This one could, perhaps should, be a book. And, I've been thinking about entering this for months. I'm going to say this briefly for the moment.
The problem with creeds is that they are based on the notion that faith amounts to something you think.
While faith involves thinking, according to the Word, faith ultimately produces action. This is what Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10 as well what James in that well known passage in chapter 2.
In Hebrews 11, known to some as the Hall of Faith, all of the great people of faith are known, not by what they thought about the Lord, but by courageous, extraordinary actions that were fruit of their faith.
It seems to me that so called low church bodies these days are trending toward being high church and warming to the idea of creating creeds or embracing historic creeds.
Doing that never works.
Bill - I agree that creeds CAN give the notion that faith amounts merely to thinking (and yes, that is very dangerous). However, the historic creeds that I am aware of that were handed down to us from the ancient church don't begin, "I think..." They begin or at least imply, "I believe..." This makes sense to me since the word "creed" comes from the Latin "credo" meaning, "I believe." And isn't belief in Christ the key (on our part) to entering into a vibrant life of salvation through Christ? When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31 - caps my emphasis). I could list numerous other verses. And verbally stating WHAT you believe must have been a part of the faith and practice of the earliest Christians. If not, why were some common sayings (or quasi-creeds, I would argue) that surely were handed down from one generation to another among the earliest Christians recorded in Scripture by Paul (through the leading of the Holy Spirit)? Here are some examples: 1 Timothy 3:16 - "By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory." 2 Timothy 2:11-13 - "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." Notice the words, "Common confession" and "A trustworthy statement." So, I would argue that what has been "killing" low churches is a general licentiousness regarding what Christians should believe along with a lack of connection to the historic ancient church (I didn't say Romanism; I said the historic ancient church). Although creeds are not the cure-all for these kinds of problems, I think they sure are helpful. Creeds have the potential to help create doctrinal safeguards along with continuity and connection among Christians (both ancient and current-day) regarding the common faith in Christ we share.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, George. I believe this conversation about the nature of saving faith is crucial if today's church is to reverse its tragic decline. We have become people who blindly follow tradition, not pursue a life of faith.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, this dialogue may be more appropriate to book length treatises.
My Latin is not that good but I know that there are two Latin words in play here. Certainly, Creeds are built on the credo sense of belief. However, the verb credo is absent from Hebrews 11, for instance. When Hebrews tells us what Abel or Enoch or Noah or Abraham and others did by faith, in Latin, the notion of credo belief is missing. The verb is fido, not intellectual belief but faith that lives in the heart--trust.
And, the truth of the Word is that humans are saved by trusting in the Lord as those mentioned in Hebrews 11 trusted.
Now, certainly, credo type belief is part of the faith that saves. The first verses of 1 Corinthians 15 make that clear. But credo faith in itself doesn't save.
My argument is that the danger in Creeds is that they leave the implication that credo belief does save. I believe that church history proves my point.