Saturday, January 16, 2016

Creeds

What's a creed?
A creed is a statement of what a person or a group of people believe. For Christians it's specifically what they believe about the Bible. Every Christian has a creed. This is because there are things that every Christian believes about the Bible. One example: 'Jesus is the Savior.' Most Christians have lots more included in their creeds. They'll include things about who God is, what faith is and more. Some creeds are quite detailed in scope while others are very limited. Some Christians have creeds that have been written down. But written or not, all Christians have a creed.

Why is it good for a church to have a written creed?
When a church has a written creed it is simply being clear about how it understands certain topics found in the Bible. This can help avoid confusion. It provides for a measure of consistency in the teaching of the church both in worship and in things like Sunday school. A creed also has a role to play when a church is selecting a new pastor. It would be confusing to the congregation if a new pastor taught things that directly contradicted important themes of the previous pastor. And a creed makes clear to those interested in joining the church where the church stands on important topics. A creed can also protect the church from false teachers.

Why are there so many different creeds?
There are several reasons for this. Here’s one. Creeds deal with different questions that are being raised. The Apostles’ Creed deals especially with the human life of Jesus. Later, there were questions about the deity of Jesus. The Athanasian Creed is one creed that answered these questions

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