The Early Creeds
Just as the US Supreme Court can make a
judgment that is widely regarded as a correct, and therefore highly
authoritative, interpretation of the US Constitution, the early creeds,
also known as the ecumenical creeds, are widely regarded as correct
interpretations of
scripture.
We accept the early creeds, partly because we hold to
the full implications of Ephesians 4:11-16,
that God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers,
so that we will no longer be "carried about by every wind of
doctrine."
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
The Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the
Definition of Chalcedon were prepared by godly men with Ephesians 4:11
roles, precisely so that we would not be "tossed about by every
wind of doctrine." They are widely held within the Body of Christ
to be correct summaries of sound doctrine (orthodoxy), which can help to guard us from
false teachings. They help us to obey the command given to us by Jude:
Jude 1:3: Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
We
believe that the creeds are affirmed by scripture, and therefore derive
subordinate authority from scripture. Nevertheless, what Schaff wrote
concerning the Apostle's Creed applies to all three of the early creeds we
quote below. They are not the "... word of God to men, but a word of men to God, in response to his revelation." 1
The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.2
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church3,
the communion of saints4,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father, the 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 and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made 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 worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic3 and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.5
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen
The Definition of the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D)
Following, then, the holy fathers, we unite in teaching all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This selfsame
one is perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul
[meaning human soul] and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as
his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as far as his humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin
only excepted. Before time began he was begotten of the Father, in respect of his deity, and now in these "last days," for us and behalf
of our salvation, this selfsame one was born of Mary the virgin, who is God-bearer in respect of
His humanness.
We also teach that we apprehend this one and only Christ-Son, Lord, only-begotten -- in two natures; and we do this without confusing
the two natures, without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two separate categories, without
contrasting them according to area or function. The distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by the union. Instead, the
"properties" of each nature are conserved and both natures concur in one "person" and in one reality
[hypostasis]. They are not divided or cut into two persons, but are together the one and
only and only-begotten Word [Logos] of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus have the prophets of old testified; thus the Lord Jesus
Christ himself taught us; thus the Symbol of Fathers [the Nicene
Creed] has handed down to us.
1. Phillip Schaff, A
History of the Creeds of Christendom, Volume 1, Chapter 2, § 7.
CCEL, 1887. (Back to text)
2. "Hell"
does not refer in the Apostle's Creed to gehenna, the lake of
fire, but rather to hades, the realm of deceased spirits,
which included Paradise (Abraham's Bosom). See Luke 23: 43; Acts 2:31; 1 Pet.
3:19; 4:6. (Back to text)
3. The holy catholic
church does not refer in the Apostle's Creed to the Roman church,
but to the universal church, composed of all of those who
have placed their faith in Christ for their redemption. (Back
to text)
4. The communion
of saints: the union and fellowship in Christ enjoyed by all true believers.
(Back to text)
5. One baptism for the
forgiveness of sins: some take this to refer to the spiritual
baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ which takes place
at the time of new birth; others understand the word "for"
to mean "because of". Our church does not hold to the
opinion that this refers to regeneration by water baptism.
