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Publications I Believe . . . The Apostles' Creed for the Third Millennium By Robert P. Mills, Associate Editor The Presbyterian Layman
The Function of Creeds Suggested Scripture readings Mark 8:27-30; Philippians 2:5-11 What does it mean for Christians to say “I believe?” If we are merely mouthing words by rote when we recite the Apostles’ Creed, the two little words at its beginning, “I believe,” may never come to our conscious attention. They may be skimmed over as a perfunctory prelude to the really important words that follow, words like God, Jesus Christ, and resurrection. However, pausing to consider these two words will help to lay a firm foundation for a comprehensive study of the Creed. Indeed, if we have ears to hear, the words “I believe” will direct our attention both to the nature and purpose of creeds and to the nature of our faith. In Chapter 1 we looked at the words “I believe” in the light of what they can teach us about the nature of faith. In this chapter we will focus on the history and use of Christian creeds. A brief history Our English word “creed” comes from the Latin credo, which means, “I believe.” A creed is thus my statement of what it is that I believe. More technically, a creed is a concise, formal, and authorized statement of essential Christian doctrine. The earliest Christian creed was spoken by Peter at Caesarea Philippi. In response to Jesus’ question, “But who do you say that I am,” Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, replied, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). Writing to the Philippians some three decades later, Paul concluded his marvelous Hymn to Christ with what remains the foundational creed of Christianity, “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil. 2:11). But after the last apostle had died, after the canon of Scripture had been closed, Christians began to sense a need for clear and succinct summaries of the basic doctrines of their faith. So they drew upon the language of Scripture to formulate brief statements of their core beliefs. The most prominent of such statements – the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds – we now call the ecumenical creeds. These are accepted (with some variations) by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant churches. Perhaps the most widely used of the ecumenical creeds is the Apostles’ Creed. Although its author remains unknown, the Apostles’ Creed seems to have originated in first-century Rome as part of the instructions given to those preparing for baptism. By the end of the second century, a standard form of the Creed had emerged, slightly shorter than the one we now use. The material existed in two forms, one a declaration “I believe in …” the other as a series of questions and answers. In the latter, an individual preparing for baptism stood in the water and was asked “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” The individual responded “I believe” and was immersed. This pattern was repeated with the articles concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit. Over the next few centuries it continued to undergo some modifications, until in sixth- or seventh-century France the Apostles’ Creed as we now know it attained its final form. In the Middle Ages, a pious legend grew that attributed each phrase to one of the apostles. But even though the true historical development of the Creed was demonstrated during the Renaissance, its simplicity and directness so clearly reflect apostolic teachings that the name has been retained. While creeds and confessions are a significant part of our Reformed heritage, other Christian traditions make little if any use of such resources. For example, many Baptist churches prefer not to use creeds, rightly recognizing that any human formulations may be superimposed on Scripture and that creeds can become exceedingly complex and abstract. However, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order recognizes creeds and confessions to be “subordinate standards in the Church, subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, the word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him” (G-2.0200). Properly understood and employed, creeds and confessions can serve several useful functions in the life of the church. A three-dimensional purpose
Definition. The first purpose of the creeds, Brokhoff writes, “is to define the Christian faith. What does a Christian believe, or what should a person believe to be a Christian? Are your beliefs in harmony with the Scriptures and the church’s teachings? … As long as the Creeds are known, no Christian should ever be unable to tell or explain what he or she believes. It is all in the Creeds. Holding to the Creeds, a Christian can say ‘This is what I believe. I know what I believe, and I know that what I believe is the absolute truth because it comes from the Bible.’” Once we have learned the Apostles’ Creed, we will always have an answer to questions such as “Well, what do you Christians believe? What makes you any different from Moslems, Buddhists, or goddess-worshippers?” To know the Apostles’ Creed is to know that what you believe lies within the boundaries of Scripture and the historic teachings of the church. Defense is the second purpose of the Creed. Even before the last apostle had died, some within the church were attempting to redefine the faith to their own advantage. Several of Paul’s letters, some written only two or three decades after Jesus’ resurrection, include sections combatting false teachings. Since such heresies emerged within the first-century church, Christians should not be surprised, or unprepared, when distortions of the Christian message circulate within the contemporary church. And we should keep in mind that the knowledge of the Creed is a ready defense against false doctrine. Brokhoff notes that when bank tellers are trained, they do not study or handle counterfeit bills. Neither do they listen to lectures denouncing counterfeiters. Rather, they handle real money, day after day after day, so that if they ever do come across a counterfeit bill, they recognize it at once. “It is the same with the Creed. When we know it thoroughly and use it regularly, we at once can tell when a heresy is proclaimed. The Creed is our defense. The Creed states the truth. Any idea that does not agree is counterfeit.” Declaration is our individual and corporate witness, to ourselves and to the world, of what it is that we believe. Brokhoff reminds us that “Before ascending to heaven, Jesus told the disciples that they were to be his witnesses to all the world. The third purpose of creeds fulfills this need to declare our faith. We use the creeds for a corporate witnessing before God and the world. It is a positive, fearless declaration of our Christian faith. When the devil and his cohorts hear Christians with one voice repeating the Creed, they tremble! The Creed is for every Christian to declare his or her faith throughout everyday life. Luther said that a Christian should confess the Apostles’ Creed eight times daily.” When Christians gather for worship and together recite the Apostles’ Creed, we declare that these are the essential articles of our faith. When Christians scatter to be the church in the world, we remember that Christ commanded his disciples to go into the whole world and make disciples of all nations. Our knowledge of the Creed enables us to sound a clarion call, one that rises above the confusing clamor of contemporary life, one that draws men and women in need of salvation to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I believe Each time we confess our faith by reciting the Apostles’ Creed, we would do well to remember this three-dimensional purpose of Christian creeds: Definition, Defense, and Declaration. Once we have taken the time to consider carefully the nature and purpose of creeds, these dimensions can come to mind each and every time we say the first words of the Creed, “I believe.” For reflection and response 1. Why do so many Christians continue to make use of a Creed that dates back almost 2,000 years? Do you find its antiquity a comfort or that it makes the Creed irrelevant? 2. What are some benefits, and possible problems, with the use of creeds in the church? 3. In your own words, tell how the Apostles’ Creed could help you with the definition, defense, and declaration of your faith in Jesus Christ. Pray and give God thanks that he has given us the Bible and the creeds for our instruction. You may wish to pray Psalm 19:7-11 or to use those verses as the model for your prayer. Scripture passages for further study Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 10:6-11; I Peter 3:15-16. Additional resources John R. Brokhoff, This You Can Believe: A New Look at the Apostles’ Creed (Lima, Ohio: C.S.S. Publishing, 1987). J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines (London: A&C Black, 1977). John H. Leith, Basic Christian Doctrine (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993). Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977 [reprint of 1877 edition]). |
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