Proverbs 22:28 “Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy Fathers have set.”
What is a creed? It is from the Latin word credo, meaning I believe. A creed is a statement of faith that confirms the historic doctrines of the Church. It is what the voices of the past have echoed out with all their might and declared putting all else aside and saying “I believe!”
What is the purpose of the creed? The purpose of the creed is to summarize the truths of scripture and to defend the Christian faith.
Why are there a number of different creeds? No single creed could cover all the basics of faith that needed to be defended. Creeds were written and pronounced when needs arose to present them.
Why should we study the creeds? The study of the creeds serves to remind us that we are not alone. We are not the first ones to ever believe these doctrines. They are the historic hallmarks of the Church.
The Apostles’ Creed: This creed was not written by the Apostles, but written in the 2nd century, affirming what the Apostles taught. This Creed is used most often at Easter time.
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 Ghost, 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 sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church; the communion of the saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting. Amen.
Ø This creed was intended to expose the errors of those who denied that Jesus was truly human and virgin born. There were also some who denied that Jesus truly died, or that He physically rose again from the dead. It also affirmed that the world is progressing towards a final judgment.
Ø The term “Catholic” – means universal and refers to the fact that there is only one true Christianity.
Ø The term “Forgiveness of sins” – implies salvation by grace rather than by works.
The Nicene Creed: This creed was established at the church council in 325 to deal with heresies that denied the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This creed does not contradict anything in the Apostles’ Creed, but it deals with issues that had not yet arisen in those days. This Creed is used most often at the time of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of light, Very God of very God, begotten, not made; being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He arose again according to the scriptures; and ascended into heaven; and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the prophets; And I believe in one Catholic and Apostolic Church; I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead; and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Ø This creed includes expanded statements about all three members of the Trinity.
Ø The full deity of Christ is emphasized. Jesus is God, He is eternal (before all worlds), not created.
Ø “Apostolic” – means the original church established through the teachings of the Apostles. This is illustrating that anyone that denies what the Apostles taught, do not teach Christianity.
The Chalcedonian Creed: This creed was written in 451 to further protect the essential doctrines of the incarnation and the two natures of Christ (He was fully God and fully man – the great theanthropos).
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in Manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the Manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in tow natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures by no means begins taken away by the union, but rather the properties of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.
The Athanasian Creed Written by Athanasius a bishop of the Church in the 4th century. He exerted great influence, but also suffered much persecution for his stance on the Trinity and the deity of Christ. The great controversy was between two viewpoints:
- Arius – who taught that Jesus was not fully God, but the highest of the created beings. (Jehovah Witness teaching)
- Athanasius – taught the Jesus is God and equal with the Father.
The Story: The controversy grew to such lengths that those who followed Athanasius were severally persecuted. At one time anther bishop approached Athanasius (who was Bishop of Africa) and said “The whole world is against who Athanasius!” This was said as if to encourage Athanasius to conform and accept what was being taught. It was then that Athanasius uttered the statement of his belief in Christ and said “Very well, then I am against the world!”
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such in the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord and the Holy Ghost is Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be both God and Lord, So we are forbidden by the Catholic Religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other; none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He therefore that will be saved must think thus of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, is God and Man; God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of his Mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his manhood; Who, although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sits at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.
Why are the creeds important today? 1. Attacks from society:
a. Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code
i. Denies the deity of Christ
ii. Rejects that he rose again from the dead
iii. Teachings of evolution
b. Media pressures to except all religions as co-equals
2. Attacks from the cults:
a. Jehovah Witnesses being the modern day Arians – denying that Jesus is God, the Trinity, etc.
b. Mormonism – teaching another gospel and a different Jesus
3. Attacks from within the Church:
a. There are church groups today who reject the doctrines of the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the authority of God’s Word. These are essential. There are no means by which these issues can be compromised over.
