Are You a Heretic?

American Christians have a mixed relationship with creeds ranging from “Creeds are on equal standing with Scripture” to “No creed but Scripture.” Regardless of where one stands on this spectrum, there is an acknowledgment that creeds formed in the early centuries of the church are important. As heresy entered, statements were formed that documented what the Church believed, taught, and confessed. Because they correctly summarized Scripture, they are now considered standards upon which modern belief is built and, therefore, useful for study. However, too often the average Christian, whether pastor or layman, believes this knowledge is suitable only as an historical curio or point of academic discussion, but not useful for common life and practice. As a result, both pedagogue and pupil can mistakenly cling to heresy. To demonstrate the propensity to error, we will look at the Niceno-Constantinopolitan (or Nicene) Creed. Drafted at the First Council of Nicea (325) and later amended at the First Council of Constantinople (381), this creed has three major parts, coïnciding with the three Persons of the Trinity.

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 Spirit 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 rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy 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.

As a centuries old statement of faith, this creed has stood the test of time. In my circles of Christian fellowship, someone would read through this and say, “Yes, that’s exactly what I believe,” without another thought. Probably you would as well. In fact, I would say that every person and organization identifying as an evangelical would affirm this creed while in actuality they do not believe it completely.

At this point you are probably reviewing the creed to see if something jumps out where you might be off base. God, the Father, created all things? Check. Jesus is of same essence as the Father? Check. Born of the Virgin Mary? Check. You get the picture—all well and good. Now move down to the third section.  Same essence glory as the Father and Son. Check. Source of Church unity through all ages. Check. Baptism remits sin. Wait. Baptism remits sin? Yes, the Nicene Creed affirms that baptism remits or cancels sin.

Conspiracy theorists will want to opine that the church was in such disarray that the council representatives did not know what they were doing, or possibly Rome had already corrupted the fourth-century church into accepting what every good Christian knows to be unbiblical doctrine. Church history tells us differently as demonstrated by two examples preceding the councils by 200 years.

Epistle of Barnabas XI
Let us further inquire whether the Lord took any care to foreshadow the water [of baptism] and the cross. Concerning the water, indeed, it is written, in reference to the Israelites, that they should not receive that baptism which leads to the remission of sins, but should procure another for themselves.… This means, that we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho XIV
By reason, therefore, of this laver of repentance and knowledge of God, which has been ordained on account of the transgression of God’s people, as Isaiah cries, we have believed, and testify that that very baptism which he announced is alone able to purify those who have repented; and this is the water of life. But the cisterns which you have dug for yourselves are broken and profitless to you. For what is the use of that baptism which cleanses the flesh and body alone? Baptize the soul from wrath and from covetousness, from envy, and from hatred; and, lo! the body is pure.

Should some assert that these are merely examples of doctrine gone awry, they will be faced with some insurmountable obstacles:

1. The above quotes were written within 50–100 years of the martyrdoms of both Peter and Paul. Had these post-apostolic writings been aberrations, others would have arisen to correct them. We have no such correction.
2. Scripture teaches that baptism saves us, being the physical instrument bringing us from death to new life through faith (Rom 6:3–6; Col 2:11–14).

Not until the sixteenth century was the place of baptism questioned. Why do we now insist that it must be no more than an outward symbol of an inward reality? While the symbolism is valid, such bare adherence strips the Word of God of its power and authority. A picture may paint a thousand words, but it has no eternal consequence.

So, the Original Question Remains
Are you a heretic? Perhaps the word heretic is too strong for someone who does not see baptism for what it is. Fine. I can soften the question: are you heterodox? Still too harsh? Let me ask this: are you simply ignorant of the facts? Whichever is accurate, you are left with a decision. Do you stand with theologians and teachers, whether popular or obscure, whose erudite scholarship is deemed of greater import than the “uninformed” patristic writers; or do you hold fast to the apostles and prophets who handed this doctrine to faithful confessors who likewise taught other faithful men and so on.

I say it is better to believe on Him Who is able to deliver what He has promised in the manner He promised.

We Believe, Teach, and Confess

In the Lutheran confessions, The Epitome of the Formula of Concord regularly uses the phrase “we believe, teach, and confess” to explicitly state doctrinal points held by those within the Lutheran branch of the reformation.  The authors of the document are to be commended for the regular usage of these words as they give a threefold understanding of how we are to grasp the faith and make it known.  In this post I would like to examine what it means to believe, teach, and confess.

