A study of the PBCC doctrinal statement, and of creeds in general.
Taught by Bernard Bell as a Sunday elective, January 5 – March 9, 2003.
A Brief History of the Creeds
| 2nd cent. | The Old Roman Creed, a baptismal creed used in Rome. Develops into the Apostles’ Creed. | ||||||||||||||
| 325-787 | The Ecumenical Church Councils.
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| 1054 | Great Schism: Eastern and Western churches mutually excommunicate one another’s leaders. | ||||||||||||||
| 1517 | Martin Luther pinned his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of Wittenburg Castle, precipitating the Reformation. Reformation creeds include Augsburg Confession (1530), Heidelberg Catechism (1563). | ||||||||||||||
| 1545-63 | Council of Trent: Roman Catholic Church’s response to the reformers. Declared inspiration of apocrypha, traditions; sole validity of Church-authorized interpretation of Bible; baptismal regeneration; purgatory; Pope is vicar upon earth of God and Christ. Reaffirmed transubstantiation, reservation of sacrament. Denied salvation by faith alone; priesthood of all believers. | ||||||||||||||
| 1618-19 | Canons of Dordt (1618-19) issued in response to the teaching of Jacob Arminius. | ||||||||||||||
| 1644-48 | Westminster Assembly of Divines, issued the Westminster Confession of Faith, The Longer Catechism and The Shorter Catechism. The Presbyterian WCF was modified for Baptist purposes as Second London Baptist Confession (1689). | ||||||||||||||
| 1869-70 | First Vatican Council: affirmed papal infallibility, part of the expanding dogma of Catholic Church: Immaculate conception of Mary (1854), Papal infallibility (1870), Bodily assumption of Mary (1950). | ||||||||||||||
| 1965 | Second Vatican Council |
-Bernard Bell
the Apostles’ 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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on 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.
Latin
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem; Creatorem coeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum; qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria virgine; passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus; descendit ad inferna; tertia die resurrexit a mortuis; ascendit ad coelos; sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis; inde venturus (est) judicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum; sanctam ecclesiam catholicam; sanctorum communionem; remissionem peccatorum; carnis resurrectionem; vitam oeternam. Amen.
History
The so-called Apostles’ Creed is based upon the Old Roman Creed, a second-century baptismal creed. The Creed in its current form is found first in a document from ca. 750.
The Seven Ecumenical Councils
A Church Council is an official ad hoc gathering of representatives to settle Church business. Such Councils are called rarely and are not the same as the regular gatherings of church leaders (synods, etc). An ecumenical council is one at which the whole Church is represented. The three major branches of the Church (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant) recognize seven ecumenical councils: Nicea (325), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680), Nicea II (787). Further ecumenical councils were rendered impossible by the widening split between Eastern (Orthodox, Greek-speaking) and Western (Catholic, Latin-speaking) Churches, a split that was rendered official in 1054 and has not yet been healed.
In addition to these universally-acknowledged councils, the Catholic Church recognizes a further fourteen ecumenical councils: Constantinople IV (869-70), Lateran I (1123), Lateran II (1139), Lateran III (1179), Lateran IV (1215), Lyons I (1245), Lyons II (1274), Vienne (1311-12), Constance (1414-18), Florence (1438-45), Lateran V (1512-17), Trent (1545-63), Vatican I (1869-70), Vatican II (1965). But these were councils of only the Catholic Church, and are not recognized by the Orthodox or Protestant Churches.
The Council of Nicea, 325
In 324 Constantine became sole ruler of the Roman Empire, reuniting an empire that had been split among rival rulers since the retirement of Domitian in 305. Constantine, the first Christian emperor, reunified the empire but found the Church bitterly divided over the nature of Jesus Christ. He wanted to reunify the Church as he had reunified the Empire. The major dispute was over the teaching of Arius, but there were other doctrinal issues also.
- Arianism: teaching of Arius of Alexandria (d. 335), who believed that Jesus Christ was created ex nihilo (out of nothing) by the Father to be the means of creation and redemption. Jesus was fully human, but not fully divine. He was elevated as a reward for his successful accomplishment of his mission. The Arian rallying cry was “There was a time when the Son was not.”
- Monarchianism: defended the unity (mono arche, “one source”)of God by denying that the Son and the Spirit were separate persons.
- Sabellianism: a form of monarchianism taught by Sabellias, that God revealed himself in three successive modes, as Father (creator), as Son (redeemer), as Spirit (sustainer). Hence there is only one person in the Godhead.
Constantine summoned the bishops at imperial expense to Nicea, 30 miles from his imperial capital in Nicomedia. Here they were to settle their differences in a council over which he presided. The council rejected Arianism. The Council issued a creed based upon an existing baptismal creed from Syria and Palestine. This Nicene creed reads:
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, only-begotten, that is, from the substance of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, Begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down and became incarnate, and was made man, suffered and rose on the third day, And ascended into heaven, And is coming with glory to judge living and dead, And in the Holy Spirit.
But those who say, There was when the Son of God was not, and before he was begotten he was not, and that he came into being from things that are not, or that he is of a different hypostastis or substance, or that he is mutable or alterable–the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.
The Council also issued a set of canons, primarily dealing with church order.
The Council of Constantinople, 381
The second council met in Constantinople, the new imperial capital. The council issued a new creed, probably based upon another baptismal creed from Jerusalem or Antioch, which in turn was an expression of the faith expressed in the Nicene Creed adopted in 325. This Constantinopolitan Creed reads:
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, 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 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 we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son*], who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* and the Son (Lat. filioque) was added later. The Orthodox Church does not recognize this addition.
