Creeds of Faith?

GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Throughout church history, Christians have found it necessary to
develop statements that clarify essential biblical teachings,
distinguishing the true gospel from distortions of it. These
statements are called creeds, from the Latin credo, meaning "I
believe."

Historically, however, CoG7 has grown up skeptical of such
creeds. But the fact that we have a creed (Statement of Faith) of
our own should alert us to the reality that historical
confessions of faith are not inherently opposed to "the Bible
alone."

Creeds and confessions are not to be equated with Scripture; they
merely outline its content. Among other purposes, they "show a
coherent and unified understanding of the whole scope of
Scripture," quoting a noted theologian. In other words, they
testify to the intelligible and systematic nature of God's
written revelation, refuting common notions that the Bible
doesn't make sense.

From this perspective, these documents take on new meaning. I do
not subscribe to the theological content of all creeds. For
example, parts of the Nicene Creed are doctrinally incongruent
with CoG7 beliefs. But generally I find in most creeds much with
which I agree, much by which I'm inspired.

Some creeds were sealed with blood, beginning with "Jesus is
Lord," the earliest semblance of a confessional statement among
first century Christians. By denying Caesar's lordship, the creed
earned Rome's persecution - even death - which many gladly
accepted. The authors of the Belgic Confession vowed to "offer
their backs to stripes, their tongues to knives, their mouths to
gags, and their whole bodies to the fire," rather than deny the
truth of the gospel.

Creedal statements, such as the Apostles' Creed, provide a
concise summary of essential New Testament teachings.
Confessional documents, such as the Westminster Confession of
Faith, serve to distinguish between Roman Catholic teachings and
Reformation tenets. Catechisms, such as the Shorter Catechism,
are designed to "educate laypeople in matters of doctrine and
discipline." From the Greek "katecheo," meaning "to sound aloud,"
catechism describes how faith principles are orally communicated
to a younger generation. They are written in simple
questionand-answer format to facilitate memorization, thus
encouraging the pursuit of holiness through prayer, study of
God's Word, and personal spiritual discipline.

Additionally, these historic documents reflect a high view of the
law, which may come as a surprise to some. They emphasize the
importance of the Ten Commandments, including the sanctity of the
Sabbath - a whole day set apart for rest and worship, though the
fourth command is applied differently.

To summarize, "Confession is good for the soul" and so are creeds
and confessional documents. We would do well to think outside the
box of our aversion to them. Every church espouses some creed,
confession, or statement of faith. Therefore, cynicism of
confessional documents reflects misunderstanding more than fact.
Contrary to the belief that these documents disarm the Bible of
its authority, they actually affirm it.

So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater; don't be
confessionally challenged. The Heidelberg Catechism begins:
"Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?" The answer:
"That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my
own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ...."
"I believe" that, and confessing it does my soul good.
..........
Whaid Guscott Rose
General Conference President
July-August 2011  "Bible Advocate" - a publication of the
CoG7Day, Denver, CO. USA
..........

I grew up in a Church of England School, all 12 grades.
That Church of England (or Anglican as some know it as) had a creed.
I had to recite it with other children many times. I do remmeber at one point
talking about the Son of God, it ended by saying, "...who will come again in power and glory."

Even the Roman Catholic church has some creed that states Jesus will return.

So many creeds of faith have much truth in them, even if the majority of that church
does not expound that truth in any large way, such as the truth that Jesus will again
one day return to this earth in power and glory.
..........