What we believe is based on the accumulation of facts and propositions.  As data are assimilated, adjustments can and will be made in order to properly categorize the input into relevant models for further mental processing.  When the data agree with already held views, the sorting process occurs rather easily, even subliminally.  Where conflicting, however, the individual must either abandon the new data as fallacious or make shifts in order to recategorize and reestablish systems of thought.  Even when no new fact becomes available, we review our understanding according to our environment and make adjustments accordingly.  Also, because belief is individual, there can be as many variations of comprehension and opinion as there are combinations of stimuli.  In order to establish a consistent system, a focused, disciplined pattern of instruction orients the person through a combination of truth claims and conclusions—one building on another.  As the individual grasps the concepts, the mind is ordered accordingly, so that new data and stimuli are more properly evaluated.

Belief systems manifest themselves in the way we order our lives and interact with one another.  The interactions teach, both implicitly and explicitly, what the beliefs are.  The setting is of no consequence.  Whether a teacher-student setting or a conversation, beliefs are communicated.  The instructor (i.e., the one communicating beliefs) will offer what has been learned through a combination of formal instruction and experience.  It is the former that should be prominent when laying down precepts, while the latter is useful for example or application.  This is an important distinction.  The reverse leads to unreasoned (and unreasonable) thinking, therefore instruction is be rooted in a framework serving as the reference point from which the data and concepts flow.  In a codified form, this framework digests and systematizes the body of knowledge from an objective base.  Multiple professional fields utilize such documents to standardize their bodies of knowledge for future instruction and reference.  These bodies of knowledge are created collaboratively by experts in their respective fields as standard works.

Christianity has a body of knowledge that is similarly assembled in that it has multiple writers that added their works over time, however a key difference is in the direct hand of God as Author and Editor overseeing the entire project.  The Lord revealed Himself at the beginning, and as time wore on, further revealed His nature, immediate plans, and future hope.  This historical backdrop,though appropriate for revealing the story of man’s redemption in Christ, requires those who understanding this unfolding aspect to accurately teach what the Almighty had given and to Whom and what He was pointing.  The final product is a largely narrative recounting of a Divine hand moving man toward a final end of full and complete reconciliation, restoration, and renewal of all things in Christ.

Because of Scripture’s narrative nature, men have attempted to assemble concise statements as useful tools for both learning and communicating the faith.  In the time of the early church, three were written that continue regular use today: Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed.  These creedal formulae range in length depending on the degree of specificity needed to ensure understanding and clarity of the subject matter and would later be incorporated into larger confessional documents.  Over time, larger confessional documents (e.g., Augsburg Confession, Westminster Confession of Faith [WCF], London Baptist Confession of Faith [LBCF]) were constructed, reflecting the framers’ understanding of Holy Writ within the context of cultural and theological struggles within the Church.  Even those denominational bodies with no stated confessional document (“no creed but the Bible” or “no creed but Christ”) operate in accord with the twentieth-century multi-volume work The Fundamentals, edited by A. C. Dixon and later by R. A. Torrey.

This does not absolve responsibility to know the Scriptures themselves.  Only by being constant and regular in their study do we maintain a steady course.  The Scriptures are the norm by which all confessions are normed (norma normans, Latin for “the norming norm”).  Confessional statements must be formed and checked against God’s word to ensure trustworthy transmission and correct understanding.  However, before the invention of the printing press, personal copies of the Bible were not available, therefore the creeds, along with liturgies and hymns, were invaluable to communicate Law and Gospel.  Even with the modern proliferation of Bible editions available today those ignorant or immature in spiritual matters need systematized collections to group the major truths of doctrine.  Similarly, those mature in the faith find the confessions and creeds useful for teaching the doctrines of God, aiding the ability to hold fast to and pass along the truth.

When Worlds Collide
While we order our belief systems to make sense of all we have received, there are times when logical contradictions arise.  Somewhere within the stream of Bible – Confession – Teaching – Belief there arises a disconnect, internally to the body of doctrine or externally through interrelation with the world, so that two or more held facts or conceptions come into conflict.  What should be a self-checking system of discipleship moves gradually off course, resulting in beliefs that do not adhere with what is taught, or teaching what is not confessed, or confessing what is not inscripturated.  Individuals and groups stray from the truth delivered to them, choosing to improve what has been given with input from paganism, naturalism, etc.  What remains is a fractured body of believers, each doing what is right in his own eyes.  While affirmations are given both to the Bible and confessional statements, individuals practice a personal religion.

