Explanation of the creed. Orthodox faith - a symbol of faith

Complete collection and description: prayer is a symbol of faith with an explanation for the spiritual life of a believer.

1 I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. 2 And into 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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. 3 For us, man, and for our salvation, who descended from heaven and became incarnate of the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. 4 He 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 the packs of the one to come with glory to be judged by the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. 8 And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, 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 look forward to the resurrection of the dead, 12 and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Believe in God- means to have a living confidence in His being, properties and actions and with all our hearts to accept His frank word about the salvation of the human race. God is one in essence, but trinity in Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible. In the Creed, God is called Almighty because whatever is, He contains in His power and His will. The words Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible means that everything is created by God and nothing can exist without God. Word invisible indicates that God created the invisible or spiritual world to which the angels belong.

The words under Pontius Pilate point to the time he was crucified. Pontius Pilate is the Roman ruler of Judea, which was conquered by the Romans. Word suffering added to show that His crucifixion was not one kind of suffering and death, as some false teachers said, but genuine 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. Word buried certifies that He really died and rose again, for His enemies even put a guard on the tomb and sealed the tomb. And resurrected on the third day according to Scripture- The fifth article 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. The words by 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 the Holy Scriptures: descended, He is also ascended above all heavens, in order to fill all(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 sitting on the right, that is, the one sitting on the right side, must be understood spiritually. They mean that Jesus Christ has the same power and glory as God the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end- Holy Scripture says this about the future coming of Christ: This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.(Acts 1:11).

Holy Spirit called Lord because he, like the Son of God, 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: When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me(John 15, 26). Worship and glorification befits the Holy Spirit, equal with 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 uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit(2 Pet. 1:21). One can become partaker of 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 your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him(Luke 11:13).

Church one, because One body and one spirit, just as you are 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 all of us(Eph. 4:4-6). Church Holy, because Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her in order to sanctify her, having cleansed her with a bath of water through the word; to present her to Himself as a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or anything like that, but that she might be holy and blameless(Eph. 5:25-27). Church Cathedral, or, what is the same, catholic or universal, because it is not limited to any place, time, or people, but includes the true believers of all places, times and peoples. Church Apostolic because from the time of the apostles it has continuously and invariably preserved both the teaching and the succession of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through consecrated ordination. The True Church is also called Orthodox, or Orthodox.

Baptism- this is the Sacrament in which the believer, when the body is immersed three times in water, with the invocation of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dies for a carnal, sinful life and is reborn from the Holy Spirit into a spiritual, holy life. Baptism united, because it is a spiritual birth, and a person will be born once, and therefore he is baptized once.

Resurrection of the dead- this is the 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.

Life of the next century- this is the life that will be after the Resurrection of the dead and the Universal Judgment of Christ.

Word Amen, which ends 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.

Creed (explained)

The Church offers us a brief and precise presentation of the main truths of the Christian faith. This presentation is called Creed. It consists of twelve members (parts). Each of them contains the truth of the Orthodox faith.

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

I believe in one God the Father: I believe that God contains everything in His power and governs everything, that He created heaven and earth, the visible and invisible world. With these words, we say that we are sure that God exists, that He is one and there is no other besides Him, that everything that exists (as in the visible physical world, and in the invisible, spiritual), that is, the entire vast universe was created by God. And we wholeheartedly accept this faith. Faith is confidence in the real existence of God and trust in Him.

God is one, but not alone, because God is one in essence, but trinity in Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit The Trinity is consubstantial and indivisible. Unity of Three, endlessly loving each other faces.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born from the Father before all ages, Light from Light, God is true from God is true, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by Him all was.

I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is the same The only God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. He - Only Begotten Son of God the Father, born before the beginning of time, that is, when there was no time yet. He is like Light from Light, is also inseparable from the sun. He - True God born of the True God. He born, and not at all created by God the Father, that is, He is one being with the Father, consubstantial To him.

Izhe the whole bysha means that everything that exists was created by Him, as well as by God the Father - Creator of heaven and earth. This means that the world was created by one God - the Holy Trinity.

3. For us, man, and for our salvation, who descended from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.

I believe that He came to earth for the salvation of our human race, was incarnated from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and incarnated, that is, he accepted not only the body, but also the human soul and became a perfect man, without ceasing at the same time to be God. - Became God-man.

The Holy Orthodox Church calls the Virgin Mary Mother of God and honors Her above all created beings, not only humans, but also angels, because she is the Mother of the Lord Himself.

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

I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ in time, the Roman ruler in Judea, Pontius Pilate was crucified for us people that is, for our sins and for our salvation, because He Himself was sinless. At the same time, he really suffered, died and was buried.

The Savior suffered, of course, not with the Deity, Who does not suffer, but with humanity; suffered not for His sins, which He did not have, but for the sins of the entire human race.

5. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.

I believe that He rose on the third day after His death, as foretold in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ truly died for us - as the True Immortal God, and therefore He rose again!

Since in the writings of the prophets of the Old Testament it was clearly foretold about the suffering, death, burial of the Savior and His resurrection, that is why it is said: "according to the scriptures." The words "according to the scriptures" refer not only to the fifth, but also to the fourth article of the Creed.

Jesus Christ died on Good Friday at about three o'clock in the afternoon, and resurrected after midnight from Saturday on the first day of the week, called "Sunday" from that time. But in those days even a part of a day was taken as a whole day, which is why it is said that He was in the tomb for three days.

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

I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ on the fortieth day after His Resurrection with His most pure flesh ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand (on the right side) of God the Father.

The Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven in His humanity (flesh and soul), and in His Divinity He always abode with the Father.

"Seated at the right hand of the Father" means: on the right side, in the first place, in glory. These words express that the human soul and body of Jesus Christ received the same glory that Christ has in His divinity.

By His ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ united the earthly with the heavenly and glorified our human nature, exalting it to the throne of God; and showed us that our fatherland is in heaven, in the Kingdom of God, which is now open to all who truly believe in Him.

7. And the packs of the coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His kingdom will have no end.

I believe that Jesus Christ will come to earth again to judge all people like alive, and deceased who will then be resurrected; and that after this Last Judgment the Kingdom of Christ will come that will never end.

This court is called terrible, because the conscience of each person will be revealed to everyone, and not only good and evil deeds will be revealed, which someone has done all his life on earth, but also all spoken words, secret desires and thoughts.

According to this judgment, the righteous will go to eternal life, and sinners to eternal torment - because they did evil deeds, which they did not repent of and which they did not make up for with good deeds and the correction of life.

8. (I believe) And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

Who comes from the Father- who comes from the Father; Even with the Father and the Son, we bow down and glorify- Who should be worshiped and who should be glorified along with the Father and the Son. The spokesman of the prophets- who spoke through the prophets.

I believe that the third Person of the Holy Trinity is Holy Spirit, the same true God, how Father and son. I believe that the Holy Spirit life-giving He is together with God the Father and God the Son gives life to everything, especially spiritual people. He is the same Creator of the world, on a par with the Father and the Son, and He should also be worshiped and glorified. I also believe that the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets and apostles and that all the sacred books were written by His inspiration.

We are talking here about the main thing in our faith - about the mystery Holy Trinity: Our one God is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was revealed to people in a visible way: at the baptism of the Lord in the form of a dove, and on the day of Pentecost He descended on the apostles in the form of fiery tongues.

9. (I believe) Into one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I believe in one, Holy, Catholic Church (in which all believers participate), founded by the apostles.

Here we are talking about Church of Christ which Jesus Christ founded on earth to sanctify sinful people and reunite them with God. The Church is the totality of all Orthodox Christians, living and dead, united among themselves. by faith and love Christ, the hierarchy and the holy sacraments.

Each one individually Orthodox Christian called member, or part of the Church. Therefore, when we say we believe into one holy, catholic and apostolic Church, then here by the Church we mean all in the aggregate people who profess the same Orthodox faith, and not the building where we go to pray to God and which is called the temple of God.

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

I acknowledge and openly declare that for spiritual rebirth and the forgiveness of sins, one needs to be baptized only once.

In the Creed, only baptism is mentioned, because it is, as it were, the door to the Church of Christ. Only those who have been baptized can use the other sacraments.

A sacrament is such a sacred action through which the grace of the Holy Spirit, or the saving power of God, is secretly, invisibly given to a person.

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

I expect (tea) with hope and confidence that a time will come when the souls of dead people will again unite with their bodies and all the dead will come to life.

The resurrection of the dead will follow simultaneously with the second and glorious coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the time of the general resurrection, the bodies of dead people will change, in essence the bodies will be the same that we now have, but in quality they will be different from the current bodies - they will be spiritual - incorruptible and immortal. The bodies of those people who will still be alive during the second coming of the Savior will also change. Corresponding to the change of the person himself, the whole visible world will also change, namely, it will turn from the perishable into the incorruptible.

I expect that after the resurrection of the dead, the judgment of Christ will take place, and for the righteous there will come the endless joy of union with God. Word Amen means confirmation - truly so! Only in this way can the truth of our faith be expressed and cannot be changed by anyone.

The mystery and meaning of the prayer "Symbol of Faith"

Every prayer in Christianity has its specific purpose and meaning. As for the "Symbol of Faith", it is one of the most important for Orthodoxy as a whole.

