THE FORMATION OF CREEDS
The word 'creed' comes from the Latin word 'credo', "I believe". Creeds are therefore an expression of belief. Although there are no explicit creeds in the Bible they are definitely implied.
1. An ancient creed appears in Deuteronomy 26:5-9. What was this particular creed designed to do?
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2. In Acts 8:37, there is also a creed. Where is this creed stated?
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The basis for many early creeds appear in the writings of Paul. In Titus 2:11-14, for example, Paul outlines a doctrinal creed.
3. How did Paul describe the passage in 2 Tim. 2:11-13?
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Quite possibly there were several of these in the early church. But it wasn't until the second century that they became formalised. As the church grew, the need for a universal statement of beliefs became more and more necessary. From a simple one, two or three line statement these creeds became more complex and specific.
The creeds of the early church served three basic purposes:
1. At Baptism- note Romans 10:9-10.
2. Instructional- prompted understanding of pure doctrine.
3. Liturgical- (Formal order of service) gave the opportunity for congregational
affirmation of their faith.
| I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilot and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit; the holy church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the flesh. |
| I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker
of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, his only son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
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4. What does the expression 'catholic' church mean?
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This creed emphasizes the fatherhood and sovereignty of God which was being disputed by Marcion. Followers of Marcion also denied Christ as being man. Hence, it states that He was born, suffered and died as only a man could.
5. Which part of this creed defends Christ's deity?
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| We believe in One God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit He was incarnate of the virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, And his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen. |
6. What expression in this creed would attack the Arian belief that Jesus Christ was created?
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The church today is indebted to the efforts of Athanasius. He would have been in his early twenties about the time of the Nicaea council meeting. His life serves as an example to us, that despite the age of some 'scholars' and their 'many years of experience', God can use the young to correct them and re-affirm His truth.
Emperor Marcion ordered a council to resolve the conflict. Pope Leo wanted it to be held in Italy, but, the decision was made to have it in Chalcedon, Asia Minor. From that council meeting, the Spirit of God moved on over five hundred bishops to come to the following conclusion in AD 451 about the nature of Christ:
The Chalcedon Council recognised that Christ was both God and Man but was only one Person. (Theologians refer to this as the Hypostatic Union of Christ). They admitted that this was a mystery which they were unable to fully explain.
In recent times, the church has rested upon the formulation of these ancient creeds. As the spiritual condition of the church declined, the need progressively arose to state fresh declarations of belief as God reformed His church. One of the most encompassing creeds is the Westminster Confession of Faith, written by Cornelius Burges in 1646. It includes statements in a concise form on just about every area of theology and church life. While this is mainly embraced by Presbyterians, many other Christians align themselves to it.
Today, most churches or movements publish a statement of beliefs as a matter of course. As with these ancient creeds, all orthodox churches base their statements on the Bible. Our ultimate creed is the Bible itself. But back in the days when the common person could not afford a Bible, creeds formed a major part in the articulating of what a person needed to believe to be a Christian.
Amen.