In order to accommodate the individuality, denominational bodies shift their teaching to allow for the diversity of opinion.  Where a conflict arises with a confession, the document is relegated to an historical status much as a museum piece—interesting to look at, but irrelevant for the present—and where the conflict is with the Bible itself, interpretations are manufactured to soften the clear word of God in favor of the contemporary focus.  There is now no end of confusion and discord: Presbyterians jettison the WCF; Baptists ignore the LBCF; Lutherans cast off the Book of Concord; and Roman Catholics discard the canons.  This manifests itself with individuals and groups within a denominational framework advocating for positions opposed to the confessions they supposedly hold onto.

Peace for Our Time—Only in Christ
Read your confessional documents.  I am constantly surprised by those who refer to themselves as being of groups with well-defined confessions and catechisms but have never read any beyond what was required to be confirmed. Then abide by your confessional documents.  If you no longer agree, affirm the difference, leave that confessional stance, and find a group more aligned to your beliefs.  If you no longer believe in Reformed principles, go to the group most closely aligned with your principles.  Do not call yourself Reformed (or Lutheran or Baptist or whatever you are leaving).  Instead, people want to stay within their respective bodies, hoping to influence it away from its moorings.  This tactic has a storied history in Christendom.  Montanus, Arius, and Pelagius were early purveyors of new ideas within the Church who needed to be resisted.  And lest there be a bit of Pharisaical pride in the non-confessional camp for not being like “those groups” feuding over confessional statements—the “non-con” wing of Christianity seems more likely to be cock-eyed pragmatists, working toward Christian unity for the sake of unity regardless of harmful the instruction by wolves fomenting discord.

Regardless of our opinion towards confessions, read your Bible.  Listen to it being taught.  Study it in context.  Memorize it.  Bind God’s word as a sign on your hand, and let it be as frontlets between your eyes, and write it on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deut 6:8-9).  The commands of the Lord should be ubiquitous—a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psa 119:105).  Shepherds, be faithful in leading the flock to green pastures and still waters.  Make disciples: baptize and teach all that the Lord  has commanded.  We have been given a sure standard.  Believe.  Teach.  Confess.

A Declaration of Faith

There is one God, the Father of the living Word, who is His subsistent Wisdom and Power and Eternal Image: perfect Begetter of the perfect Begotten, Father of the only-begotten Son.  There is one Lord, Only of the Only, God of God, Image and Likeness of Deity, Efficient Word, Wisdom comprehensive of the constitution of all things, and Power formative of the whole creation, true Son of true Father, Invisible of Invisible, and Incorruptible of Incorruptible, and Immortal of Immortal and Eternal of Eternal.  And there is One Holy Spirit, having His subsistence from God, and being made manifest by the Son, to wit to men: Image of the Son, Perfect Image of the Perfect; Life, the Cause of the living; Holy Fount; Sanctity, the Supplier, or Leader, of Sanctification; in whom is manifested God the Father, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, who is through all.  There is a perfect Trinity, in glory and eternity and sovereignty, neither divided nor estranged.  Wherefore there is nothing either created or in servitude in the Trinity; nor anything super-induced, as if at some former period it was non-existent, and at some later period it was introduced.  And thus neither was the Son ever wanting to the Father, nor the Spirit to the Son; but without variation and without change, the same Trinity abides ever.

A Declaration of Faith, Gregory Thaumaturgus

Garbage In, Garbage Out? We Can Do Better.

In a recent episode of the “Boars in the Vineyard” podcast, one of the two pastors had to fly solo, so he decided to review the top five singles of the day in the Christian & Gospel genre of iTunes.  Those songs were:

• •  How Can It Be – Lauren Dangle
• •  Soul on Fire – Third Day
• •  Because He Lives (Amen) – Matt Maher
• •  Oceans (Where Feet May Fall) – Hillsong UNITED
• •  Greater – Mercy Me

Most of these I had heard previously, though the first was new.  While listening, my impression was that the middle selection by Matt Maher was the best lyrically.  Overall, the content demonstrated a depth of understanding about who Jesus Christ is and our position because of His sacrifice that reached far beyond what was communicated in the other four reviewed.  The lyrics can be found here.

