How important is a creed? “But unfortunately language is valuable only as the expression of thought. The English word God has no particular virtue in itself; it is not more beautiful than other words. Its importance depends altogether upon the meaning which is attached to it. When, therefore, the liberal preacher says that Jesus is God, the significance of the utterance depends altogether upon what is meant by God. And it has already been observed that when the liberal preacher uses the word God, he means something entirely different from that which the Christian means by the same word. God, at least according to the logical trend of modern liberalism, is not a person separate from the world, but merely the unity that pervades the world. To say, therefore, that Jesus is God means merely that the life of God, which appears in all men, appears with special clearness or richness in Jesus. Such an assertion is diametrically opposed to the Christian belief in the deity of Christ.” Excerpt From: J. Gresham Machen. “Christianity and Liberalism.” Here is the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed originated at the Council of Nicea (325), and an expanded form was adopted by the Council of Chalcedon (451). It was formulated to answer heresies that denied the biblical doctrine of the Trinity and the person of Christ. It is one of the three creeds referred to in the Belgic Confession, along with the Apostles Creed and the Athanasian Creed. [Belgic Confession, Article 9] We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who, for us and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried; and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; and we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. No semantical problems here in terms of who the person of Christ is.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 04:19:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015