Sacred Roots Workshop

Ses s i on 5: The Great Confes s i on

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II. The Rule of Faith: A Common Confession Summarized in the Creeds of Christian Faith

The dangers of creed-making are obvious. Creeds can become formal, complex, and abstract. They can be almost illimitably ex- panded. They can be superimposed on Scripture. Properly handled, however, they facilitate public confession, form a succinct basis of teaching, safeguard pure doctrine, and constitute an appropriate focus for the church's fellowship in faith. ~ G. W. Bromiley. “Creed.” Elwell’s Evangelical Dictionary of Theology Software , 1998-99.

A. What is the relationship between Creedal Theology and Scripture?

The Nicene Creed, while by no means can either be equated with or a substitute for the teaching of God’s Word, is nonetheless a reliable plumbline of the essential claims that make plain the historic orthodox faith of the Church.

1. Creed Scripture!

2. In both the technical and spiritual sense, creeds in any form ought never to be placed on the same level of importance or place as Scripture.

3. Creed is reasoned discourse, Scripture is revealed truth.

4. Creeds are formally not present in the Bible, but creeds do mean to express essential biblical data and truth.

5. Councils and summaries of critical truth are everywhere found in both the Old and New Testaments.

B. Creedal forms in the Scripture