Although Scripture is the standard for judging religious faith and
practice, Creeds are also useful in instructing people in the faith. Creeds
have generally been developed to counter challenges to the theology held by the
Church. Consider two early creeds accepted widely in the Church.The Apostles Creed,
used in Catholic and Protestant Churches (but not in the Eastern Orthodox Church),
evolved from the Confessions of particular churches by the end of the second
century. Notice the emphasis on the Trinity.
“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 (Hades); the third day he rose again 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 Ghost; the Holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life
everlasting.Amen.”
7 The Apostles Creed proclaims the humanity of Christ, countering
the false claims of the heretical groups (Gnostics, Marcionites, and later
Manicheans). See 1 John 4:1-3. The Creed holds that Christ descended into
Hades, the place where both the righteous and the unrighteous go after physical
death.The term “Catholic Church” refers to the “universal Church.” In
opposition to the Gnostics, who claimed to have knowledge that others in the
church did not possess, this Creed proclaims that the Gospel is for the
universal church. For more information see the website below. Click on
“ancient,” then click on “notes under Apostles Creed”
http://www.creeds.net/
Like the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed emphasizes the Trinity.
It dates to the Second Ecumenical Council, held at Constantinople, A.D. 381.
The Nicene Creed is a revision and expansion of an earlier Creed—The Creed of
Nicaea, which was developed by a Church Council held in Nice in Bithynia, A.D.
325. The whole Christian Church, with the Eastern Orthodox Church
rejecting the filioque clause (see below), accepts the Nicene
Creed.“I believe in one God, Maker of heaven and earth, and 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 rose again according to the Scriptures, and
ascended into heaven, and sitteth 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 the Giver of life, who
proceedeth from the Father [and the Son] (filioque), who with the Father and
the Son together is worshipped 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.”8The
Nicene Creed was written by the Church to combat the heretical position of
Arius, an elder in Alexandria, Egypt. Arius taught that the Father created the
Son. In opposition to Arianism, the Church taught the Son existed eternally
with the Father. In the Apostles Creed, the Church emphasized that the Son was
fully human, and in the Nicene Creed, the Church emphasized that the Son is
also fully God. Even today, there are heretics who deny either the humanity or
deity of Jesus Christ. When examining the position of cults (those who claim to
be Christian, but who deny essential Christian doctrine), it is important to
determine their teaching regarding the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ.When
in dialogue with members of cults, carefully define your understanding of the
person of Jesus Christ, and have them do the same.
The Nicene Creed holds that Christ was “begotten by his Father
before all worlds.” In other words, he existed before Creation. Therefore he is
outside the realm of time, as we understand time. Christ was “begotten, not
made.” The Greek word “monogenes” (pronounced “mo-nog-en-ace”), translated as
“begotten” in English, can mean either begotten as a child from a parent, or it
can mean of a particular kind or family. God made human beings, but he begat
his only Son. Through faith, a person can become an adopted son of God, but he
can never become the only begotten Son of God. A man is a creature, but Christ
is the Creator. Christ is “one-of-a-kind” or the “unique” Son of God. This reasoning
harmonizes with Scriptural teaching that Jesus is God. See John 1:1-3,14;
14:8-10.
The Nicene Creed says that Jesus will come again to “to judge both
the quick and the dead.” The word “quick” refers to those who will be alive at
the time Jesus returns.
“The words shown in brackets, “and the Son,” are a Western
addition to the Creed as it was originally agreed on by a Council representing
the whole Church, East and West. These words correspond to the Latin word
FILIOQUE (FILI = Son, -O = from, -QUE = and; pronounced with accent on the O),
and the controversy about them is accordingly known as the Filioque
controversy.”9 The Western Church added the “filioque” clause in A.D. 569. The
filioque clause says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and not just from the Father. The Eastern Orthodox Church rejected the words
“and the Son” and consequently split from the Western Church in A.D. 1054.
For additional information on the Nicene Creed,
see:http://www.creeds.net Click on “ancient,” then click on “Further Notes on
the Nicene Creed” Also see the following web
page:http://www.bible-researcher.com/confessions.html
7 See the web page: http://www.bible-researcher.com/confessions.html
8 See the web page:
http://www.bible-researcher.com/confessions.html
9James E. Kiefer. Source: CHRISTIA File Archives. See
http://www.creeds.net Click on “ancient,”then click on “Further Notes on the
Nicene Creed” (For
details and for free course visit <www.missionstraining.org>)
