The Sh’ma is the foundation of a devout Jew’s morning and
evening prayers. Traditionally it is supposed to be the last words spoken
before sleep at night, and for many Jews they are the last words they speak. It
is a reminder that one’s faith is in the one and only God, the God of Israel.
It is also the basic creedal statement of Judaism. Creeds
have been used for millennia to remind religious believers of the foundational teachings
of their faith in summary form. For the Jew, all other beliefs are dependent on
who God is. It speaks of God as one, as the only God, and as the God of Israel.
By reciting the Sh’ma, a Jew is reminded of his or her relation to the one true
God.
Christians have developed their own creeds over the
centuries. They started to appear even in the first centuries, while the Bible was
being written. They were recited to remind Christians of the foundations of
their faith, and often said in group settings to remind everyone present that
they shared a common faith.
Many Christians today still recite the Apostle’s Creed,
which is based on basic statements that began to develop in the first two
centuries of the church. As a student at a non-Baptist seminary, I would recite
this creed several times a week in chapel. It was a constant reminder to me of
three things: (1) the basic beliefs of my faith, (2) the faith I share with all
Christians throughout the world, and (3) the fact that I follow a faith that is
rooted in a long history.
Some Christians are skeptical of creeds. “No creed but
the Bible!” is often the cry of groups that reject any creed. Yet we all have
our own “creeds,” statements of what we believe. Your creed can be found in the
answer to this question: “What do you believe?” The answer you give to that
question reflects your basic beliefs.
Creeds have been used as teaching tools in many churches
throughout the ages. They do not take the place of the Bible; a creed is only
as valid when it is true to the teaching of Scripture. They do serve as an outline
of the teachings of Christianity. In one sense, they serve to help us
understand our faith in the same way the Lord’s Prayer helps us understand how
to pray.
As we study the Bible, we can help ourselves recall its
teachings by finding summary statements like creeds and statements of faith
that organize Biblical teaching into an easily remembered form. Those statement
aren’t our faith, which is found in our relationship to Jesus Christ, but they
can help us understand and grow in our faith as they remind us of the truths we
have learned from God’s Word.
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