Yes, the song is a rewrite of Bill and Gloria Gaither’s “Because He Lives.”  That is why it seems familiar, and their names are given as co-authors.  Notice though, that Maher decided to begin with a creedal affirmation in the Lord Jesus—something uncommon in Christian music—and continued with other creedal themes: original sin, resurrection, and life everlasting.  In some ways, he lyrically improved the Gaither version, but unfortunately retained the formulaic repetition to which the music industry and audience is accustomed.

What I found most interesting in the comparison was that Matt Maher is a practicing Roman Catholic.  He shamed the content of the avowed Evangelicals also reviewed.  While someone might make a case that this was accomplished only because he began with a song written by an Evangelical, I only need to point to Maher’s song “Christ Is Risen” to put this to rest.  His music has substance.

You might ask, “How is that possible?  Roman Catholics don’t have the truth.”  What they have and take seriously are the early creeds coupled with deliberate, systematic catechesis.  Church groups and denominations that eschew creeds, confessions, and catechesis tend to rely on a hodgepodge of teaching hoping that something sticks.  Those that espouse the same are beginning with a better system of instruction, unfortunately, many (most?) have decided to relegate these to the attic to dust off periodically as curios of antiquity or the trash heap for final disposal.  We should not be surprised by Matt Maher.  He is the product of systematic instruction: what goes in, comes out.  Or as Jesus Himself put it:

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  (Lu 6:45)

What we are taught as important readily spills forth from our lips, pens, and song lyrics.

Christians are called to disciple nations by baptizing and teaching all that Jesus taught us (Mt 28:19).*  Pray that the Church reaffirms its high and holy calling to faithfully instruct the next generation and reclaims the bounteous treasure that has been entrusted to faithful men, that both inside and outside the gathering of its people each Sunday, Christ is effectively and rightly made known.


*  He is the Word of God incarnate, thus making Him the source, subject, and object of all Scripture.

Worship: Where the Trinity Is Confessed in Word and Song

But in the church I only know of one image, that is the image of the unseen God, of which God has said: “Let us make man in our image and our likeness;” that image of which it is written, that Christ is the brightness of his glory and the image of his person.  In that image I perceive the Father, as the Lord Jesus himself has said: “He that sees me sees the Father.”  For this image is not separated from the Father, which indeed has taught me the unity of the Trinity, saying: “I and my Father are one,” and again: “All things that the Father has are mine.”  Also of the Holy Spirit, saying that the Spirit is Christ’s, and has received of Christ, as it is written: “He shall receive of mine, and shall declare it unto you.”

They declare also that the people have been led astray by the strains of my hymns.  I certainly do not deny it.  That is a lofty strain, and there is nothing more powerful than it.  For what has more power than the confession of the Trinity which is daily celebrated by the mouth of the whole people?  All eagerly vie one with the other in confessing the faith, and know how to praise in verse the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  So they all have become teachers, who scarcely could be disciples.

Ambrose, On the Giving Up of the Basilicas 32, 34

Apostles' Creed: God's Work of Redemption Summarized

Behold, here you have the entire divine essence, will, and work depicted most exquisitely in quite short and yet rich words. In these consists all our wisdom, which surpasses and exceeds the wisdom, mind, and reason of all men.[1]  For although the whole world with all diligence has endeavored to ascertain what God is, what he has in mind and does, yet has never been able to attain to [the knowledge and understanding of] any of these things.  But here we have everything in richest measure. For here in all three articles he has himself revealed and opened the deepest abyss of his paternal heart and of his pure, inexpressible love.[2]  For he has created us for this very reason, that he might redeem and sanctify us.  And in addition to giving and imparting to us everything in heaven and upon earth, he has given to us even his Son and the Holy Spirit, by whom to bring us to himself.[3]  For (as explained above) we could never grasp the knowledge of the grace and favor of the Father except through the Lord Christ, who is a mirror of the paternal heart,[4] outside of whom we see nothing but an angry and terrible judge.  But of Christ we could know nothing either, unless it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit.

Martin Luther, Large Catechism: Apostles' Creed, II.63-65

[1]  1 Corinthians 1:18-25
[2]  Ephesians 3:18-19
[3]  Romans 8:14, 32
[4]  John 14:9; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3

Nicene Creed According to the Scriptures

A year ago, I had shared a post from Paul McCain at CPH on the Apostles' Creed which included proof texts.  Recently, he shared another such list for the Nicene Creed.