Prayer for a believer is a way of communicating with God, a source of salvation. This applies to all prayers, especially to the main ones, such as "Our Father", "Living Help" and, of course, the "Symbol of Faith". No need to wait until you can visit the temple. Read prayers at home before going to bed and in the morning, not only on difficult days, but also in pleasant moments as a thank you.

The text and meaning of the prayer "Symbol of Faith"

The text of one of the most important prayers in Orthodox Christianity consists of 12 parts. The prayer begins with the word “I believe”, and then comes the enumeration of what a true Christian needs to believe. In other words, this prayer is a direct answer to the question of what it is customary to believe in Orthodox people.

Here is the text of the prayer itself, divided into 12 main parts, the main components of the faith of every Christian:

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

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, who was born of the Father before all time; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, by Him all things were created.

For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.

Crucified for our sins under Pontius Pilate, and suffering, and buried.

And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.

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

And again coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

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

Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

I tea the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the next century. Amen."

The first line says that you believe in God, who created everything living and inanimate, Heaven and Earth, as well as everything visible and invisible. The whole world in which we exist is a gift from Heaven.

The second part of the prayer is the lines about the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was born of God and is his continuation, his human image.

The third part sings that our God came down from heaven and became a man for us humans.

The fourth line of the prayer recalls the crucifixion of Christ, our Savior, and the taking upon ourselves of our sins.

Then we are reminded of the miraculous Resurrection of Christ.

The sixth part of the prayer says that Jesus took his place next to the Father in Heaven.

There will be no end to the reign of the Lord. The Lord is eternal and will judge us, the living and the dead.

Part nine tells us that the believer must believe in the church.

The tenth line glorifies the sacrament of baptism.

The penultimate part says that all the dead will be resurrected.

The last part is the end. I believe in the future life.

The Secret of the Prayer "Symbol of Faith"

Faith itself is a great mystery. No one knows whether God gives a person faith, or whether he himself acquires it. There is constant debate about what awaits people born in a different culture. They believe in something else, so what is their fate? The answer is simple - the fate of those who live surrounded by infidels, but live according to the rules of morality and with love in their hearts, will end up in the Lord's paradise. Everyone deserves it, because good is inside all of us. This is a choice that we make ourselves, and not that someone else makes for us.

As for the “Symbol of Faith” prayer, its secret is the unity of all believers. It seems to make of all of us one big family that goes to the light of God. It contains everything that every Orthodox Christian should believe.

To believe means not to take into account everything that the enemies of religion say. Yes, none of us have seen God, but everyone believes that it will happen. Everyone believes that after death something warm and beautiful awaits us, and not a cold and black void. secret meaning of this prayer is contained in the first word - "I believe." Without our faith, we are only human. With faith in God, we are God's children, his incarnations and reflections.

Believe in God, in love, in goodness, in yourself and in everything that makes you happy. Believe in the light of God, that he cares for us and keeps us.

This prayer is sung at every service in all churches, so you should have heard it. Usually they sing it all together. It is not necessary to learn it, but it is better to read it as often as possible. This is not a thanksgiving, but rather a glorifying prayer, which should be read for the coming dream and in the morning. This way you will remind yourself of what you believe in. In its purpose, this prayer is similar to the Our Father. By reading these lines, you strengthen your faith in God. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

The symbol of faith is a brief and precise statement of the foundations of the Christian doctrine, compiled and approved at the 1st and 2nd Ecumenical Councils. The entire Creed consists of twelve members, and each of them contains a special truth (dogma) of the Orthodox faith.

The 1st member speaks of God the Father, 2-7 members speak of God the Son, the 8th member speaks of God the Holy Spirit, the 9th member speaks of the Church, the 10th member speaks of baptism, the 11th and 12th members resurrection of the dead and eternal life.

How is the Creed read?

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 from the Father before all ages, Light from Light, God is true from God is true, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.
3. For us, man, and for our salvation, who descended from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.
4. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.
5. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.
6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
7. And the packs of the coming 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 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 look forward to the resurrection of the dead.
12. And the life of the future age. Amen.

How to translate the Creed into Russian?

I believe - I believe, I am convinced;
the only begotten - the only one;
before all ages - before all time, from eternity;
consubstantial with the Father - having the same being (the same nature) with God the Father;
By him all things were - and by him, that is, by the Son of God, everything was created;
incarnated - taking on a human body;
becoming human - becoming a man, but not ceasing to be God;
resurrected - revived (after death):
according to the Scriptures - according to the Holy Scriptures, where the prophets foretold that He would rise from the dead on the third day;
ascended - ascended;
right hand - on the right side of God the Father;
paki - again, again, again, again;
the dead - the dead, who will then be resurrected;
His Kingdom will have no end - after the Judgment, His infinite Kingdom will come;
Life-giving - giving life;
worshiped and glorified - the Holy Spirit should be worshiped and glorified (honored) on an equal footing with the Father and the Son, that is, the Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and God the Son;
The prophets who spoke - The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets;
Cathedral - consonant, unanimous, embracing people from all over the universe;
I confess - I openly admit (I testify) in word and deed;
tea - (I wish) I expect;
And the life of the future age - and eternal life (which will come after the universal Judgment).

1. I believe in God, the One Who holds everything in His hands, Who created heaven and earth, everything that we see and do not see.
2. (I believe) in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of God before time began. He is Light from Light, true God from true God, He is born of God, not created, and in essence He is the same God from Whom all things came.
3. For us people and our salvation He (Jesus Christ) descended from heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit was born from the Virgin Mary and became a Man.
4. He was crucified in the reign of Pilate Pontius, He suffered and was buried.
5. And rose again on the third day, as it was said in Holy Scripture.
6. He ascended (ascended) into heaven and now abides with his Father.
7. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and there will be no end to His kingdom.
8. (I believe) in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, who makes all things alive, whom we praise, whom we worship together with the Father and the Son, and who spoke through the prophets.
9. (I believe) in a single Catholic (in which everyone participates), founded by the Apostles Church.
10. (I) acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
11. (I) look forward to the Resurrection of the dead.
12. And the future eternal life.

When and why was the Creed drawn up?

Since apostolic times, Christians have used the so-called "creeds" to remind themselves of the fundamental truths of the Christian faith. There were several short creeds in the Ancient Church. In the 4th century, when false teachings about God the Son and the Holy Spirit appeared, it became necessary to supplement and clarify the old symbols.

At the First Ecumenical Council, the first seven members of the Symbol were written, at the Second, the remaining five. The First Ecumenical Council was held in the city of Nicaea in the year 325 after the Nativity of Christ to affirm the apostolic teaching about the Son of God against the incorrect teaching of Arius, who believed that the Son of God was created by God the Father and therefore is not the true God. The Second Ecumenical Council was held in Constantinople (Tsargrad) in 381 to affirm the apostolic teaching about the Holy Spirit against the false teaching of Macedonia, which rejected the divine dignity of the Holy Spirit. According to the two cities in which these Ecumenical Councils were held, the Creed bears the name of Niceo-Tsaregradsky.

The symbol of faith is pronounced by the person receiving baptism (announced) during the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism. At the baptism of an infant, the Creed is pronounced by the recipients. In addition, the Creed is sung conciliarly by believers in the church at the Liturgy and is read daily as part of the morning prayer rule.

The meaning of the Symbol is the preservation of a single confession of the immutable truths (dogmas) of faith, and through this - the unity of the Church.

What is said in each of the terms of the Creed?

The first term speaks of God, namely, of the first hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, of God the Father, and of God as the Creator of the world.
In the second member - about the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In the third term - about the incarnation of the Son of God.
In the fourth part - about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
In the fifth part - about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In the sixth member - about the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.
In the seventh member - about the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth.
In the eighth member - about the third hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
In the ninth member - about the Church.
In the tenth member - about Baptism, (where other Sacraments are also implied).
In the eleventh member - about the future resurrection of the dead.
In the twelfth member - about eternal life.

Why does the Creed speak of faith in the One God, the Almighty, the Creator?

To believe in God means to have a living confidence in His being, properties and actions and to accept with all our hearts His frank word about the salvation of the human race.

God is one in essence, but trinity in Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible. In the Creed, God is called the Almighty, because everything that is, He contains in His power (power) and His will. The words of the Creator to heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible, mean that everything was created by God, and nothing can be without God. The word invisible indicates that God created the invisible, or spiritual world to which the angels belong.

Why is Jesus called "Christ", "Lord", "Son of God", "Only Begotten", "true God", can God have a Son? What does "consubstantial with the Father" mean?

