Theological Summary: What the Creeds Teach About the Father

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity

Why Creeds Matter

In an age of doctrinal confusion, the historic creeds of the church serve as faithful summaries of what Christians have always believed. They don’t replace Scripture, but they affirm what Scripture clearly teaches, especially about God’s identity.

The creeds are not the invention of bishops or councils—they are the careful, prayerful expressions of what the Church has received from the Word of God and believed through the centuries. And at the center of every orthodox creed stands the Father.

The Apostles’ Creed: The Father Almighty

The Apostles’ Creed, though not written by the apostles themselves, reflects the earliest confessions of the Christian faith. It begins with this foundational line:

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth…”

Three vital truths emerge from this brief statement:

1. God is Father

This is not merely functional—it is relational and eternal. Before He was Creator, He was Father. This affirms the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son, and reminds us that God's identity is rooted in communion, not isolation.

2. God is Almighty

He is sovereign over all. The term “Almighty” (Latin omnipotens) reflects the Father’s infinite power—not only to create but to uphold, govern, and redeem. This aligns with the biblical witness:

“I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless.” (Gen. 17:1)

3. God is Creator

He made all things visible and invisible. The Father is the source of creation, though Scripture reveals the Son as the agent (John 1:3) and the Spirit as the animator (Gen. 1:2). The Trinity works in perfect unity, but the creeds rightly begin with the Father as fountainhead of all that is.

The Nicene Creed: Clarifying the Father’s Identity

The Nicene Creed (AD 325, revised AD 381) was formulated to combat heresies—especially Arianism, which denied the full deity of the Son. This creed expands on the Apostles’ Creed with more doctrinal precision. It begins:

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

It then continues:

“And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds…”

This is critical: the creed affirms that God is eternally Father because He has eternally begotten the Son. It preserves the eternal distinction of Persons while upholding full equality of essence.

The Nicene Creed also reminds us that the Father is not some abstract force, but the eternal source of divine life, not created, not changeable, and not dependent on anything.

Trinitarian Balance

Both creeds carefully avoid modalism (the error of denying the Trinity by collapsing the Persons into one) and tritheism (the error of dividing God into three separate beings). The Father is not the Son or the Spirit—but He is fully God, sharing the divine essence with them.

This is why the creeds follow the clear biblical pattern: the Father initiates, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies the work of God in creation and redemption.

Biblical Roots of the Creeds

Every line of these creeds finds its source in Scripture:

• Father: John 17:1–5, Matt. 6:9, Eph. 1:3

• Almighty: Rev. 4:8, Gen. 17:1, Job 42:2

• Creator: Gen. 1:1, Ps. 33:6, Heb. 11:3

• Begotten of the Father: John 1:14, 1:18, Heb. 1:5

• One God: Deut. 6:4, 1 Cor. 8:6

Creeds do not stand above Scripture—they kneel beneath it. They summarize its teachings in language that guards truth and shapes worship.

Why This Matters Today

1. It Grounds Our Worship

In a world full of competing spiritualities, the creeds declare who God really is. They give us language to worship rightly—and safeguard us from idolatry.

2. It Guards Against Heresy

Every generation faces new distortions of God. The creeds anchor us in historic orthodoxy and remind us that God is not ours to redefine.

3. It Unites Believers

While secondary matters may differ among Christians, the doctrine of God is non-negotiable. The creeds reflect the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Confessing with Confidence

To say, “I believe in God the Father Almighty…” is to stand with generations of faithful saints who have known and worshiped the same unchanging God. It is to confess that God is not an idea but a Father—eternal, all-powerful, holy, and good.

It is to say:

• I believe in the One who has always been.

• I believe in the One who created all things.

• I believe in the One who sent the Son and gives the Spirit.

This is not cold doctrine—it is the foundation of life, truth, and hope.

Conclusion: Creeds as Windows, Not Walls

Creeds do not limit our view of God—they clarify it. They are not walls to trap us, but windows that open to the wonder of the Triune God, who has revealed Himself in His Word and confirmed His nature through His people.

To know God as Father Almighty is to stand in awe of His power and to rest in the safety of His love.

“To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21)