It is in the Bible that God has revealed himself to us most directly. Why, then, do we bother with creeds and confessions of faith? Isn't the Bible enough? It is enough, but because of the wealth of truth in the pages of the Bible, it is very helpful to have short, compact statements of what we believe. There are even examples in the Bible of early creeds, such as Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Timothy 3:16, or Titus 3:4-7.

Creeds and confessions of faith are like maps; they show us important features and the lay of the land. A map helps you navigate through new land, and shows you where things are. Creeds lay out the structure of Christian doctrines, and help us to understand how the truths taught in the Bible fit together. In particular, confessions of faith and creeds help us to understand how the Bible points us to Jesus.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

Although not written by the apostles, the Apostles' Creed is a concise summary of their teachings. It originated as a baptismal confession, probably in the second century, and developed into its present form by the sixth or seventh century.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Nicene Creed originated at the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), and an expanded form was adopted byt the Council of Calcedon (A.D. 451). It was formulated to answer heresies that denied the biblical doctrine of the Trinity and of the person of Christ Jesus.

The Westminster Standards

In 1643 a large gathering of pastors and theologians, called the Westminster Assembly of Divines, met to write the Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism and the Shorter Catechisms, and the documents were completed in 1647. These documents have served as the doctrinal standards, subordinate to the Word of God, for Presbyterian and other churches around the world. The breadth of doctrine covered, and the clarity and concise nature of the writing, has made the Westminster Standards some of the most important theological writing in the English language.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, as adopted by the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

One of our sister denominations, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, has the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms on their website, in a number of formats (with and without Scripture proof texts, and with or without frames, in Palm Pilot format, etc.).