The Creeds What’s the Point?

Rationale ► The outside world sees Christian churches and traditions as extremely different. ► Because…Worship services look so different. ► But what makes the Christian church similar in its core beliefs? ► Non – negotiable creeds must be established.

Your Task ► Bullet point a list of non-negotiable beliefs that we MUST concur on to be called a Christian. ► Do not use any references outside of your own head. In other words if you were in a conversation with a “seeker” and that person asked – “So what do you believe is essential to the Christian faith as a core of set beliefs.”

Apostle’s Creed ► 1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: One God - Creator of the Universe God - Creator of the Universe God - Creator of the Universe ► 2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: Begotten – Not Made Begotten – Not MadeBegotten – Not Made ► 3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: - Virgin MaryVirgin Mary ► 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: Click Here.. More Comments on this Click Here.. More Comments on thisClick Here.. More Comments on this ► 5. The third day he rose again from the dead: ► 6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: ► 7. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead: (Click) ► 8. I believe in the Holy Ghost: ► 9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints: ► 10. The forgiveness of sins: ► 1l. The resurrection of the body: - Summing Up Summing Up Summing Up ► 12. And the life everlasting. Amen. Amen.

1. One God - Creator of the Universe ► Religions who believe in many Gods (polytheism) ► If there is ONE God – did he create the universe? ► Disputes – atheism ► The Gnostics held that the physical universe is evil and that God did not make it. BACK BACK

2. Begotten – Not Made ► Perhaps the language can be better understood if contrasted with synonyms. Take the verbs “make,” “create,” and “beget.” The verb “make” is general; one can make dinner, clothes, a house, or any other product. The “create” can have the same objects, but usually elevates the act to an art: one creates a masterpiece, or a work of art, or a symphony. While these creations bear the imprint of the creator, they do not share his nature. But “beget” is different. You can only beget a child that has the same nature as you have--a son or a daughter. There is nothing else you can beget (unless you were speaking very figuratively). Your son or your daughter will inherit his or her nature from you--genes, personality--all of it. You can use “make” or “create” for producing a child; but when you use “beget” it only means you produce a child that has your nature. ► Now follow this carefully. If Jesus is said to be the begotten Son of God (using the figure from human language to make the point), then Jesus has the same nature as the Father. If Jesus has the same nature as God the Father, then Jesus is divine and eternal as well. If he is eternally God, then there was never a time he was literally begotten--which is why we know the language is figurative to describe his nature, and not his beginning. To call Jesus “the only begotten Son” means that he is fully divine and eternal. He is God the Son. ► This is why the creed says that Jesus was “begotten, not made.” Why? Because he is of one substance with the Father. ► The Son of God, Begotten, Not Made By: Allen Ross, Th.D., Ph.D. (Bio) BACK (Bio)BACK(Bio)BACK

Comments on #4 “Here the creed hammers home the point that he was really dead. He was not an illusion. He was nailed to a post. He died. He had a real body, a corpse, that was placed in a tomb. He was not merely unconscious -- his spirit left his body and went to the realm of the dead. It is a common belief among Christians that on this occasion he took the souls of those who had died trusting in the promises made under the Old Covenant -- Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others -- and brought them out of the realm of the dead and into heavenly glory. But the creed is not concerned with this point. The reference to the descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is here to make it clear that the death of Jesus was not just a swoon or a coma, but death in every sense of the word” (BACK) “Here the creed hammers home the point that he was really dead. He was not an illusion. He was nailed to a post. He died. He had a real body, a corpse, that was placed in a tomb. He was not merely unconscious -- his spirit left his body and went to the realm of the dead. It is a common belief among Christians that on this occasion he took the souls of those who had died trusting in the promises made under the Old Covenant -- Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, and many others -- and brought them out of the realm of the dead and into heavenly glory. But the creed is not concerned with this point. The reference to the descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is here to make it clear that the death of Jesus was not just a swoon or a coma, but death in every sense of the word” (BACK)(BACK)

Suffered Under Pontius Pilate ► Jesus was punished and crucified at a real time and place. ► He truly was crucified, died, and was buried. ► He descended into hell – a controversial point disputed by some theologians – but what do we do with – Psalm 16:10 – Eph. 4:8-10 – I Pet. 3:18-19 & 4:4-6 (BACK) (BACK)

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ► The Gnostics were agreed that the orthodox Christians were wrong in supposing that God had taken human nature or a human body. ► They held that the man Jesus did not become the bearer or instrument of the Christ until the Spirit descended upon him at his baptism, and that the Spirit left him before the crucifixion, so that the Spirit had only a brief and tenuous association with matter and humanity. ► Others affirmed that there was never a man Jesus at all, but only the appearance of man. Against this the orthodox Christians affirmed that Jesus was conceived through the action of the Holy Spirit (thus denying the Gnostic position that the Spirit had nothing to do with Jesus until his Baptism), that he was born (which meant that he had a real physical body, and not just an appearance) of a virgin (which implied that he had been special from the first moment of his life, and not just from the baptism on.) (BACK) (BACK)

# 5-12 ► He’s alive! ► And is with the Father right now. ► He will be the final judge for all mankind. ► There is a trinity. ► The church is local and universal – and there is a communion (community) of all that are saved (a real basic definition). ► All MUST be forgiven of sin – original and sins of omission and commission. ► We can look forward to a new body ► and an eternal existence. (BACK) (BACK)

Amen!!!!!