I Believe

Rom. 10:9; Jas 2:19; John 14:1

In one God,

Deut. 6:4; Is. 44:6

The Father

Is. 63:16; 2 Pet 1:17; Matt. 6:9

Almighty,

Gen. 17:1; Ps. 91:1; Rev. 4:8

Maker

Job 4:17, 35:10; Is. 17:7, 54:5

of heaven

Gen 1:1, 8

and earth

Ps. 104:5; Jer. 51:15

and of all things

Gen 1:31

visible and invisible.

Ps. 89:11-12; Amos 4:13; Rev. 3:5; Col. 1:16

And in one Lord

Eph. 4:5

Jesus Christ,

Acts 10:36, 11:17; Rom. 1:7, 5:1; 1 Cor 1:2, 6:11; 2 Cor. 1:2, 8:9; Gal. 1:3, 6:14; Eph. 1:2, 3:11; Phil. 1:2, 3:20; Col. 1:3, 2:6; 1 Thes. 1:1, 5:9; 2 Thes. 1:1, 2:14; 1 Tim. 6:3, 14, 2 Tim. 1:2, Philemon 1:3, 25, Heb. 13:20, Jas. 1:1, 2:1; 1 Pet. 1:3, 3:15; 2 Pet. 1:8, 14; Jude 17, 21; Rev. 22:20-21

the only-begotten,

John 1:18

Son of God,

Matt 3:17; John 3:16

Begotten of His Father,

Heb. 1:5

Before all worlds,

John 1:1; Col. 1:17; 1 John 1:1

begotten,

John 1:1; Heb. 1:5

Not Made,

Mic. 5:2; John 1:18, 17:5

Being of one substance with the Father,

John 10:30, 14:9; Heb 1:3

By whom all things were made;

1 Cor. 8:6; Col 1:16

Who for us men

Matt 20:28; John 10:10

and for our salvation

Matt 1:21; Luke 19:10

came down from heaven

Rom. 10:6; Eph. 4:10

and was incarnate

Col. 2:9

by the Holy Spirit

Matt 1:18

of the Virgin Mary

Luke 1:34-35

and was made man;

John 1:14

and was crucified

Matt. 20:19; John 19:18; Rom. 5:6, 8; 2 Cor. 13:4

also for us

Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:15

under Pontius Pilate.

Matt. 27:2, 26; 1 Tim 6:13

He suffered

1 Pet. 2:21; Heb. 2:10

and was buried.

Mark 15:46; 1 Cor. 15:4

And the third day

Matt. 27:63, 28:1; 1 Cor. 15:4

He rose again

Mark 16:6; 2 Tim. 2:8

according to the Scriptures

Ps. 16:10; Luke 24:25-27; 1 Cor. 15:4

and ascended

Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9

Into heaven

Mark 16:19; Acts 1:11

and sits at the right hand of the Father.

Ps. 110:1; Matt. 26:64; Acts 7:56; Heb. 1:3

And He will come again

Jn. 14:3; 1 Thes. 4:16

with glory

Matt. 16:27, 24:30, 25:31, 26:64; Mark 8:38; Col. 3:4

to judge

Matt. 25:31-46; Acts 17:31

both the living and the dead,

Acts 10:42; 1 Pet. 4:5

whose kingdom

John 18:36; 2 Tim. 4:1, 18

will have no end.

Luke 1:33; Rev. 11:15; Ps. 145:13

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,

Matt. 28:19; Acts 13:2

The Lord

2 Cor. 3:17

And giver of life,

John 6:63; Rom. 7:6, 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:6

who proceeds from the father

John 14:16-17

and the Son,

John 15:26; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6

Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped

Luke 4:8; John 4:24

and glorified

John 4:24; 1 Tim. 1:17

Who spoke by the prophets.

1 Pet. 1:10-11; 2 Pet 1:21

And I believe in one

1 Cor. 10:16-17, 12:12-13

Holy

Eph. 3:16-17, 5:27; 1 Pet. 2:9

Catholic

1 Cor. 1:2

and Apostolic

Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:14

Church,

Acts 20:28; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:24; Heb. 12:23; 1 Pet. 2:9

I acknowledge one Baptism

John 3:5; Rom. 6:3; Eph. 4:5

For the remission of sins,

Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21; Tit. 3:5

And I look for the resurrection of the dead

1 Thes. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:12-13, 16, 52

And the life of the world to come.

1 Cor 15:54-57; Rev. 22:5

Amen.

