"To Creed Or Not To Creed"
by Sharon Beverly
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May 2005
This statement may seem silly, but it's not to me. My personal walk of faith may be described thusly: as a spiritual infant, I led a sheltered life, much of it spent away from a regular congregation, and under the authority and tutelage of my faithful husband. My toddler and childhood years were spent in much the same way, with me keeping mostly to myself, not going beyond my established borders.
In my adolescence and teen years, I was struck with a burning desire to explore the pasture, stickin' my nose into places it really didn't belong. During this time, I zealously proclaimed, "No creed but the Bible!" However, is this really such a good idea? I've been seriously rethinking this issue after an encounter with a non-Trinitarian believer, that left me a bit fuddled.
I am now on the cusp of young adulthood in spiritual years, and I have discovered that our faithful church fathers had good reason to draw up creeds, to which I am no longer opposed. Does this mean I believe that all saints should be required to sign one, confess one, or weekly recite one? No. I think all men are innocent until proven guilty, and not wanting to sign, confess, or recite a creed is not sufficient evidence of guilt.
I've come to view the creeds as necessary for defining heresy, but not authoritative in defining personal faith. Creeds are very much like firewalls on computers. Although they will keep bad guys out, they run the risk of keeping good guys out as well. Locks on doors are only good for keeping honest men out-dishonest men will not be daunted by locked doors.
America's founders declared that governments instituted among men to secure their rights were a necessary evil. Perhaps creeds function in much the same way-necessary, but with unwanted, yet unavoidable, side effects.
So, with all that said, I personally subscribe to the tenets of our ancient church creeds, with one exception. I do not believe that we have the right nor authority to declare others beyond the reach of salvation. Salvation is of God, not the church..
However, we do have the responsibility to declare unrepentant heretics beyond the bounds of orthodoxy, and therefore, outside the bounds of orthodox Christian fellowship, leaving the matter of their salvation in God's capable hands.
"Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; 11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself."
I do not pay homage to any "vicarious Christs" on Earth, either. We have only one Head, who resides in and reigns from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Following is the Athanasian creed, which is my favorite one because of the eloquent depth and detail used to describe our One, 3-Dimensional God.
The Text of the Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one Eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three gods, but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three lords, but one Lord.
For as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge each Person by Himself to be both God and Lord, so we are also forbidden by the catholic religion to say that there are three gods or three lords.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.
And in the Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another, but all three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved is must think thus of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of the substance of his mother, born in the world; perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching His godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching His manhood; who, although He is God and man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; one, not by conversion of the godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God; one altogether; not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, He sits at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead. At His coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.