The Creed as the Central truth Explain?
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Answer:
At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives his followers the threefold task of the Church throughout the ages: 1) “make disciples of all nations”; 2) “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”; and 3) “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded.”
In its earliest days, the Church developed statements of belief to guide these foundational activities. The Church’s evangelizing mission to the nations was aided by concise statements proclaiming the identity of Jesus and his saving work, many of which are preserved in St. Paul’s speeches and letters. The Church’s baptizing mission was accompanied by a profession of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church’s teaching mission was facilitated with summaries of Jesus’ instructions and the central truths of the faith. In the ancient Church, the creed was instrumental in fulfilling this threefold ministry of the Church, and it continues to serve these same purposes today.
Yet, the early Church knew that it is not the articulation of the creed that brings people to faith. It is the ongoing presence of Jesus with his Church through the Spirit. The last verse of Jesus’ instructions insures his followers of the reality behind the words: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (see Mt 28:20). In the Church’s evangelization, sacramental ministry and ongoing formation of disciples, the presence of Jesus is the heart, but the creed helps the Church to carry out the tasks that Jesus commanded with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
We don’t believe in statements of faith, but in those realities they express. Yet, we approach these realities with the help of formulated statements that allow us to express the faith and hand it on, to celebrate it in communal worship, to assimilate it in prayer, and to live it more fully in active witness in the world. Here are some of the most important purposes of the creed:
Central truths
The creed is a summary of the central truths of Christian faith. It is not intended to be a complete compendium of beliefs expressed in the Bible. It focuses, rather, on the fundamental truths that characterize the life of a Christian believer. As an acorn contains all the elements of a large and verdant tree, the creed condenses into a few words the great faith contained in the Old and New Testaments.
As the authentic and authorized summary of Christian truth, the creed is a symbol of the faith of the whole Church. It provides a sign of reception into the Church and of membership in the community of faith. By reciting the creed, we state our personal and communal identity. We affirm that we are united in faith with the ancient Church and with our fellow believers.
The creed was never meant to be a substitute for personal faith, for a trusting relationship with God. The creed, rather, gives substance to our personal faith. We profess our faith not in the words but in the reality to which they point.
Reciting the creed does not make us Christians, but it reminds us of the truths of our salvation and gives us an opportunity to personally affirm them.
Rule of faith
The creed is the rule of faith for the Christian life. It supplies a map that lays out the fundamental contours of how the Christian thinks about God and the history of salvation. This map of belief synthesizes the Christian faith and prevents the believer from taking a wrong turn and getting lost. It marks the boundaries of Christian belief and protects the Church’s essential teachings.
Before the Church had a relatively fixed creed, the early theologians referred to the Church’s communal self-consciousness as the regula fidei (“rule of faith”). Although it was articulated in various forms, it presented the essential beliefs inherited from the apostles and passed on through the Church. This was understood as the faith which was held “always, everywhere, and by all” (St. Vincent of Lerins, The Commitorium, 4, 3) and assured by the fully.