Ps. 41:13; 2 Cor. 1:20

 

Prepared by Richard Gilbert, Hacienda Heights, CA.

Apostles' Creed with Proof Texts

Paul McCain from CPH has posted the Apostles' Creed with proof texts from an unremembered 17th-century source, demonstrating its biblical basis.  I assumed someone had done this at one time.  Here it is:

I believe (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 4:5)
In God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:6)
The Father (Psalm 89:27; Matthew 7:11)
Almighty (Genesis 7:1; 2 Cor. 6:18)
Maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 33:6; John 5:17)
And in Jesus (Zech 9:9; Matthew 1:21)
Christ (Daniel 9:24; John 3:34)
His only (Zechariah 13:7; John 1:14)
Son (Psalm 2:7; Matthew 16:16)
Our Lord (Jeremiah 23:6; John 20:28)
Who was conceived (Jeremiah 31:22; Luke 1:31)
By the Holy Spirit (Daniel 2:45; Matthew 1:20)
Born (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:14)
Of the Virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:43)
Suffered (Isaiah 50:6; Luke 23:25)
Under Pontius Pilate (Psalm 2:2; Luke 18:32)
Was crucified (Psalm 22:17; John 3:14)
Died (Daniel 9:26; Rom. 5:8)
And was buried (Isaiah 53:9; John 12:24)
Descended into hell (Psalm 16:10; Ephesians 4:9)
And on the third day (Hosea 6:2; Matthew 26:32; Acts 10:40-41)
He rose again from the dead (Isaiah 63:1; 2 Timothy 2:8)
Ascended into heaven (Psalm 68:19; Col. 2:15)
And sits at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty (Psalm 110:1; Mark 16:19)
From thence he will come (Isaiah 66:15; Acts 1:11)
To judge (Wisdom of Solomon 6:6; Acts 17:31)
The living and the dead (Daniel 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:51)
I believe in the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 12:10; John 15:26)
The holy (Psalm 45:14; Ephesians 5:26)
Catholic Church (Psalm 22:26; Matthew 16:18)
The communion of saints (Exodus 19:5; Ephesians 4:3)
The forgiveness of sins (Psalm 32:1; Acts 10:43)
The resurrection of the body (Isaiah 66:14; John 5:28)
And the life everlasting (Psalm 16:11; 1 Peter 1:4)
Amen! (Psalm 72:19; 2 Cor. 1:20)

If you have an issue using Wisdom of Solomon as a proof, remember that the Church into the Reformation recognized that the Apocrypha was not scripture but good material worthy to be studied.

Nicene Creed Profitable for Summing Up the Faith

From Thomas C. Oden's essay, "The Faith Once Delivered" –

Teachers as varied as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Luther have held that the Nicene Creed is the best of the condensed statements of Christian faith and the most reliable way to learn the heart of faith.  In professing the form of the creed received in Jerusalem, Cyril explains that the believer is helped to keep close to the center of the faith once delivered by the apostles,

which has been built up strongly out of the Scriptures.  For since all cannot read the Scriptures, some being hindered from the knowledge of them by lack of learning, and others because they lack leisure to study, in order that the soul should not be starved in ignorance, the church has condensed the whole teaching of the Faith in a few lines.  This summary I wish you both to commit to memory when I recite it, and to rehearse it with all diligence among yourselves, not writing it out on paper, but engraving it by the memory upon your heart, taking care while you rehearse it that no catechumen may happen to overhear the things which have been delivered to you.  I wish you also to keep this as a provision through the whole course of your life, and beside this to receive no alternative teaching, even if we ourselves should change and contradict our present teaching.  (Catechetical Letters 5.12)

Evangelicals and Nicene Faith: Reclaiming the Apostolic Witness, p. 8-9

In Whom Do You Believe?

A former missionary I have heard preach enjoyed quizzing his listeners about what they believe, especially concerning the person of Jesus Christ.  In that same spirit, here is a True/False quiz of my own.

	T	F	In order to be saved, one must hold to the faith given by Christ and delivered through his apostles.
	T	F	In order to be saved, one must think correctly about the Trinity.
	T	F	In order to be saved, one must believe correctly about the incarnation of Christ.
	T	F	If one does not hold to the first three above, that person cannot be saved.

The answer to each is True.  How did you fare?  Were any difficult or questionable?  The statements are paraphrases of those originally given in an ancient document in the same order as they first appeared.  Let's examine them in their more commonly worded form.