Later the Western Church unilaterally added a single word to the Creed, inserting Filioque “and the Son” to the statement about the Spirit, so as to read “the Spirit…proceeds from the Father and the Son.” In 867 the Patriarch of Constantinople declared Rome heretical for this clause. To this day the Western Church (Catholic and Protestant) accepts the filioque clause, while the Eastern Church (Orthodox) does not. With the exception of this clause, the Nicene Creed remains one of the eceumenical creeds, a creed recognized by all the Church. Any church that rejects the Nicene Creed is deemed heretical.
During the Middle Ages this creed became called the Nicene Creed, as it is known to this day.
The Council of Ephesus, 431
Condemned Nestorius and his teaching (Nestorianism) that Christ had two separable natures, human and divine. Declared Mary to be theotokos (lit. God-bearer, i.e. Mother of God) in order to strengthen the claim that Christ was fully divine against those who called her merely Christotokos (Christ-bearer).
The Council of Chalcedon, 451
Issued the Chalcedonian Formula, affirming that Christ is two natures in one person.
Therefore, following the holy Fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance (homoousios) with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer (theotokos); one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence (hypostasis), not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the Fathers has handed down to us.
The Council of Constantinople II, 553
Condemned the Three Chapters, a compendium of the writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Ibas of Edessa. These three were advocates of Antiochene theology, emphasizing Christ’s humanity at the expense of his deity. Their opponents held Alexandrian theology emphasizing Christ’s deity.
The Council of Constantinople III, 680
Condemned monothelitism (Christ has a single will), affirming that Christ had a human will and a divine will that functioned in perfect harmony.
The Council of Nicea II, 787
Declared that icons are acceptable aids to worship, rejecting the iconoclasts (icon-smashers)
Further reading
Leo Donald Davis, The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1983.
-Bernard Bell
Biblical Creeds
Old Testament
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deut 6:4)
New Testament
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:3)
regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 1:3-4)
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Cor 15:3-4)
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:2-3)
[Christ Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil 2:6-11)
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. (1 Cor 8:6)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matt 28:19)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Cor 13:14)
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Tim 3:16)
— Bernard Bell
Nicene Creed
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, 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 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 we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son*], who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
* and the Son (Lat. filioque) was added later. The Orthodox Church does not recognize this addition.
History
Contrary to its name, the creed now called the Nicene Creed was adopted not by the Council of Nicea (325), first of the seven ecumenical councils, but by the second council, that of Constantinople (381). This Constantinopolitan Creed was probably based upon an earlier baptismal creed from Jerusalem or Antioch, which in turn was an expression of the original Nicene Creed, that adopted by the Council of Nicea in 315. During the Middle Ages the Constantinopolitan Creed became known as the Nicene Creed, the name by which it is still known today.
Later the Western Church unilaterally added a single word filioque (“and the son”) to the creed, so as to read “the Spirit…proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The Eastern Church rejected this addition, in 867 declaring the Western Church heretical for it. To this day the Western Church (Catholic and Protestant) accepts the filioque clause, while the Eastern Church (Orthodox) does not. With the exception of this clause, the Nicene Creed remains one of the eceumenical creeds, a creed recognized by all the Church. Any departure from the Nicene Creed is deemed heretical.
— Bernard Bell
Credal Standards
In addition to the ecumencial creeds (Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed) recognized by the whole Church, different denominations affirm different credal standards.
Protestant
Anglican: (Thirty-nine) Articles of Religion (1562).
Baptist: with the exception of Reformed Baptists, Baptists generally eschew doctrinal statements.
- Reformed Baptist: Second London Baptist Confession (1689).
Lutheran: The Book of Concord containing the Augsburg Confession (1530) and others.
Methodist:
Presbyterian: the primary standard for Presbyterian churches is the Westminster Standards, consisting of the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, and the Larger Catechism, all issued by the Westminster Assembly of Divines (1644-48).
- Presbyterian Church (USA) (PCUSA): acknowledges ten confessional statements as contained in the Book of Confessions consisting of the Nicene Creed, Apostles’ Creed, Scots Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, Westminster Confession of Faith, Shorter Catechism, Longer Catechism, Theological Declaration of Barmen, Confession of 1967.
- Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): Westminster Standards (Confession of Faith, Shorter and Larger Catechisms).
- Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC): Westminster Standards (Confession of Faith, Shorter and Larger Catechisms).
Reformed: any or all of the following Reformed creeds: Belgic Confession (1561), Canons of Dordt (1618-19), Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Westminster Standards (1648), Savoy Declaration (1658),
Non-denominational: certain non-denominational standards have been widely used:
- IVF (Inter-Varsity Fellowship) Doctrinal Basis.
- Chicago Statement on Biblical Innerancy.
- PBC doctrinal statement.
- PBCC doctrinal statement.
Catholic
- Ancient creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian), Chalcedonian Definition
- Expanding dogma: ex cathedra declarations by Pope (e.g. immaculate conception, papal infallibility, bodily assumption).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994).
Orthodox
Ancient creeds (Apostles’, Nicene—rejects Athanasian), Chalcedonian Definition
— Bernard Bell
PBCC Doctrinal Statement
Read the PBCC Doctrinal Statement on the What We Believe Page.