Over the centuries, three creeds were commonly used in the Christian church: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

A creed is a short summary of what Christian's believe. God's Word does not command us to use a creed, but the Lord does want us to express our faith. Thankfully, God gives us the freedom to express the Christian faith in our own words. Christians of all backgrounds have discovered that creeds are one helpful way to express that faith.

The Lutheran church still recognizes all three ancient creeds as correct explanations of God's Word, and uses them today.