The word creed comes from the Latin credo which means “I believe. The purpose of a creed is to provide a doctrinal statement of correct belief, or Orthodoxy.The original Greek text used "We Believe" because this Creed reflects the belief of the whole Church as a united body, as contrasted with the Apostles' Creed which is a personal profession of faith used at baptism. The translation we are using for the Creed is that used by The Church of England in "Common Worship," an adaptation of 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
In the early Church there were many different forms of the Christian confession of faith or many different “creeds.” These creeds were always used originally in relation to baptism. Before being baptized a person had to state what he or she believed, like we do today with the Apostles’ Creed. By publicly confessing this belief, the person could be baptized into Christ, dying and rising with Him into the New Life of the Kingdom of God in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
In the fourth century a great controversy developed in Christendom about the nature of the Son of God. Some people, like Arius, a Libyan presbyter in Alexandria, had declared that although The Son was divine, he was a created being and therefore not co-essential with the Father. This made Jesus less than the Father and not eternal. Others believed that the Son of God is eternal, divine, and uncreated. The Nicene Creed of 325 did not end the controversy that Arius and others had created. So the Council met for a second time in 381 and the result was the creed we use in Sunday’s worship to reaffirm our faith of what we believe:
We believe in one God,the Father, the Almighty,maker of heaven and earth,of all that is, visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father,God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God,begotten, not made,of one Being with the Father;through him all things were made.For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,and was made man.For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;he suffered death and was buried.On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;he ascended into heavenand is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,who proceeds from the Father and the Son,who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,who has spoken through the prophets.We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We look for the resurrection of the dead,and the life of the world to come. Amen.