The
Creeds
Adapted
from "The Garden
of God" by Jerry Bannon ©
2000
The
Apostles, Athanasian and the Nicene Creeds have been
recognized through out church history as authorized
statements of belief. They are part of essential
Christian Doctrine. Modern denunciations of the creeds as
stuffy ritualism show an ignorance of church history in
its least blatant form, and self righteous arrogance in
the extreme. All you need to do is just love Jesus begs
the question. Which Jesus? The Jesus that died two
thousand years ago as an atoning sacrifice for the sins
of man? The Jesus, the blood brother of Lucifer in
Mormonism? The Jesus from Venezuela that throws heat in
the Angels farm system?
The
Apostles Creed is generally the most common creed used in
the Protestant church. This usage probably stems from it
being the shortest, but just as important it signifies a
difference from Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
The form used today was generally refined between the
seventh and ninth centuries when it was adopted by Rome.
It is quite similar to the Roman Symbol of the early
church, which doesn't contain the phrase "descended into
hell". During the time of the Reformation these three
words may not have been a problem. In modern
evangelicalism however, hell, along with sin are not a
politically correct terms. For use in English, I
personally would like to see the phrase deleted or
changed to the Greek word "Hades" which means the resting
place of departed souls, before Christians were released
to the presence of God, following Christ's resurrection
from death.
The
Nicene Creed in various forms is the most universally
accepted Christian Creed. Written by the church during
the First and Second Ecumenical Councils (325 A. D. at
Nicaea and 381 A. D. at Constantinople) which adopted it
in this current form This translation comes from the
Greek Orthodox Church and is slightly different from most
translations used in the western church. It is beyond the
scope of this introduction to discuss the circumstances
related to this controversy. It is our attempt to present
this creed in its original form as part of our emphasis
to try to remove some of our western influence on
essential church doctrine.
While
the Council at Nicaea did much to rid the church of many
heretical teachings, in the process it was initially
responsible for removing the celebration of the Jewish
Feasts and for the substitution of "Western Christian
Holidays" in their place.
Nicene
Creed
I
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 ages.
Light of Light, true God of true 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 of the Holy Spirit and of the
Virgin Mary, and became man.
Crucified also for us under Pontious Pilante, He suffered
and was buried.
And on the third day he rose again according to the
Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of
the Father.
And He shall come again in glory to judge the living and
the dead. Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of
Life, who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the
Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke
through the Prophets.
I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge One Baptism for the remissions of sins.
I await the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the Ages to come. Amen