The Son of God is called the second Person of the Holy Trinity according to His Divinity. He is called the 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 is called by the Archangel Gabriel himself. Christ, that is, the Anointed One, was called by the prophets – this is how kings, high priests and prophets have long been called. Jesus, the Son of God, is so named because all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are immeasurably communicated to His humanity, and thus the knowledge of the Prophet, the holiness of the High Priest, and the power of the King belong to Him in the highest degree. Jesus Christ is called the Son of God, the Only Begotten, because He is the only (and only) Son of God, born from the being of God the Father, and therefore He is one being (nature) with God the Father. The Creed says that He was born of the Father, and this depicts that personal property by which He differs from the other Persons of the Holy Trinity. It was said before all the ages, so that no one would think that there was a time when He was not. 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 the eternal Light, from Him is born the Son of God, Who is also the eternal Light; but God the Father and the Son of God are one eternal Light, indivisible, of one Divine nature. The words of God is true from God is true, taken from the Holy Scriptures: The Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, so that we may know the true God and be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life (see 1 John 5:20). The words "begotten, uncreated" were added by the holy fathers of the Ecumenical Council to denounce Arius, who impiously taught that the Son of God was created. The words consubstantial with the Father mean that the Son of God is of the same Divine being with God the Father. The words of Imzhe all bysha show that God the Father created everything by His Son as by His eternal wisdom and His eternal Word.

How could the Son of God come down from heaven? What for?

For us man and for our salvation - the Son of God, according to His promise, came to earth not for any one people, but in general for the whole human race. Descended from heaven - as he says about himself: No one ascended into heaven, but the Son of Man, who descended from heaven, who is in heaven (see John 3:13). The Son of God is omnipresent and therefore always abides 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, assumed human flesh, except for sin, and became a Man, without ceasing to be God . The Incarnation of Christ was accomplished by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, so that the Holy Virgin, just as she was a Virgin before her conception, so in her conception, and after her conception, and in her very birth, she remained a Virgin. The word becoming human is added so that no one would think that the Son of God took on one flesh or body, but so that they would recognize in Him a perfect Man, consisting of body and soul. Jesus Christ was crucified for us - He delivered us from sin, curse and death by His death on the Cross.

How could the Son of God suffer, die and be resurrected? How can He sit in heaven next to God the Father?

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not one 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 voluntarily wanted to suffer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of His Divinity, rose from the dead in the same body in which He was born and died. He resurrected exactly as it was prophetically written in the books of the Old Testament.

The words sitting on the right hand (sitting on the right side) must be understood spiritually. They mean that Jesus Christ has the same power and glory as God the Father.

Why is the Holy Spirit called "Lord", "Life-Giving"? What does “one who spoke through the prophets” mean?

The Holy Spirit is called the Lord because He, like the Son of God, is the true God. He is called the Life-Giving One, because together with God the Father and the Son he 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 deserves worship and glorification, equal with the Father and the Son - Jesus Christ commanded to baptize people (all nations) in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19).

Prophecy was never uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). One can become partaker of the Holy Spirit through right faith, church 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).

Why is the Church called One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic?

The Church is One, because “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 all of us” (Eph. 4:4-6).

The Church is Holy, because “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her (i.e., for all the faithful members of the Church) in order to sanctify her (having sanctified every Christian with baptism), having cleansed her with a bath of water through the word (i.e., baptismal water and sacramental words at baptism), to present her to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or anything like that, but that she might be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27).

The Church is catholic, or catholic, or ecumenical, because it is not limited to any place, time, or people, but includes the true believers of all places, times, and peoples.

The Church is Apostolic, because it has continuously and invariably preserved both the teaching and the succession of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through consecrated ordination since the time of the apostles. The true Church is also called Orthodox, or Orthodox.

Why does the Creed mention one Baptism?

Baptism is a Sacrament in which a believer, when the body is immersed three times in water, with the invocation of God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, dies for 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.

What does "the resurrection of the dead" and "the life of the age to come" mean?

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

The life of the future age is the life that will be after the Resurrection of the dead and the Universal Judgment of Christ.

The “Symbol of Faith” prayer contains all the main provisions of the Orthodox faith, without following which it is impossible to be an Orthodox Christian and it is impossible to receive salvation. Therefore, knowledge of the Creed is necessary in order to know God and please Him.

The Symbol of Faith is read by heart to those baptized before the Sacrament of Baptism, it is sung at the Liturgy, those who wish to repent must also first pronounce the Symbol of Faith, according to church rules the same is required of those wishing to enter into a church marriage.

This text in its content is completely based on Divine Revelation, and in current form it was accepted by the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils - I of Nicaea (325 A.D.) and II of Constantinople (381 A.D.).

The Ecumenical Council is the name given to the assembly of bishops of the entire Church ecumenical, whom we believe were led by God the Holy Spirit Himself. And it was under His leadership that the Church preserved the original Revelation, conveyed it in exact formulas, and crushed all falsehood. And the most accurate statement of Christian teaching is just the Creed.

The Greek word "symbol" itself has many meanings, shades, it can be translated 29 different ways, which shows the special facets of the meanings of this sacred proclamation of faith. In the most ancient sense, this word meant a wand or a ring broken in two, the halves of which were taken by friends or lovers, parting for a long time. And when many years passed, they recognized each other, putting the symbol together. In the same way, our Eternal Friend and Bridegroom Christ left us this faith - as a half of the ring, by which He will identify us on the Day of His return. It is clear that if we lose our soul mate, or at least spoil it in such a way that the place of connection changes, then recognition at the meeting will not take place. Christ will say, “I never knew you; get away from me” (Matthew 7:23).

In another translation, the symbol is "oath". We Christians believe that Jesus Christ is our only Lord and King. And therefore, entering into His Church, which is called militant, we take an oath to Him as our Eternal Emperor. It is clear that if after Baptism we refuse the oath, then we will be perjurers and deserters who fall under God's Judgment.

"Symbol" is also translated as "password", by which we will be allowed into the returned Paradise. We must ask this password from anyone who wants to enter our hearts - and the mind must guard our heart, stand on guard, like a sentry, so that no one robs us.

The sacred Symbol of Faith must be accepted by the heart and kept until the end of one's life. If there are no problems with memory, you need to learn this text by heart. We read the Creed in the Church in Church Slavonic, which is used in Russia for worship, and therefore it must be taught in this language.

Symbol of faith:

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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.
3. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.
4. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
5. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.
6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
7. And the packs of the future with glory to judge 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 tea the resurrection of the dead...
12. …and the life of the next century. Amen.

Interpretation of the Creed

The Creed consists of twelve parts (members), and we will comment on them point by point.

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

Faith here is not at all a blind act of rejection of reason, as atheists think, but, on the contrary, its highest flowering. A person finds the Creator with his mind and heart and then trusts Him. So, having believed, a person, firstly, recognizes the existence of invisible realities, and through this new horizons open to his mind, and secondly, he begins to trust God, and thus his life becomes reliable.

The main object of Christian faith is God. By this word we mean the infinite Spiritual Essence, unknowable to the end in His immeasurable power, wisdom and glory. God is omnipresent and eternal (out of time), omnipotent and knows everything. He is perfect Truth and Love, He does not need anything and He generously gives everything. God is nothing that exists in the universe. He is not matter, not energy, not space, not higher intelligence, not higher part souls. On the contrary, everything that exists receives being from Him: everything living - life, reasonable - reason, strong - strength.

God is called one, not at all because no matter who people bow to, they bow to Him, but because only He alone is truly Existing, and all other imaginary gods (Zeus, Krishna, Perun) are a lie that has no existence, but behind which evil fallen angels hide. So, apart from God the Creator, in whom Christians believe, there is no other.

The One God is called the Father, because He is the Person who eternally begets the Son. But He also becomes a Father for everyone who, having believed in His Son, is baptized. God the Father did not appear from anyone and therefore is still called unborn and without beginning.

He is called Almighty because the whole world still exists due to the fact that His power holds the universe. The whole world is also governed by His almighty will, which helps every good, and every evil arising from the refusal of free beings from good, suppresses and turns to good consequences.

God the Father is further called the Creator of heaven and earth, for He, by His own free will and without anyone's support, created the universe out of nothing in six days. And the purpose of this creation was the entry of all free rational beings into His eternal bliss.
The visible and invisible worlds are the material universe and the spiritual world.
The material universe was headed by man, who was made in the image of God and destined to become the Lord's likeness. The invisible world includes Angels and our immortal souls. Angels (translated from Greek - “messengers”) are created intelligent and powerful spirits that do not have a material body. Some of them, due to pride, fell away from God and became demons that gave birth to all the evil in the universe. Their head, Satan, seduced the first people. After their rebellion, the demons were forever determined in their hatred of God, and the gloom of eternal darkness was prepared for them.
But everything that exists, both visible and invisible, is created from non-existence by the free will of the Father.

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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.

As stated above, God is called the Father because He begat the Son, and here we see the Church detailing her faith in Christ.

So, for us, Jesus Christ is not a great initiate and not a teacher of morality, not a simple prophet and not the first revolutionary, but the Eternal God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He is called one, because he is one Person, although existing in two natures. He is called the Lord, for by nature he is the Lord of creation. His kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, and his dominion is in every generation. But in a special sense, He is our Lord—as our Redeemer and Head of the Church.

He received the name Jesus after he became a man. This name means "Jesus One Who Came to Save" or simply "Savior". And the word Christ is not a name, but a designation of His ministry after the Incarnation. In translation, it means “The Anointed One,” because He, as a man, was anointed by His Deity, “for He Himself anointed Himself: anointing His body with His deity, as God; being anointed, as a man; for He Himself is this and that. The anointing of mankind is divine.” The anointing was given to Him as King, Prophet and Priest - in ancient times, in the days of the Old Testament, kings, prophets and priests were elevated to ministry through anointing with consecrated oil, therefore they were called anointed ones.