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith – A catholic faith is one universally presented regardless of circumstance or audience.  For the ancient church that comprised confidence in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection for sin (1 Cor 15:3-4) plus belief

in one God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth and the seas and all the things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was made flesh for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who made known through the prophets the plan of salvation, and the coming, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the bodily ascension into heaven of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and his future appearing from heaven in the glory of the Father to sum up all things and to raise anew all flesh of the whole human race.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies (see also Tertullian, Prescription against Heretics)

Not that everything about each point needs to be understood nor that a full understanding must be held, the individual should have some understanding of these basic tenets in order to have faith in the true God and in the atoning work for sin accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.  The document then goes on to describe specific points of the faith that proved contentious because of the mystery in which they are wrapped.

He therefore that will be saved must think thus of the Trinity – This sentence concludes a detailed, deliberate explanation of the interrelation in the Godhead between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three co-equal and eternal persons, yet there is not three gods but one eternal, uncreated, incomprehensible, almighty God.

Does this admittedly difficult doctrine really matter?  Is it more than just a philosophical exercise for academicians?  Yes, for if we do not know the God of the Bible, how can we say that we believe in him.  If the Jesus we confess as the savior of sinners is not the one fully revealed in scripture and explained here, that Jesus cannot save.  Our faith is worthless. If the Holy Spirit we have is not a personality but an emoting of the Father, we have no comforter to help us in our weakness.

At this point we must acknowledge there is a small percentage of those considering themselves as true believers who hold to a belief that God reveals himself, not in three persons, but in three modes—using the one appropriate for the moment.  Within popular Christian circles, the most well-known adherents of this position are T. D. Jakes and the contemporary Christian music trio Phillips, Craig, and Dean.  Are these men true believers?  We want to give an affirmative answer, saying that what really counts is that they believe Jesus died for their sins—Romans 10:9-11 says so.  Does it really?  What does that passage actually say?

[B]ecause, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

While Jesus is the only name explicitly mentioned, the passage delivers more than what is surface level.  At the time Paul wrote his epistle, Jews had already used the Greek word for Lord in the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament for YHWH, God's personal name.  So confessing “Jesus is Lord” relays more than “he is my sovereign.”  It is stating emphatically that Jesus is YHWH.  This is all well and good until the next sentence which separates God from Jesus.  Confessing and believing now is an affirmation of the uniqueness of the Father and Son in their respective redemptive work.  One must be Trinitarian to take hold of the full truth of this passage.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ – Besides a proper understanding of who Jesus is as relating to the Godhead, one also needs to take in who he was during the time of his incarnation here on earth.  He is fully God and fully man having both divine and human nature in much the same way that any offspring is of the nature of both parents: not in a way that we might speak of percentages of one or the other, but that he is fully (100%) both at the same time.

Why is this important to understand for our salvation?  If Jesus is not fully God, he could not have taken the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).  Some would still be left to deal with.  If he is not fully man, he cannot take my place as sin-bearer.  Only a man can atone for a man.  Either way, salvation would not be a finished work.

This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved – Herein is the crux of the matter.  One does not need to fully understand but be fully persuaded that these things are true in whatever capacity they might be understood.  Of course, believers will have varying degrees of knowledge and wisdom as they walk in newness of life.  This was written in the face of those who denied the very things mentioned, not in ignorance, but in open rejection of the truth.

Where did I get these ancient statements?  They are from the Athanasian Creed, so-called not because Athanasius wrote it but because it expressed what he believed and taught in the fourth century.  The language of necessity and inability are abrasive, standing in stark contrast to the prevalent relativism of a postmodern mentality.  Indeed, in a recent a guest commented that deep down even Christians want to be universalists concerning salvation, especially when confronted with statements like these, yet here we must stand to rightly defend the truth of scripture.  Belief must be in a salvation wrought by a Father who gave his Son so that the Spirit might work in us.

Getting a Handle on Things

In a recent e-mail exchange concerning the advisability of adhering to an historical creed (Apostle's, Nicene, Athanasian, etc.), one Christian brother stated that he would take the Bible over man's words any day.  I once was taught and thought the same until someone nicely pointed out that any believer or local church indeed does hold to a creed, though it may not be formalized.  The word “creed” comes from the Latin credo meaning “I believe.”  As soon as someone utters “I/We believe...” a creed has been communicated.  Where this typically manifests itself is in a mission statement or statement of faith at the denomination or individual church body level or both.  In so many words, a cogent statement of existence is articulated for all whether inside or outside their fellowship.  This is what we believe and do.

