Understanding Faith and Creeds: Faith in Theology, Lesson 1
Series: Faith in Theology: The Apostles' Creed
Author: Drs. John M. Frame and Steven L. Childers
Title: Understanding Faith and Creeds
The Apostles’ Creed is a brief summary of the essential biblical doctrines of the Christian faith believed by most professing Christians throughout history, including those among the Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant traditions.
The creed was not written by Jesus’ apostles, but it represents their apostolic faith rooted in the teachings of Jesus.[1] Our ultimate goal in studying the Apostles’ Creed, and any creed or confession of faith, is to help us better understand the teachings of the Bible.
The Apostles’ Creed is not the earliest written summary of Christian beliefs, but the culmination of many rules of faith and similar creeds written in previous centuries.[2] The earliest summaries of Christian beliefs are found in the Old and New Testaments, including:
“God is LORD.” (Exod. 3:16, I Kings 18:39, Joel 2:32)
“The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deut. 6:4, Mark 12:29)
“There is one God, the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:5-6)
“Jesus is Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36, Rom. 10:9-13, 1 Cor. 12:3, Phil. 2: 6-11)
“Jesus is the Christ, Son of God, Son of David.” (Matt. 16:16, 1 Cor. 15:3-7, Rom. 1:3-4)
“Jesus Christ has come in flesh.” (1 John 4:2)[3]
God gave these brief summaries in Scripture to help followers of Jesus learn and preserve their beliefs. When false prophets began teaching heresy in the early church, the Apostle John instructed followers of Jesus to use a brief summary of Christian beliefs, “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” to test whether their teaching was from God.[4]
The writings of the early church Fathers contain similar rules of faith that were used as catechisms for converts in preparation for baptism and as a part of the baptism rite itself.[5] In the first and second centuries, rules of faith varied from church to church. But soon the churches created collective summaries that took the form of creeds they all believed to be the essential doctrines of biblical truth.[6] By the second century, the basic form of the Apostles’ Creed can be found in widely dispersed Christian communities.[7]
The Purpose of Creeds
In the first part of the third century, the early form of the Apostles’ Creed was used in Christian baptism as a holy pledge of allegiance to the Triune God. In The Apostolic Tradition, Hippolytus (170 – 235), a church leader in Rome,[8] gives us an example of how these credal statements were used in baptisms.
Pastor: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?
Convert: I believe
Pastor: Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God who was born of the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and was dead and buried, and rose again the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the quick and the dead?
Convert: I believe
Pastor: Do you believe in Holy Spirit, and the holy church, and the resurrection of the flesh?
Convert: I believe[9]
The church used these early creeds, and the later Apostles’ Creed, not only for the preservation and teaching of their beliefs, but also as their holy pledge of allegiance to the Triune God of the gospel in worship and all of life.[10]
In the early 5th century, Augustine encouraged Christians to use the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments as practical expressions of faith, hope, and love – the three virtues the Apostle Paul extols in 1 Corinthians 13:13.[11] Even for those who cannot read, the creed, the prayer, and the commandments can be memorized and used to help them understand the Bible and aid them in worship, strengthening their faith, hope, and love for God and people.[12]
The Value of Creeds
The greatest value of studying the Apostles’ Creed, or any creed or confession of faith, is to help us better understand the Bible. The doctrine of sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) affirms that the Bible clearly teaches, either explicitly or implicitly, all God's truth necessary for our salvation and spiritual life.[13] Because the Bible is God’s inspired Word, which includes an understandable and consistent set of truths, we can understand it on our own – through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Nevertheless, God also gives his Church pastors and teachers to help us better understand and obey the teachings of the Bible, so we will mature spiritually in ways we could not without them. (Eph. 4:11-13, Heb. 5:12-14). Since the first century, church leaders have been faithful to preserve and protect written summaries of what the church believes to be essential biblical doctrines of the Christian faith in creeds and confessions of faith.
But we must be on guard against the danger of placing more value on the confessions and creeds from church councils than on the Bible. History has proven that creeds and confessions sometimes fail to represent the teachings of Scripture faithfully.[14]
The infallible Scriptures must be our sole authority (sola Scriptura) in all issues of faith and practice. And we must test the teachings of all church leaders, creeds and confessions against the clear teachings of God’s Word. Martin Luther reflects this in his famous statement:
Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God.[15]
Even though the Bible alone is sufficient to help us understand all the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, we are in need of summaries to help us better understand and apply these beliefs to our lives. The historic Christian creeds and confessions, including the Apostles’ Creed, give us just these kinds of helpful summaries.
The Nature of Creeds
Since the Apostles’ Creed was often used in the early church as part of worship, it’s very brief – only about one hundred words. So people could easily memorize it and have a brief summary of what they believe about God in their minds and hearts.