Jesus is called the Only Begotten, since He alone was born from the essence of God the Father, in contrast to other children of God (humans and Angels), who have a different essence than the Father.

Further, with the words “from the Father, born before all ages,” it is emphasized that the Son was born from the essence of the Father before the beginning of time (and it appeared along with the world). The universe might not yet exist, but the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and His birth is like a candle being lit from a candle, and the first fire does not diminish, but the second light is equal to the first. The Son is eternally connected with the Father, like the sun with a ray, He is the radiance of His glory and the image of His Person, He is the eternal self-expression of the Father, His Word, Wisdom, Power.

The Son, like the Father, is the true God, in contrast to the false gods of the pagans and the Gentiles. But at the same time, one cannot assume that there are two or three Gods. All three Persons of the Trinity are One God, since one source of the Godhead is the Father. All three Persons have one essence (nature), will, kingdom, glory and power, and They all abide in each other forever, differing only in that the Father is not born, the Son is born, and the Spirit proceeds.

To emphasize the truth of the Deity of Christ, the Creed says that He is begotten, uncreated, consubstantial (of the same essence) with the Father. Unlike all other beings, Christ is not a creation, but an offspring of the essence of the Father.

It was through him that everything was - that is, by the Son, the Father created the world (Col. (1, 16), John (1-3), Heb. (1, 3), Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons "Against heresies", chapter 2, right. John Kronstadt "On the Creation of the World"). But not as an instrument the Father had the Son, but as the doer of his will, so that the whole universe is his own for the Lord Jesus. Everything was created by Him and for Him, and everything exists by His power. Therefore, He saved the world that He created.

3. For us, man, and for our salvation, who descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.

As we have said, the very name "Jesus" means "Saviour." And, beginning with this member (part), the Symbol details how our salvation was accomplished. But from what did we need to be saved? The Church answers: from sin, damnation and death.

The fact is that the first people, Adam and Eve, fell away from God, the source of life, by committing sin. As a result of this, the very nature of man was corrupted, the mind lost control over the will and feelings, lost its original abilities, so that it became difficult for him to know the Truth. The will has deviated from God, and evil has filled our nature, so that it is easier for us to sin than to do good. This state is called original sin, which gives rise to both bodily death and the eternal death of the soul, which, after death, goes to hell. And no one could save the unfortunate person from this eternal misfortune, except for the Creator Himself. After all, it was necessary to remake our nature, and to exterminate crime, and to conquer death, and most importantly, to restore communion with God. What human or other creature could do this?

And now, by His mercy, the Lord Himself stands up for His creation. Three barriers stood before Him. The first of these is the gap between the Divine and human natures. After all, it was said to Moses: “You cannot see My face, because a man cannot see Me and remain alive” (Exodus 33:20).

How can a weak creature resist the might of the Source of all forces? Will he burn like a moth in a flame? But on the other hand, where will man find life if he does not unite with the first Life?

The second barrier is sin, which cannot be ignored by a Holy God. After all, the righteous Creator cannot leave a crime without punishment. But on the other hand, there is no person who would live and not sin, which means that everyone should be punished.
And the third barrier is death, which destroys human nature. What can we talk about if all the deeds of a person are devoured by death? How can a mortal being communicate with the Immortal if his death is not destroyed?

And so, the Lord Jesus Christ comes to destroy these barriers, save man and make him a god by grace. The Eternal Son descends from Heaven without moving in space, for He is God and fills everything. But just as He is seen in Heaven and Angels are completely obedient to Him, so in His Birth He becomes visible on earth as well. Christ takes flesh from the Virgin Mary, who was able to give birth to Him without the participation of a man by the power of the Life-Giving Spirit.

The One Personality of the Son of God begins to exist in two natures, united inseparably, unchangeably, inseparably, inseparably. Christ, remaining a perfect God, became a perfect man, having a human soul, mind, and will. He did not have only original sin, and He Himself did not do any evil, and no lie was found in His mouth.
And that's what the virgin birth was for. The fact is that in an ordinary conception, the original death is transmitted to a person, and people who have appeared in this way cannot save others, needing to be saved themselves. But when human nature was created in the womb of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, then it was able to abide in the Person of God the Son, so that from the very beginning human nature became Christ's own nature. And thus, through the Incarnation, the first barrier was overcome - the difference of natures. Both essences, without destroying each other, united in one Divine Person, and now through Christ we have received access to the Father.

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

Christ came into the world and gave a new law, the law of love, but the main work of Christ is to deliver us from evil and sin, and for this death was necessary, because life can only be bought at the cost of life. To destroy the barrier of sin, Jesus Christ voluntarily takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world. The Innocent Righteous One dies for the guilty, takes upon Himself their punishment and curse, so that whoever believes in Him does not perish, but has Eternal Life. His Blood becomes the ransom for our sins. He gives Blood for blood, soul for soul, body for body, and thus the truth of God is poured into our hearts. “The punishment of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Christ as a man Himself sacrifices Himself to God for our sins, and by this sacrament sanctifies us, banishing sin from our heart, mind, from all human nature.

He corrects the ancient disobedience of Adam, becoming obedient to the Father until death, and death on the cross, shameful, terrible, painful. The Lord becomes the new Adam, the ancestor of the redeemed mankind. As the first man introduced death into the world, so Christ gave eternal life. Instead of the tree of knowledge, there is the Cross, which has become a sign of our victory and salvation from an instrument of execution. Hands reaching for a criminal cause are healed by the pierced hands of Jesus Christ. The feet that ran away from God are returned to Him with nails that have pierced the feet of the God-man. And so the Justice of God appeared, for it was not just God who defeated the enemy-Satan, but man. The same nature that was taken captive by sin in Paradise won on the Cross.

With the words “under Pontius Pilate,” the Church emphasizes that this event took place at a specific historical moment, under Pontius Pilate, when the ancient prophecies about the coming of the Reconciler (Genesis 49, 10) of God and people were fulfilled, the ancient enmity between creation and the Creator ceased. And the expectations of peoples who were once strangers to the Lord due to lawless idolatry and the worship of evil spirits were fulfilled, and now they have become his own through turning to the Crucified One, through faith in Jesus Christ.
We believe that Christ did not pretend to suffer, but actually endured terrible torments in order to save us from death. Although, of course, this suffering concerned only His human nature (Divine nature cannot suffer).

He truly died and was buried. His Soul separated from the Body and descended into hell. And hell was destroyed by the manifestation of the Divine radiance. The righteous who believed in Christ ascended to Paradise, and since then the road has reappeared there, closed by the crime of the first people. And our ancient enemy, the devil, was fettered and deprived of strength, as he unjustly raised his hand against the Creator. Thus, the second wall between God and people collapsed - the wall of sin, and thus the cause of eternal death, which did not let go of a person, disappeared.

5. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.

The Apostle Peter said that death was tormented by labor pains when it received Christ into itself, for it could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). The reason is that death destroys the integrity of a person, for a person is not just an immortal soul, but a union of soul and body. But Christ is an omnipresent Divine Person, and therefore, although His Soul was separated from the Body, through the Godhead the connection between the Soul and Body of Jesus remained. As a result, the Soul of Christ did not remain in hell and was again united with His Body, which, until reunion with the Soul, until the Resurrection, remained incorruptible in the tomb. Thus the Lord Jesus exploded death from within, preventing it from taking possession of His Person.
And on the third day, that is, on Sunday night, when God created the world from non-existence, Christ rose from the dead by the power of His Divinity. His soul again and forever united with His Body, so that it became forever immune to death.

The resurrected Jesus is the Firstborn from the dead, the Firstfruits, that is, the first sheaf of the new harvest of the resurrected. Death was destroyed, and from Easter morning the reverse course of world history began - the process of the resurrection of all the dead. Thus, the last wall between the Creator and people collapsed, and from that moment on, the immortal God “infects” humanity with His immortality.

This was also predicted by the ancient prophets, whose words have come down to us in the Holy Scriptures, saying that death will be swallowed up by life and instead of corruption, humanity will be clothed in incorruption.

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

On the fortieth day after His Resurrection, Christ in the flesh ascended to Heaven, paving the way for us to the eternal Fatherland. From now on, human nature abides in the uncreated ocean of the Divine, above the angelic fiery spirits - such is the glory of redeemed humanity. From now on, our life is hidden in the ascended Christ, and we await His return, because only in Him is our new life will open fully.

The Lord Jesus sits on the right side - (right hand) of the Father, and as a person participates in the management of the world. He is still the eternal High Priest, who is always alive to intercede for us before the Father, to be the only Mediator between God and people, and to destroy the sins of Christians with His Blood. And He is waiting for the end of the preaching of the Church, which gathers all the saved into the Kingdom. When this mission is completed, Christ will return to earth again, and His enemies will be thrown under His feet.

7. And the packs of the coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

The second coming of the Lord Jesus will not be the same as the first. The Lord will come to earth not as a Savior, but as a righteous Judge. First, the Cross will shine over the world - a sign of His victory over death and sin. A fire will go before the Face of Jesus that will change the universe. The heavens will fold like a scroll, and the earth will melt in fire. And a new heaven and earth will appear, where righteousness dwells. Christ will come in the glory of His Father, and all His angels with Him. According to His word, when the trumpet of the Archangel is sung, all the dead will be resurrected. All living beings will be instantly transformed. So all mankind, from the first man to the last, will gather before His throne.