At this point the discussion moves from “Do I have a creed?” to “What is my creed?”  There are several that have been written beginning with those mentioned above written in the early centuries of the church.  Later in history, councils and synods convened in prominent cities to establish what their churches teach: Westminster, Augsburg, London, and Trent to name a few.  The free church traditions are not without their own ranging from Schleitheim Confession to “No creed but Christ.”¹

How does one choose what creed or creeds to study for benefit?  The earliest creeds² are ecumenical in nature and can be trusted for content as an attempt by the early church to work out fine points of doctrine already believed.  These can and should be studied as profitable.

Centuries later there would be great splits in the universal church, first between East and West, then later between Reformers and Church of Rome, making a choice problematic.  As these forks are met, the path taken is generally in accord with the history of the church or denomination one has joined as a disciple of Christ or in the case of a church body, with whom they wished to be aligned.  All three major branches of Christendom—Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant—have elements of their confessions that are strengths, but each has weaknesses as well.  It is this problem that ignites those eschewing written creeds altogether.  We cannot ignore the divisions, but we can step carefully through the bodies of doctrine to see where they are in clear agreement with apostolic teaching using the early creedal statements as guides through the minefield.

Lastly, look at your own denominational or independent church statements.  Do they agree with what has been historically understood?  Compare the findings with wise, trustworthy men whom you know personally or others writing today.  Does the doctrine espoused now match up to that which was once delivered to the saints?  If not, make the necessary adjustments.  The creeds addressed internal and external conditions of the church at the time of their writing.  As such they will emphasize certain aspects of holy writ.  Learn from them and bring the knowledge forward.


¹ This statement demonstrates ignorance of the facts.  While there may be no written confession, one exists as oral tradition based on a systematic theology handed down from a prior generation.
² Those coming out of, but not limited to, the Seven Ecumenical Councils: First Council of Nicaea (325); First Council of Constantinople (381); Council of Ephesus (431); Council of Chalcedon (451); Second Council of Constantinople (553); Third Council of Constantinople (680); Second Council of Nicaea (787).

Who's Afraid of Church Creeds?

One of the men with whom I have 1-on-1 study is a former Roman Catholic.  This past week as we were talking, my friend asked in a tangentially manner, as is his wont, if I had learned any of the church creeds, e.g., Apostle's Creed, in my lifetime.  Indeed I had while in the Methodist church growing up.  He then pressed the question, "Why don't they get taught now?"  Though generated from naïveté, the question had some history as he had already had a conversation with someone at our church about creeds and was surprised that some listening had no idea what they were talking about.

For context, this topic centers on those creeds developed as a result of or during the period of first four ecumenical councils convened at Nicea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381), Ephesus (A.D. 431), and Chalcedon (A.D. 451).

Apostle's Creed Methodist version	Nicene Creed
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; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at 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 Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.	We 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 the Father before all worlds, 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; he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Definition of Chalcedon	Athanasian Creed
We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach people 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 of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, 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 two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property 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 [have declared] concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has handed down to us.	Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except every one 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 Essence. 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 coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. 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 uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. 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 Lord; and the Holy Ghost 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 God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion; to say, There are 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 before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully 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 Essence of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Essence 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 is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; 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 sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father 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 truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

The Nicene and Chalcedonian statements in particular were developed in response to heresy in order to encapsulate the orthodox faith in unequivocal language.  The four represent clear systematic theology concerning God in Trinity, the person and work of Christ, the church, and the future kingdom.  Every believer would do well to know these.

Should these creeds be taught today?
Mainline and confessional denominations already teach these in some capacity.  Unfortunately, congregants take a lazy approach to the Bible.  They have some understanding of a concept, but the scriptural proofs are missing.  Dead theology ensues.  On the flip side, pietistic and restorationist churches take more of a position of "no creed but the Bible."  This is spiritual-sounding but has led to a divorce from the sound theology of the past.  Because the foundation is missing, centuries-old error is brought back into the church and rehashed once again.  Inaccurate theology ensues.

Granted, the two scenarios are generalizations of the extreme.  The solution is to stay in the center of orthodoxy by teaching these creedal formulae with their proofs, so that God's people have a rudimentary systematic understanding of what they purport to believe.