This adverb means 'confessedly' or 'admittedly'—by common consent or universal agreement. In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul uses it to introduce a creedal hymn: 'Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness.' The word signals that what follows is universally acknowledged among believers—not disputed doctrine but foundational truth. It can also mean 'conformably with' in classical usage, but here it emphasizes common confession or agreed-upon truth. The hymn that follows (about Christ) is what the church confessedly believes.