Then the Lord will reward each according to his deeds. The righteous will receive Eternal Life, and sinners, along with Satan, will be thrown into eternal fire. Thus, full justice will be restored. All good will be rewarded and evil punished. And neither bribes nor false witnesses will help the wicked.

And after the Judgment, the eternal Kingdom of Glory will come, which will never end again. There will be no death, no sickness, no sorrow, no sin, but only ever-increasing joy.

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.

Further, the Creed teaches us to believe in the Third Person of God - in the Holy Spirit. He is the True God, the Personality, and not just energy, as some think. He is called holy as the sanctifying Power, making the saints free from the world and penetrating them with the power of God. After all, the very word “holy” means “separated from this world, transcendent”, as well as “morally pure”.

He is the Lord of creation, who gave life to all living things, and now preserves it and leads to perfection. And most importantly, the Holy Spirit gives us eternal life, which is why He is called Life-Giving.

The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father, from His essence, and this is His personal property, by which He differs from the Father and the Son. But at the same time He is equal to them. Therefore, the Creed says that we worship the Holy Spirit and glorify Him together with the Father and the Son. He is the Creator, and always abides in the Son, and reveals Christ to us, and leads us to the Father through the Son. The Holy Spirit assimilates to us the salvation that the Lord Jesus accomplished. He leads the Church, which He also created, descending in the form of fiery tongues on the apostles on the day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit at the end of the world will transform creation and give life to all the dead. He is called the Comforter, for he comforts us in sorrows and protects us from every trouble.
Through Him we received Divine Revelation, which is why it is said that He spoke through the prophets. He is the author of both the Bible and the Holy Tradition of the Church.

9. In One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Church we believe in is the mystical Organism, the Body of Christ, the house of God, the new people of the Father, redeemed by the Blood of the Lord. The head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ. And it includes both living people, and those who died in faith, and Angels - all united by the love of the Holy Spirit. Only those who are members of the Church are promised salvation.
On earth, the Church is a gathering of Christians united by the Orthodox faith, liturgical communion, submission to the hierarchy, and following the Law of God. All heretics (those who distort the Revelation of God) and schismatics (who have fallen away from the Church for reasons not related to faith, for example, for ritual or other reasons) are outside of it and have no salvation until they repent.

The Church is called one (that is, the only one), since She is one and there are no others. There is one Body of Christ, as its one Head, and one Holy Spirit. After all, God is one, and the path to Him is one. And although there are different local Churches (Russian, Greek, Jerusalem and others), they are not separate societies, but only parts of the One Church.

She is holy, because she sanctifies, makes every Christian like God, no matter what life he led before. The source of the Church's holiness is the Holy Spirit who has lived in Her since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). And those who stubbornly do evil are cut off from the Church either explicitly, through excommunication (as, for example, L.N. Tolstoy or those who have gone to Islam and various sects), or by the invisible judgment of God.

The Church is called catholic, or ecumenical, because in the whole universe she bears the light of salvation for all times and for all peoples without exception. There are no nationalities or social differences in it, and the power of God saves everyone in it from all sins, teaches all virtues, contains all the fullness of Truth.

It is called apostolic because it was founded through the apostles (people sent to preach by Christ). And the gift of the Holy Spirit is transmitted in it continuously through the ordination of bishops and priests directly from the apostles, the disciples of Christ. In addition, the Church still fulfills the apostolic duty of preaching the Gospel to all the peoples of the earth, and when this mission ends, the end of the world will come.

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

The main source of strength for members of the Church is the Sacraments, the first of which is Baptism. The sacraments are special sacred rites established by God Himself, in which, with the help of an external rite, the believer is given the grace of the Holy Spirit that transforms us. The grace-filled life of a Christian begins through a new birth from water and the Holy Spirit, through Baptism for the forgiveness of all sins. It is performed through three immersion in water with the invocation of the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. At the same time, a person is washed from original sin and from all personal sins, is reborn to a new life that comes from God Himself, and enters the Orthodox Church.

Baptism is performed only once in a lifetime, since we can only be born once. To be baptized, you must have faith and repentance. But our Church also baptizes infants according to the faith of their parents and godparents, who promise to raise the newly baptized in Orthodoxy. Then the person is given the personal gift of the Holy Spirit to do good deeds. This is the second Sacrament - Confirmation, which takes place immediately after Baptism.

The pinnacle of all the Sacraments is Communion, when, under the guise of bread and wine, an Orthodox Christian receives the Body and Blood of the Resurrected Jesus Christ for the destruction of sin and communion with Eternal Life. The service at which this Sacrament is performed is called the Liturgy (common deed) and the Eucharist (thanksgiving).

If a person sins after Baptism, then the sin is forgiven him through the priest in the Sacrament of Penance (or Confession).

In the event of a bodily illness, a Christian resorts to the Sacrament of Unction (or Unction) to heal the soul and body or to grant a painless death.
Marriage is sanctified in the sacrament of the wedding, when the husband becomes the image of Christ, the wife - the image of the Church. And they are given the power to eternal love and Christian education of children.
And finally, in the Sacrament of Priesthood, the Christian is given grace through the laying on of the hands of a bishop to serve in the Church. If a deacon is ordained, then he receives the right to assist the priest in worship. The priest can perform all the Sacraments, except for ordination, while the bishop performs the Sacraments and ordains, as well as governs the local Church, watching over the purity of the faith and the morality of its members.

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

We look forward to the resurrection of our bodies with hope, we know that the soul of all people is immortal. After death, the righteous go to Paradise, where they remain in some (still incomplete) bliss and pray for the still living Christians. Therefore, we resort to the prayerful help of the saints, as our intercessors before God. And practice shows that we often receive real, effective help from them.
Sinners and the unbaptized go to hell, where they are in fearful expectation of punishment. At this time, the baptized can still receive relief through the prayers of the Church.
But the full retribution will take place on the Day of Judgment, when by the power of the omnipotence of God, through the gift of the Risen Savior, all the dead will come to life, all will rise at the age of Christ. The bodies of the dead people will reconnect with the souls, and the bodies will accurately reflect the state of the soul: the righteous will shine like the sun, and the sinners will be gloomy like the night. And eternity will come, in which the resurrected will forever abide with the bodies, for there will be no more death.

12. ...and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Sinners, as mentioned above, will be cursed by God and thrown into eternal fire along with the devil and his angels. There an unquenchable flame awaits them, pitch darkness and an undying worm, and their torment will never end.

And the righteous will receive Eternal Life, they will always contemplate God and receive more and more knowledge, happiness and pleasure from Him. The Saints will reign with Christ in the new universe, become friends of the Angels, receive heavenly treasures. They will live in the New Jerusalem and become gods by grace, the Holy Trinity will dwell in them. And their bliss will continue throughout endless eternity, ever growing and strengthening through communion with the Infinite Father.

This is the brief interpretation of the Creed. This is what the Orthodox Church believes.

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This section presents text from the book The Law of God: An Introduction to Orthodox Christianity» Priest Daniil Sysoev.

"The Creed" is a special work that sets out the basics of the Christian doctrine and describes life path Jesus our Lord. It is believed that if a person does not know this prayer by heart and does not accept its dogmas, then he has no right to be called Orthodox. The "Symbol of Faith" consists of 12 parts written in Church Slavonic.

Who came up with the text?

The "Symbol of Faith" prayer was created at the Ecumenical Councils - special meetings of the highest clergy (bishops). The first time such a meeting was organized back in 325 (in the 4th century AD) in order to refute the false teachings of Arius, who considered Jesus Christ only the highest creation of the Lord. At this Council, such a heresy was rejected, and the truth formed the basis of the second dogma of the Creed, which says that the Son of God was born of the Most High.

The next Ecumenical Council, organized in Constantinople, dates back to 381. The congress of all bishops proclaimed the unity of the Holy Trinity. Some time ago, an Aryan priest expressed his opinion that the Holy Spirit is the creation of the Father and the Son, and he serves them like angels. This point of view was rejected, since Christianity is a monotheistic religion. In other words, the Almighty is one in Three Persons, and the Orthodox must equally honor God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The essence of the 1st dogma

The first member of the "Creed" says that the Orthodox believes in the One God Almighty and Creator, who is visible and invisible at the same time. This dogma is interpreted as follows: to believe in the Lord means to be firmly convinced of his pre-eternal existence, to accept divine revelation and to profess Orthodoxy, that is, to express one's unshakable faith in Christ. All the saints, especially those ranked as great martyrs, are an example of spiritual stamina and determination for the sake of being close to the Lord. The words “visible and invisible” mean that the Kingdom of Heaven is a spiritual world that cannot be seen with the eyes. Its manifestations can only be seen with the heart.

Mystery of the Holy Trinity

The interpretation of the Creed is clear and unambiguous. But since the prayer in question uses such concepts that are incomprehensible to the human mind, believers have problems with its interpretation. For example, the mystery of the Holy Trinity, which is spoken of in the 2nd member of the Creed, still remains a mystery to everyone. She is God the Father, God the Son who is born from the Father, and the Holy Spirit who also comes from the Father. The Trinity is unity and the Lord. Theologians often compare Her to the sun, from which light is born and heat radiates. You can also explain the essence of the Trinity using the example of water, which has a liquid, gaseous and solid state.