But the brevity of the creed means it is missing more detailed explanations of essential Christian beliefs, including the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life. So when unbiblical beliefs began spreading throughout the churches, the result was much division and controversy.[16]
To help resolve these controversies, the first two historic ecumenical councils of church leaders met in the fourth century. As a result, prominent heresies were condemned and the historic Christian beliefs in the Apostles’ Creed were affirmed and clarified by the creation and adoption of what is known today as the Nicene Creed.[17] In subsequent generations, the church saw more challenges to historic Christian doctrine, resulting in more church councils[18] and creeds to help followers of Jesus clarify biblical beliefs about God.[19]
By the end of the sixth century, the various major branches of Christianity began to move in different doctrinal directions, adding affirmations that originated from their different traditions. That doctrinal divergence continues to the present day.[20] But the early church’s Apostles’ Creed, as amplified and explained by the Nicene Creed, is the only authoritative, ecumenical statement of the Christian faith that is widely accepted by most Christian traditions throughout history.
Therefore, our primary focus in this study is on explaining the foundational beliefs affirmed in the Apostles’ Creed in the light of its subsequent affirmations and clarifications in the Nicene Creed and other great historic Christian creeds and confessions of faith.[21]
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed present us with much more than doctrinal truths to believe. They also give us a summary of the Triune God’s unified unfolding story of salvation in history.
This is the gospel – the good news that the Father’s creation, ruined by the Fall, is being redeemed by Christ and restored by his Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God on earth. Here we see a vision of God’s Triune lordship over the whole universe he has made from the beginning in creation until life everlasting. This is the gospel we believe and profess, not only at our baptism, but throughout our lives.[22]
The Apostles’ Creed consists of three long sentences that contain twelve affirmations, revealing the Bible’s teaching on the nature and work of the Triune God. The Trinitarian structure of the creed is based on the biblical structure of the Triune God’s unfolding story in history.
The Bible presents all individual doctrinal affirmations as vital parts of the bigger biblical story of who God is and what God does as Triune Lord: beginning with the Father’s creation in Genesis 1:1, reaching its apex in the Son’s redemption revealed in the New Testament, and ending with the Spirit’s restoration of all things in Revelation 22:21.
Therefore, the first sentence of the creed reveals God the Father as Creator, the second sentence reveals God the Son as Redeemer, and the third sentence reveals God the Spirit as Restorer:[23]
FATHER AS CREATOR
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
SON AS REDEEMER
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
SPIRIT AS RESTORER
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.
In subsequent chapters we’ll examine each of these sentences and their affirmations in detail.[24]
Footnotes:
[1] There is an ancient church tradition that the creed was written in the first century by the twelve apostles, each apostle writing one of the twelve key statements. There is no credible evidence to support this tradition.
[2] The Apostles’ Creed we use today did not reach its final form until the late 6th or early 7th century.
[3] Other New Testament credal statements include: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4), “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” (1 Tim. 2:5-6), “Foundation” list (Heb. 6:1-2), “Kenosis hymn” (Phil 2:5-11), “Christ hymn” (Col 1:12-20), “Mystery of godliness” (1 Tim 3:14-16), “Hebrews hymn”: (Heb 1:1-3), and “Peter’s hymn” (1 Pet. 2:21-25).
[4] “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1-3).
[5] Besides the New Testament, the earliest summary of Christian beliefs and practices is found in a document from the first century called the Didache from the Greek word Διδαχή for “Teaching.” This document was highly regarded by many early Christians and theologians. It includes a list of beliefs, including the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, that were taught to converts before they were baptized. In the section on how to baptize a convert, it reads, “Having instructed him in all of these teachings, baptize the catechumen (trained convert) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
[6] The second century early church Father Tertullian (155 – 240) refers to a Roman Creed that was developed like this and used as a declaration of faith for those receiving baptism. This creed contains a threefold structure taken from Jesus’ command to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19), from which people would declare: “I believe in God the Father almighty; and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord … and in the Holy Spirit.” This creed was called the Old Roman Symbol (Latin, Symbolum) in the third century (Cyprian, Firmilian) referring to the creed as the “Symbol of the Trinity” used in baptism.
[7] Irenaeus, a pastor in the second-century (130 – 202), speaks of the threefold “rule” or “canon” that defines the faith of all Christians throughout the world as belief in “God the Father Almighty … Jesus Christ the Son of God, and … the Holy Spirit.” In his second century writing, Against Heresies, he wrote, “The church, indeed, though disseminated throughout the world, even to the ends of the earth, received from the apostles and their disciples the faith in one God the Father Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth and the seas and all things that are in them; and in the one Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was enfleshed for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who through the prophets preached the economies.… The church … carefully guards this preaching and this faith which she has received, as if she dwelt in one house. She likewise believes these things as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart. She preaches, teaches, and hands them down harmoniously, as if she possessed but one mouth. For though the languages throughout the world are different, nevertheless the meaning of the tradition is one and the same.”
[8] There is an interesting legend in church history that Hippolytus was a disciple of Irenaeus, who was a disciple of Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John. The dating makes this possible, but there is not definitive, historic evidence.
