucified. Pontius Pilate was the Roman ruler of Judea, which was conquered by the Romans. The word suffered was added to show that His crucifixion was not just a kind of suffering and death, as some false teachers said, but real suffering and death. He suffered and died not as a Deity, but as a man, and not because he could not avoid suffering, but because he wanted to suffer. The word buried confirms that He really died and rose again, for His enemies even placed a guard at the tomb and sealed the tomb. And he who rose on the third day, according to Scripture, the fifth member of the Creed teaches that our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of His Divinity, rose from the dead, as it is written about Him in the prophets and in the psalms, and that He rose again in the same body in which He was born and died. . Words according to Scripture mean that Jesus Christ died and rose again exactly as it was prophetically written in the books of the Old Testament. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father - these words are borrowed from Holy Scripture: He who descended, He also ascended above all the heavens, to fill everything (Eph. 4:10). We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven (Heb. 8:1). The words of one who sits on the right hand, that is, one who sits on the right side, must be understood spiritually. They mean that Jesus Christ has equal power and glory with God the Father. And again He will judge the living and the dead with glory, His Kingdom will have no end - the Holy Scripture speaks thus about the future coming of Christ: This Jesus, who ascended from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him ascending into heaven (Acts 1 , eleven).

The Holy Spirit is called Lord because he, like the Son of God, is true God. The Holy Spirit is called Life-Giving, because He, together with God the Father and the Son, gives life to creatures, including spiritual life to people: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, as Jesus Christ Himself says about this: When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me (John 15:26). Worship and glorification befits the Holy Spirit, equal to the Father and the Son - Jesus Christ commanded to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). The Creed says that the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets - this is based on the words of the Apostle Peter: prophecy was never pronounced by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). You can become a participant in the Holy Spirit through the sacraments and fervent prayer: if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).

The Church is one because there is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all (Eph. 4:4-6). The Church is Holy because Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her in order to sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water through the word; in order to present it to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27). The Catholic Church, or, what is the same thing, catholic, or Ecumenical, because it is not limited to any place, time, or people, but includes true believers of all places, times and peoples. The Church is Apostolic because it has continuously and unchangeably preserved since the time of the Apostles both the teaching and the succession of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through consecrated ordination. The True Church is also called Orthodox, or True Believers.

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a believer, by immersing his body three times in water, with the invocation of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dies to a carnal, sinful life and is reborn from the Holy Spirit into a spiritual, holy life. Baptism is one, because it is a spiritual birth, and a person is born once, and therefore is baptized once.

The resurrection of the dead is an action of the omnipotence of God, according to which all the bodies of dead people, uniting again with their souls, will come to life and will be spiritual and immortal.

The life of the future century is the life that will happen after the Resurrection of the dead and the General Judgment of Christ.

The word Amen, which concludes the Creed, means “Truly so.” The Church has kept the Creed since apostolic times and will keep it forever. No one can ever subtract or add anything to this Symbol.