"The Creed" also contains the lines that the Son of God is begotten, and not created from the Father, "before all ages." In other words, Jesus Christ, just like the Lord himself, has always been, is and will be, i.e. the Holy Trinity is outside of time and space. The words "begotten of the Father" are included in the Creed in order to refute the doctrine of Arius. It said that Jesus Christ is the creation of God, and this violates the concept of the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity.

Divine salvation

The "Symbol of Faith" prayer also tells about the earthly life of the Messiah. The incarnation of the Lord in human form is necessary for the salvation of human souls. The coming of Jesus Christ to Earth has been known since ancient times. This knowledge was transmitted through the prophets Isaiah, Micah, Malachi. Why did the salvation of people become possible only after the coming of Jesus Christ?

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve committed iniquity by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge. By violating God's Covenant by this, they doomed the entire human race to eternal perdition. Having descended to Earth, people became mortal. Everyone, without exception, even the righteous, after their death fell into the kingdom of the devil, since sin became an inalienable property of a person that completely violated his nature. Like a gene, it was passed down from generation to generation, dooming people after death to eternal torment. The Lord, having descended to Earth, wished to cleanse human sins and open the gates of paradise. On the third day after his earthly death, the Son of God descended into hell and took away the souls of the righteous. After that, people got the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ taught people to live according to the Law of God so that after death they could fully inherit paradise.

The Fourth Tenet of Prayer

This part of the Creed says that Jesus Christ was crucified for human sins under Pontius Pilate. This event is historically attested: when the Son of God died an earthly death, the sun darkened, and pitch darkness became over the whole Earth. Christ all the time from the betrayal of Judas to the last breath suffered in the same way as other people crucified next to him on crosses. That is why the “Symbol of Faith” accurately states - “both suffered and buried.”

Two more miracles also testify to the fact that the Lord really incarnated on Earth as a human being. The first is the Shroud of Turin, in which Joseph wrapped the body of Jesus, taking him down from the cross. The existence of this canvas is mentioned in the Gospel. It is believed that the shroud contains the blood imprints of the body of Christ, and this makes it a priceless relic and irrefutable proof of the existence of the Lord. There is an assumption that a clear image of the Son of God appeared on the fabric during His Resurrection, when God the Father illuminated Him with His light.

The Holy Fire is another phenomenon that no scientist can explain. On the Sabbath day before Easter, God's spark descends into the cuvuklia of the Jerusalem temple, turning into a flame that heals with its power. In the first minutes of the appearance, the blessed fire does not leave burns on the body. Christians all over the world are anxiously awaiting this event. It is believed that if the Holy Fire did not descend to Earth on Great Saturday, then the Lord was very angry with the human race, and there was not a single righteous person left among us. In this case, one should wait for the imminent Last Judgment.

Victory over death

The fifth part of the prayer says that the Lord rose on the third day, according to Scripture. Jesus Christ died at approximately 3 pm on a Friday afternoon, and resurrected at midnight on the day after Saturday, known since then as the resurrection. In ancient times, half a day was already perceived as a day, so it is believed that Christ stayed in the tomb for 3 days. The first to learn about the resurrection of the Lord were the Virgin Mary and the myrrh-bearing women, who were not afraid to come to the tomb.

Ascension to the Kingdom of Heaven

The sixth part of the Creed tells about how Christ returned to His father. From that moment to this day, Jesus sits "at the right hand" (i.e., on right hand from the Almighty), reuniting the Divine and the human.

The Lord will come to Earth again, but not as a poor man suffering from human cruelty, but as a true King of Glory, ready to judge "the living and the dead", which we can read in the 6th dogma of the "Creed". In other words, righteous judgment will take place on all people. Each will have signs with inscriptions of unrepentant sins. Those who have lived in righteousness will literally glow from within like stars. Words will also be inscribed on such people, meaning not sins, but merits before the Lord, for example, “poor in spirit” (relying on the will of God), “confessor” and others.

Speaking through the prophets

Particular importance in the eighth part of the "Symbol of Faith" is given to the existence of the Holy Spirit emanating from God the Father. He is the third person of the Consubstantial Trinity, therefore we must glorify Him along with the Most High and Jesus Christ.

While still in the guise of a man, the Messiah said that no one would be forgiven for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - a cruel and conscious rejection of the immutable truth of His pre-eternal existence. Such resistance leads people away from the desire to repent.

The Old Testament prophets were always the conductors of the Holy Spirit, that is, it was not they who spoke about future events, but the Lord. The Holy Spirit also appeared to people in the form of a dove (for example, at the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist) or as fiery tongues that descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost.

The tenth part of the prayer says that the Orthodox believe in the holy catholic church. AT this case meaning the totality of all Orthodox, dead and living, who profess one Christian religion.

Sacraments

In Orthodoxy, there are seven main rites, sacred actions through which a person receives Divine grace. These include baptism, confession, communion, priesthood, unction, unction, and marriage. Chief among them is the rite of acceptance of the faith of Christ, since without it the fulfillment of other sacraments is impossible. That is why baptism, as a symbol of other sacred actions, is mentioned in the eleventh member of the Creed.

Endless happiness

The fact that all the righteous, including the dead, will gain the Kingdom of Heaven is said in the 11th and 12th parts of the prayer. The apostle Paul stated that this life would be so joyful and blessed that no man could imagine it. But those who did not accept God's truth and did not confess their sins will not be able to enter paradise, since they rejected it. These people, according to the Holy Scriptures, will be subjected to unbearable torment from the realization that they have lost the opportunity to be close to the Lord. The Orthodox "Creed" ends with the word "Amen", which means "So be it". By this we confirm that all the prayer we have uttered is an indisputable truth.

How to learn

The symbol of faith is a prayer for baptism, which is pronounced by the godmother and father. In addition, before the sacrament, it is desirable for them to confess and take communion. After all, godparents are a spiritual father or mother who guides their child on the true path. They should also teach the child the basics of Orthodoxy, and periodically give communion. Therefore, it is necessary to know the “Symbol of Faith” prayer for the cross and the cross.

Many find it difficult to learn this piece by heart. To begin with, you can simply read the “Symbol of Faith” daily with the stresses that are affixed to each prayer book. Godparents should keep in mind that they take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of the child, so one should not be limited only to the study of this work. The "Symbol of Faith" prayer for a godfather or godmother can be a starting point into the world of Orthodoxy. It is also advisable for spiritual fathers and mothers to visit an Orthodox church, to light candles for the health of their child. It is very good if the godparents have images of Christ and the Saints at home. Before them, you need to pray for your godson, asking for help from the Lord. Moreover, a special prayer is said, in which God's help and guidance is requested.

Knowledge of such a prayer as the "Symbol of Faith" is simply necessary for baptism. It is desirable that the future spiritual father and mother try to understand the meaning of this work, because they have a huge responsibility - to raise a true Christian. "Symbol of faith" - a prayer for baptism and not only. Be sure to read it before any good undertaking.

It is necessary to know and understand that there is a special measure of faith, without which Baptism loses its meaning. This measure is set forth in the Creed, which is read by heart (or from a page) by those baptized before the Sacrament itself. This text, in its content, is completely based on Divine Revelation, in this form it was adopted by the fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, I of Nicaea (325 AD) and II of Constantinople (381 AD).

The Ecumenical Council is the assembly of the bishops of all universal Church. We believe that they were led by God the Holy Spirit Himself. And it was under His leadership that the Church preserved the original Revelation, conveyed it in exact formulas, and crushed all falsehood. And the most accurate statement of Christian teaching is just the Creed.

About the Creed

The very word "symbol" is translated in 29 different ways, which shows the special facets of the meaning of this sacred proclamation of faith. In the most ancient sense, this word meant a wand or a ring broken in two, the halves of which were taken by friends or lovers, parting for a long time. And when many years passed, they recognized each other by putting together a symbol. Likewise, our Eternal Friend and Bridegroom of our souls, Christ left us this faith as a half of the ring by which He will identify us on the Day of His return. It is clear that if we lose our soul mate, or at least distort it in such a way that the place of connection changes, then recognition at the meeting will not take place. Christ will say, “I never knew you! Get away from Me” (Matthew 7:23).

According to another translation, "symbol" is translated as an oath. We Christians believe that Jesus Christ is our only Lord and King. And therefore, entering into His Church, which is called militant, we take an oath to Him as our Eternal Emperor. It is clear that if after Baptism we refuse the oath, we will be perjurers and deserters subject to God's Judgment.

"Symbol" is also translated as a password. And on it they will let us into the returned Paradise. We must ask this password from anyone who wants to break into our heart - and our mind must stand guard at the heart, like a sentry, so that no one robs it.

So, this sacred Symbol must be accepted by the heart and kept until the end of one's life. It is clear that if there are no problems with memory, it is necessary to learn this text by heart. We read it in church in Church Slavonic, which is used for worship in the Russian church. Therefore, it is necessary to learn it in this language. To facilitate understanding, we give a Russian translation of this sacred confession.

