The Development of Creeds

The process of developing a clear and cogent statement of Christian belief about God and Jesus took several centuries. A creed is a confession of belief, not a statement of fact. Creeds reflect theology rather than history!

For centuries, questions were raised about Jesus’ divinity. Was Jesus divine? Was Jesus human? By the end of the fifth century, Christianity had developed a clear doctrine of the Trinity: the explanation that God is three divine persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in a single godhead.

Both Paul (in 1 Corinthians) and Peter (Acts) made Christian proclamations. And each only focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. They rarely mention God, let alone the Holy Spirit. Paul – (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) Peter – (Acts 2:22-24, 32-34, 36)

1. Paul from 2 Corinthians 13:13 – There are really only two references to the three-fold name – Father, Son, Spirit – in the New Testament 1. Paul from 2 Corinthians 13:13 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” 1 – Paul from 2 Corinthians 13:13 – “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” 2 – Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

2 – Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit” The word “trinity” was not coined until the end of the second century.

A statement of faith more familiar to us is the Apostles’ Creed. It did not appear until the late fourth century, and complete versions did not exist until the 7th or 8th century.

The Nicene Creed of 325 and 381 (see handout)

On the Incarnation The idea of incarnation – the “enfleshment” of God – which Christians now take for granted, was not easily accepted in the earliest centuries of Christianity. The Nicene Creed clearly affirms this theology! Jews thought of the idea as abhorrent, for it made man into God. And pagans thought it was crazy for the opposite reason, why would a God want to come to Earth??

Thus far, we have talked about the Gnostic doctrine of salvation (soteriology) of the Gospel of Thomas and the incarnational soteriology of the bishops who wrote the Nicene Creed. Gnostic – Jesus saved us be bringing us knowledge Incarnational – that God saved by virtue of becoming incarnate in the person of Jesus.

A third soteriology has come to dominate western Christianity. This is the doctrine of the atonement: that Jesus Christ died for our sins. His sacrificial death on the cross wiped the slate clean between God and humanity, and allowed people to enter into a renewed relationship with the divine. All three soteriologies, even Gnosticism, continue to play a role in Christianity today, although eastern Orthodox Christians tend to emphasize the incarnation, which Western Christians, Catholic and Protestant, tend to emphasize the atonement. It is important to note that all three soteriologies appear in the New Testament, as do some others.