[9] The pastor would then offer a prayer for the new convert that would end with: “For thine is the glory, to the Father and the Son, with Holy Spirit in the holy church, both now and world without end. Amen”
[10] “The creedal words are words of power. They are words that perform: like naming a yacht, or making a bet, or speaking a marriage vow. In baptism, something is brought into being as the words are spoken. It is the words, just as much as the water, that make a baptism. By these words a person becomes a disciple of Jesus and a member of his community.” Ben Myers, The Apostles' Creed. Lexham Press.
[11] Augustine argues that we must not see the creed, the prayer, and the commandments as separate but as interconnected aspects of faith, hope, and love. So, the creed is not merely something we believe with our minds, but it’s also the hope of our heart’s affections that we express in prayer. Likewise, our love for God and others described in the Ten Commandments must be deeply rooted in our beliefs about Christ found in the Apostle’s Creed and our hope found in the Lord’s prayer.
[12] Augustine’s approach to understanding and practicing the essence of Christianity soon became the basis for the theological education of clergy in the Middle Ages and played a major role in shaping Christian thought for the next millennium. History professor Gerald Bray writes, “It [Augustine’s Enchiridion/Handbook on Faith, Hope, and Love] played a major role in shaping the spiritual outlook of the Western church for over a thousand years.” Gerald Bray, Augustine on the Christian Life, Crossway 2015, p. 34
[13] The Westminster Confession asserts: “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.” The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, Chapter 1, Section VII.
[14] The Westminster Confession (1646) asserts: “All synods or councils, since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err; and many have erred. Therefore, they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice; but to be used as a help in both.” Church, T. O. P. (2007). The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, Chapter XXXI, Of Synods and Councils, IV.
[15] Martin Luther, quoted in Bainton, R. H. (2015). Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Reprint edition). Hendrickson Pub. 144.
[16] In the first two centuries a religious heresy, called Gnosticism, began to challenge the meaning of affirmations in the creed by denying their traditional interpretation. Likewise, in the third century, another religious heresy, called Arianism, also denied the creed’s traditional interpretation, teaching that Jesus was created by the Father, so he is not coeternal with the Father. Arianism also taught that Jesus was not consubstantial, of the same substance, with God the Father.
[17] The full name of what is commonly called the Nicene Creed is the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed written in 381 AD in Constantinople to distinguish it from its earlier version written in Nicaea in 325 AD. The primary heresy condemned at Nicaea and Constantinople was Arianism. The heresies of Apollinarism and Sabellianism were also condemned at Constantinople.
[18] In the history of Christianity, the first seven ecumenical councils include: the First Council of Nicaea in 325, the First Council of Constantinople in 381, the Council of Ephesus in 431, the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the Second Council of Constantinople in 553, the Third Council of Constantinople from 680–681, and the Second Council of Nicaea in 787.
[19] In 451 AD, the Chalcedonian Creed explained the biblical view of the divine and human natures of Christ as two natures that “come together into one person and hypostasis.” In the sixth century, the Athanasian Creed focused primarily on clarifying beliefs in the Trinity and the person and natures of Christ.
[20] Today there are many differing creeds and confessions of faith that represent the wide array of Christian beliefs, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism.
[21] The ancient ecumenical creeds we’ll draw from include the Apostles’ Creed (120-250 AD), the Nicene Creed (381 AD), the Chalcedonian Creed (451 AD), and the Athanasian Creed (525 AD). Some of the best of Medieval theology is found in the writings of Peter Lombard (1169), Thomas Aquinas (1274), and William of Ockham (1348). The best early Reformation (15th-16th centuries) affirmations include: 1) German Lutheran Reformation, e.g. Martin Luther, Philip Melancthon, Augsburg Confession (1530), Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Formula of Concord (1577), 2) Swiss Reformation, e.g. Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin’s Institutes, 3) Scottish Reformation, e.g. John Knox, Scots Confession (1560), 3) English Reformation, e.g. Thirty-Nine Articles (1571), 4) Dutch Reformation, e.g. Belgic Confession (1561). The best Post Reformation (17th-18th centuries) affirmations include: 1) English Puritanism, e.g. Westminster Confession and Catechisms (1648), Thomas Goodwin (1680), John Owen (1683), and Richard Baxter (1691), 2) Swiss Post Reformation, e.g. Turretin’s Institutes, and 3) Dutch Post Reformation, e.g. Canons of Dort (1619), and William Ames (1633).
[22] Martin Luther recommends we profess our true belief in God by saying, “I believe in God the Father, who created me; I believe in God the Son, who redeemed me; I believe in the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies me.” Martin Luther, The Large Catechism, The Apostles’ Creed, Introduction, 1529
[23] Herman Bavinck uses the term Restorer in reference to the Holy Spirit’s work in restoring both corrupt human souls and the corrupt world (cosmos) because of sin. Martin Luther refers to the Holy Spirit’s work as Sanctifier in light of the Spirit’s work in applying the accomplished work of Jesus Christ to the personal lives of believers.
[24] In chapter 2, we’ll study the affirmations under “Father as Creator,” in chapters 3 and 4, the affirmations under “Son as Redeemer,” and in chapters 5 and 6,, the affirmations under “Spirit as Restorer.”
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