The Creed consists of 12 parts (members), and we will comment on them point by point.

THE CREATOR OF EACH OF US

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

Faith here is not at all a blind act of rejecting reason, as atheists think, but, on the contrary, its highest manifestation. A person finds the Creator with his mind and heart, and then trusts Him. Having believed, a person, firstly, recognizes the existence of invisible realities, and through this new horizons open up to his mind, and secondly, he begins to trust God - and thus feels that his life is under the highest, reliable protection.

The main object of Christian faith is God. By this word we mean the Infinite Spiritual Essence, unknowable to the end in His immeasurable power, wisdom and glory. God is omnipresent and eternal (He is outside of time), omnipotent and knows everything. He is perfect Truth and Love, not needing anything, and Himself generously giving everything. God is not limited in any particular way: He is neither matter, nor energy, nor the cosmos, nor the highest mind, nor the highest part of the soul. On the contrary, everything that exists receives being from Him: the living receives life, the rational - the mind, the strong force.
God is called one, not because no matter who people bow to, they bow to Him, but because only He alone truly exists, but all other creatures that people foolishly call "gods" (for example, Zeus, Krishna, Perun), - this is a lie, deceit or self-deception, behind which fallen angels, that is, demons, are hiding. So, apart from God the Creator, in whom Christians believe, there is no one else.

The One God is called the Father, because He is the Person who eternally begets the Son. But He also becomes a Father for everyone who, having believed in His Son, is baptized. This means that He will become your Father too… God the Father did not appear from anyone and therefore is also called the Unbegotten and Beginningless.
He is called Almighty because the whole world still exists due to the fact that His power holds it. The whole world is also controlled by His almighty will - helping every good, and every evil arising from the refusal of free beings from good, suppressing and turning to good consequences.
The Father is further called the Creator of Heaven and Earth, for He, by His own free will and without anyone's support, created the Universe from non-existence in six days. And the purpose of this creation was the desire that free rational beings enter into His eternal bliss.

The visible and invisible worlds mentioned in the Symbol are both the material Universe and the spiritual world, which includes Angels (reasonable and powerful spirits that do not have a material body, some of them fell away from God due to pride and became demons) and our immortals souls. But both worlds were created from non-existence by the free will of the Father.

THE SHINE OF GOD'S GLORY

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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.

As stated above, God is called the Father because He begat the Son, and here we see the Church detailing her faith in Christ.

So, for us, Jesus Christ is not a "great initiate", and not a "teacher of morality", and not the first revolutionary, but the eternal God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He is called one, because he is one Person, although now existing in two natures. He is called the Lord, because by nature he is the Lord of creation. His kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, and his dominion is in every generation. But in a special sense, He is our Lord, as our Redeemer and Head of the Church.
The name "Jesus" He received after he became a man, and it means "Jesus who came to save" or simply "Savior." And the word "Christ" is not a name, but a designation of His ministry after the incarnation. In translation, it means "The Anointed One", because He, as a man, was anointed by His Divinity and the Holy Spirit. And this anointing was given to Him as King, Prophet and Priest. Indeed, in ancient times, Old Testament, kings, prophets and priests were elevated to ministry through anointing with consecrated oil.

Jesus is called the Only Begotten, since only He was born from the essence of the Father, unlike other children of God (humans and angels). They are of a different nature than the Father and become children by adoption through Christ.

Further, with the words “from the Father, born before all ages,” it is emphasized that the Son was born from the essence of the Father before the beginning of time (and it appeared along with the world). The universe might not exist, but the Son is eternally begotten from the Father, and His birth is like a candle being lit from a candle, and the first fire does not decrease, but the second light is equal to the first. The Son is eternally connected with the Father, like the sun with a ray. He is the radiance of His glory and the image of His personality, He is the eternal Self-expression of the Father, His Word, Wisdom, Power.

The Son, like the Father, is the true God, in contrast to the false gods of the pagans and the Gentiles. But at the same time, one cannot assume that there are two or three gods. All Three Persons of the Trinity are One God, since One Source of the Deity is the Father. All Three Persons have one essence (nature), will, kingdom, glory and power, and They all abide in each other forever, differing only in that the Father is unborn, the Son is born, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father.

To emphasize the truth of the Deity of Christ, the Creed says that He is begotten, uncreated, consubstantial (of the same essence) with the Father.
By Christ the Father created the world. But not as an instrument the Father had the Son, but as the Doer of His will, so that the whole Universe is its own for the Lord Jesus. Therefore, He saved the world that He created.
CAN A MAN SAVE HIMSELF?

3. For us, man, and for our salvation, descended from Heaven and incarnated from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human.

As we have said, the very name Jesus means Savior. And beginning with this part, the Symbol details how our salvation was accomplished. But from what did we need to be saved? The Church answers: from sin, damnation and death.

The fact is that the first people, Adam and Eve, fell away from God - the Source of Life, having committed a sin. As a result, the very nature of man has been corrupted. We have ceased to see the Lord's Face. The mind has lost control of the will and the senses and has been disintegrated so that it is difficult for it to know the Truth. The will has deviated from God, and evil has filled our whole nature, so that it is easier for us to sin than to do good. This state is called original sin, which gives rise to both bodily death and eternal death of the soul, which after death goes to hell. And no one could save the unfortunate person from this eternal misfortune, except for the Creator Himself. After all, it was necessary to remake our nature, and to exterminate crime, and to conquer death, and, most importantly, to restore communion with God. So which of the people or other creatures could do this?

And now, by His mercy, the Lord Himself stands up for His creation. Three barriers stood before Him. The first of these is the gulf between the Divine and human natures. After all, it was said to Moses: "A man cannot see My Face and remain alive." How can a weak creature resist the ever-boiling Flame of Superlife?
The second barrier is sin, which cannot be ignored by a holy God. After all, the Righteous cannot leave a crime without punishment. But, on the other hand, “there is no person who would live and not sin,” which means that everyone should be punished.
And the third barrier is death, which destroys human nature. What can we talk about if all the deeds of a person are devoured by death? How can a mortal communicate with the Immortal if his death is not destroyed?

And now the Lord Jesus Christ comes to destroy these barriers, save man and make him a god by grace.
The Eternal Son descends from Heaven without moving in space, for as God He fills everything. But, just as in Heaven He is seen and Angels are completely obedient to Him, so in His Birth He becomes visible on earth as well. Christ takes flesh from the Virgin Mary, Who was able to give birth to Him without the participation of a man by the power of the Life-Giving Spirit. The One Personality of the Son of God begins to exist in two natures, united inseparably, unchangeably, inseparably, inseparably. So Christ, while remaining perfect God, became a perfect Man, having a human soul, mind, and will. He did not have only original sin, and He Himself did not do any evil and no lie was found in His mouth.

And that's what the Immaculate Conception was for. The fact is that in an ordinary conception, the original death is transmitted to a person, and people who have appeared in this way cannot save others, themselves needing salvation. But when human nature was created in the womb of the Virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, then it was able to abide in the Person of God the Son, so that from the very beginning it was His own nature. And thus, through the Incarnation, the first barrier was overcome - the difference of natures. Both essences, without destroying each other, united in One Divine Person, and now through Christ we have received access to the Father.

Ransom for our sins

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

Christ came into the world and gave new law, The law of love, but His main work is to deliver us from evil and sin, and for this death was necessary. After all, Life can only be bought at the cost of life. And so Jesus Christ, in order to destroy the barrier of sin, voluntarily takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world. The Innocent Righteous One dies for the guilty, takes upon Himself their punishment and curse, so that whoever believes in Him does not perish, but has Eternal Life. His blood becomes the ransom for our sins. He gives blood for blood, soul for soul, body for body, and thus the Truth of God flows into our hearts. “The punishment of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Christ as a Man Himself sacrifices Himself to God for our sins and by this sacrament sanctifies us, banishing sin from our heart, mind, and from all human nature.

He corrects the ancient disobedience of Adam, being obedient to the Father to death, and death on the cross, shameful, terrible, painful. The Lord becomes the new Adam, the ancestor of the redeemed mankind.

As the first man brought death into the world, so Christ gave Eternal Life. Instead of the tree of knowledge - the Cross, which instead of an instrument of execution has become a sign of our victory and salvation. Hands outstretched to a criminal cause are healed by pierced hands. The feet that ran away from God are returned to Him with nails that have pierced the feet of the God-man. And so the Justice of God appeared, for it was not just God who defeated the enemy Satan, but Man. The same nature that was taken captive in Paradise triumphed on the Cross.

With the words “under Pontius Pilate,” the Church emphasizes that this event took place at a specific historical moment, under Pontius Pilate, when the ancient prophecies about the coming of the Reconciler (Genesis 49, 10) of God and people were fulfilled, the ancient enmity between creation and the Creator ceased. And the hope of the peoples, who were once strangers to the Lord because of lawless idolatry and worship of evil spirits, was fulfilled, and now they have become his own through turning to the Crucified One.

