By Robert P. Mills
I Believe
The Apostles' Creed for the Third Millennium
In I Believe … The Apostles’ Creed for the Third Millennium, Robert P. Mills underscores the biblical foundation for the Apostles’ Creed and its powerful contemporary relevance.
He writes with unwavering commitment to the truths of the Apostles’ Creed, evangelical zeal for faithfulness and a winsome invitation to readers to know more personally and fully the Trinitarian God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – whom the Creed exalts.
Introduction
As Christianity approaches its third millennium, Christians around the world continue to confess their faith by reciting a creed that can trace its origins to the first century A.D.
Why?
Why is the Apostles’ Creed still used by God’s people in their corporate worship and private devotion? What purposes are served by today’s affirmations of this ancient statement of faith? Indeed, why should third-millennium Christians spend valuable time studying a creed that is almost 2,000 years old?
Root and fruit
One benefit of studying the Apostles’ Creed is connecting ourselves to what all Christians everywhere have always believed. In so doing we remind ourselves that despite ever-changing social circumstances Christian faith is not ours to redefine. Being deeply rooted in “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3) is essential to the life and ministry of God’s people (Psalm 1:1-3).
Studying this historic creed also moves us forward in our faith. For as we develop a deeper understanding of its teachings, we thereby grow in our knowledge of Scripture and ultimately our knowledge of God. Such knowledge helps us keep in step with the Holy Spirit. It allows our lives to be good soil from which God can bring forth much fruit (Matt 13:23; Gal. 5:22-25). Knowing Scripture and knowing God also enable us to obey Peter’s instruction to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (I Peter 3:15).
An invaluable resource
Originally taught to converts preparing for baptism (see Chapter 2), the Apostles’ Creed remains an invaluable resource for individuals of any age, or at any stage of faith development, who want to learn more about what Christians everywhere have always believed. It provides a compact summary of many of the most important elements of Christian faith and life.
These studies begin with an introductory section on the nature of faith, the purpose of creeds, and the place of doubt. The remaining sections follow the order of the Creed and consider what the Creed has to teach about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each chapter looks at a single article, or at times a single word, seeking to understand how the Creed is rooted in Scripture, how it has been understood throughout church history, and how it remains relevant.
The chapters conclude with questions for reflection and a suggested prayer for personal or corporate response. A list of Scripture passages for further study and additional resources are also included at the end of each chapter. The questions and Scripture readings make each chapter a suitable lesson for a Sunday School class, communicant’s class, or other group study.
Preparing these studies afforded me a wonderful opportunity to reimmerse myself in the most basic beliefs of the Christian faith. I pray that those who read this book will also be refreshed as they contemplate the foundations of the faith.
Many of these chapters originated as sermons preached at the Big Creek Presbyterian Church in Rensselaer, Mo. More recently, they appeared as part of the “Foundations of the Faith” series in The Layman. I am grateful to the members of the Big Creek church and the staff, members and supporters of the Presbyterian Lay Committee who have encouraged the development and publication of these studies.
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