Who for us and for our salvation... Who for us and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human. The third Article of our Creed initiates us into a succinct outline of the historic events which mark the life of Christ - the Incarnate Son and Word of God. He is the protagonist in the Divine Economy i.e., the working of our salvation, for “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). In our Orthodox tradition, Christology and anthropology (especially the Creation of Man) go [...]

And in one Lord Jesus Christ… 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, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made. The main body of the Creed (Articles 2-7) outlines our belief in God the Son. The need for the Church to formally state and clarify the identity of the Son of God was triggered by the mother of heresies – Arianism. Arius, a priest of the Christian Church in Alexandria, argued that the [...]

Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible “O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom” (Ps. 103:24). From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures overflow with expressions of great wonder and doxology towards God the Creator. Creation itself reveals God, reflecting His power, wisdom and craftsmanship. The act of creation was not something that happened ‘by chance’ or ‘by accident’, but rather it was a deliberate and free expression of God’s creative will. It was the outcome of His infinite love, wisdom and goodness; being that the created world might [...]

I believe in one God, Father Almighty Our Creed proclaims our faith in the Trinitarian God. It does so in an eloquent, specific, yet far from exhaustive manner. The fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils (325, 381 AD) did not set out, through sheer curiosity, to create a sophisticated philological text espousing the Christian faith. Rather, they responded to the theological provocations of their time, setting forth the Truths of the Christian faith, as illumined by the Holy Spirit. They dogmatised out of necessity to safeguard the Apostolic Faith in the pure form it was handed down from [...]

Introduction to the Creed   The following is an introduction to a multi-edition series which will focus on our Creed. The Creed is one of the most ancient prayers of the Orthodox Church. The word creed comes from the Latin credo which means “I believe.” The early Christians realised the need for a public, authoritative interpretation of the Bible that remained faithful to what Christ taught and what the Apostles intended. It was needed to instruct new converts, nurture the believers and protect the church against false teachings. It was composed, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, by the [...]