We believe that Christ did not pretend that he was suffering, but really suffered terrible torments in order to save us from death. Although, of course, this suffering concerned only His human nature (Divine nature cannot suffer). And He truly died and was buried. His soul separated from his body and descended into hell. And hell was destroyed. The righteous who believed in Christ ascended to paradise, and since then the road has reappeared there, closed by the crime of the first people. And our ancient enemy, the devil, was fettered and deprived of strength, as he unjustly raised his hand against the Creator. Thus, the second wall between God and people collapsed - the wall of sin, and thus the cause of eternal death, which did not let go of a person, disappeared.
EXPLODED DEATH FROM WITHIN

5. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.

The Apostle Peter said that death was tormented by labor pains when it received Christ into itself, for it could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). The reason for this is that death usually destroys a person's personality, for he is not just an immortal soul, but the union of soul and body. But Christ possessed not a human, but an Omnipresent Divine Person. And therefore, although His Soul was separated from the Body, the connection between them remained through the Divinity. As a result, the Soul of Christ did not remain in hell, but His Body remained incorruptible in the tomb. Thus the Lord Jesus exploded death from within.

And on the third day, on Sunday night, when God created the world from non-existence, He rose from the dead by the power of His Divinity. His Soul again and forever united with His Body, so that it became incorruptible and forever beyond the control of death. The resurrected Jesus became the Firstborn from the dead, the Firstfruit, that is, the first sheaf of the new harvest of the resurrected. Death was destroyed, and from Easter morning the reverse course of world history began - the process of the resurrection of all the dead. Thus, the last wall between the Creator and people collapsed, and the Immortal God “infects” humanity with His immortality.

This was also predicted by the ancient prophets, whose words have come down to us in the Holy Scriptures, saying that death will be swallowed up by life and instead of corruption, humanity will be clothed in incorruption.
IN THE ASCENTED CHRIST IS OUR LIFE

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

On the fortieth day after His Resurrection, Christ in the flesh ascended to Heaven, paving the way for us to the eternal Fatherland. He passed through the cosmos and the angelic worlds, and now the same nature as ours abides in the uncreated Ocean of the Divine, above all fiery spirits. Such is the glory of deified humanity. Our life is now in the ascended Christ, and we await His return, in which our life will be revealed.
The Lord Jesus sits on the right side (right hand) of the Father and as a Man participates in the governance of the world. He is still the eternal High Priest, who is always alive to intercede for us before the Father, to be the only Mediator between God and people, and to destroy the sins of Christians with His Blood. And He is waiting for the end of the preaching of the Church, which gathers all the saved into the Kingdom. When this mission is completed, Christ will return to earth again, and His enemies will be thrown under His feet.

THERE WILL BE NO DEATH NOR SORRY

7. And the packs of the coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will not be the same as the First. He will come to earth no longer as a Savior, but as a Righteous Judge. First, the Cross will light up over the world - a sign of His victory over death and sin. Before the face of Jesus, a flame will go that will burn the universe. The heavens will fold like a scroll, and the earth will melt in fire. And new heaven and earth will appear, where truth dwells. Christ will come in the glory of His Father and all His angels with him. According to His word, when the trumpet of the Archangel is sung, all the dead will be resurrected. All living beings will be instantly transformed. So all mankind, from the first man to the last, will gather before His throne.
Then the Lord will reward each according to his deeds. The righteous will receive Eternal Life, and sinners, along with Satan, will be thrown into eternal fire. Thus, full justice will be restored. All good will be rewarded and evil punished. And neither bribes nor false witnesses will help the wicked.
And after the Judgment will come the eternal Kingdom of glory, which will never end again. There will be no death, no sickness, no sorrow, no sin, but only ever-increasing joy.
HOLY SPIRIT CREATOR

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.

Further, the Creed teaches us to believe in the Third Person of God - in the Holy Spirit. He is the True God, the Person, and not just a force, as some think. He is the Lord of creation, who gave life to all living things in the beginning, and now preserves it and brings everything to perfection. And above all, the Holy Spirit gives us Eternal Life and holiness. That is why He is called Life-Giving.

The Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father, from His essence, and this is His personal property, by which He differs from the Father and the Son. But at the same time He is equal to them. Therefore, it is said that we worship the Holy Spirit and glorify Him together with the Father and the Son. He is the Creator, and always abides in the Son, and reveals Christ to us, and leads us to the Father through the Son. The Holy Spirit assimilates to us the salvation that the Lord has provided

Jesus. He also leads the Church, which he created, descending in the form of fiery tongues on the apostles on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit at the end of the world will transform creation and give life to the dead.
Through Him we received Divine Revelation, which is why it is said that He spoke through the prophets. He is the Author of both the Bible and the Holy Tradition of the Church.

FATHER'S NEW PEOPLE

9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Church (in the sense of Christian society) in which we must believe is a mysterious organism, the Body of Christ, the House of God, the new people of the Father, redeemed by the Blood of the Lord. The head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ. And living people, and those who died in faith, and angels enter into it. Only those who are members of the Church are promised salvation.
On earth, the Church is a gathering of Christians united Orthodox faith, liturgical fellowship, submission to the hierarchy and following the law of God. All heretics (those who distort the Revelation of God) and schismatics (who have fallen away from the Church for non-doctrinal reasons) are outside of it and have no salvation until they repent.

The Church is called one (i.e., the only one), since it is one and there are no others. One Body of Christ, as One Its Head and One Holy Spirit. After all, God is One and there is only one way to Him. And although there are different local churches (Russian, Greek, Jerusalem and others), they are not separate societies, but only parts of a single Church.

She is Holy, because she sanctifies, makes like God, every Christian, no matter what life he led before. The source of the holiness of the Church is the Holy Spirit, who has lived in her since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Therefore, one should not think that grace depends on the priest. While he is in the Church, God Himself sanctifies you through him. And those who stubbornly do evil are cut off from the Church either explicitly, through excommunication (for example, L.N. Tolstoy), or by the invisible Judgment of God.

The Church is called Catholic, or Ecumenical, because in the whole universe it bears the light of salvation for all times and all peoples without exception. It has neither nationality nor social distinctions. But all, without distinction, the power of God saves in it from all sins, teaches all the virtues, contains all the fullness of the Truth.

It is called apostolic because it was founded through the apostles. And the gift of the Holy Spirit is transmitted in it continuously through the ordination of bishops and priests from the disciples of Christ themselves. In addition, the Church still fulfills the apostolic duty of preaching the Gospel to all the peoples of the earth, and when this work is completed, the end of the world will come.

NEW BIRTH

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

The main source of strength for members of the Church is the Sacraments, the first of which is Baptism. The sacraments are special sacred rites established by God Himself, in which, under an external rite, the believer is given the grace of the Holy Spirit that transforms us.

The grace-filled life of a Christian begins through a new birth, Baptism, for the forgiveness of all sins, about which we spoke in more detail at the beginning. It takes place only once in a lifetime, since we can only be born once.

Then the person is given the personal gift of the Holy Spirit to do good deeds. This is the second Sacrament - Confirmation, which takes place immediately after Baptism.
The pinnacle of all the Sacraments is Communion, when, under the guise of bread and wine, an Orthodox person receives the Body and Blood of the Resurrected Jesus Christ for the destruction of sin and for Eternal Life.
If a person sins after Baptism, then the crimes are forgiven him through the priest in the Sacrament of Penance (or Confession).

In the event of a bodily illness, a Christian resorts to the Sacrament of Unction (or Unction).
Marriage is sanctified in the Sacrament of the Wedding, when the husband becomes the image of Christ, the wife - the image of the Church. And they are given strength for eternal love and Christian upbringing of children.
And, finally, in the Sacrament of the Priesthood, grace is given to the Christian through the laying on of the hands of the bishop for the service of the Church. If a deacon is ordained, then he gets the right to help the priest in worship. The priest can perform all the Sacraments, except for Ordination, while the bishop performs the Sacraments and ordains, as well as manages the local church, monitoring the purity of the faith and the morality of its members.
BODIES WILL REFLECT THE STATE OF THE SOUL

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

We look forward to the resurrection of our bodies. We know that the soul of all people is immortal. After death, the righteous go to heaven, where they are in some (though not complete) bliss and pray for the still living Christians. Sinners and the unbaptized go to hell, where they dwell in fearful expectation of punishment. At this time, the baptized can still receive relief through the prayers of the Church.

But the full retribution will take place on the Day of Judgment. Then, by the power of the Almighty of God, by the gift of the resurrected Savior, all the dead will come to life. The bodies of people, those who died, will again unite with souls. They will be perfect, without deformities and diseases. All will be resurrected at the age of Christ. The bodies of people will accurately reflect the state of the soul. The righteous will shine like the sun, and the sinners will be dark as the night. And eternity will come, in which the resurrected will forever abide with the bodies, for there will be no more death.
REIGN WITH CHRIST

12. ...and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Sinners, as mentioned above, will be cursed by God and thrown into eternal fire along with the devil and his angels. There, an unquenchable flame awaits them, pitch darkness and an undying worm. And, alas, their torment will never end.

And the righteous will get Eternal Life. They will always contemplate God and from Him receive more and more knowledge, happiness and enjoyment. The Saints will reign with Christ in the new Universe, become friends of the Angels, receive heavenly treasures. They will live in the New Jerusalem and become gods by grace, so that the Holy Trinity will dwell in them. And their bliss will continue throughout endless eternity, ever growing and strengthening through communion with the Infinite Father.