The early church had a lot of obstacles to overcome, both internal and external. Of note today were the internal disagreements about what believers truly believed. Heretical beliefs had crept into church about who Christ was. These beliefs included Docetism (the belief that Christ only appeared to be human, but that Christ did not become fully human), Adoptionism (the belief that Christ was simply a human man who became divine at his baptism), Modalism (the belief that Christ was a “mode” that God could exist in, this view opposes the trinitarian existence of God), and Arianism (the belief that Christ is the greatest of the created being, that there was time that he did not exist, and that Christ was very much like God but was not fully God). Arianism threatened to split the church (CCU, 2022).
The Nicene creed arose as an outcome of the council called to clear up the different ideas about Christ and who he was, particularly Arianism. The Nicene Creed states clearly that Christ was not created, because Christ existed from the beginning. This is scripturally defended by John 1:1-3 which states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (ESV).
The Chalcedon Creed was the outcome of another council called in response to other heretical views regarding Christ’s humanity and divinity and aimed to clear up the language used to ensure that “God’s Word regarding Christ [was] faithfully preserved” (CCU, 2022). The heretical views that this creed attempted to rebuke included Apollinarianism (the belief that Christ was fully divine, but only partially man), Eutychianism (the belief that Christ was somehow both yet neither fully human nor divine, rather he was a new thing, a sort of blended divine-human nature that was neither really human nor really God), and Nestorianism (the belief that Christ was fully human in one person and fully divine in another person, meaning that Christ had two distinct persons in which his distinct natures appeared). The Chalcedon creed states that Christ is both fully human, and fully divine in one, undivided person (Schaff, 1877).
The Apostles’ creed arose over time, in fragments, as a beautiful short summary of the Christian faith. It grew out of Peter’s confession, but was not written by the Apostles themselves, rather it formed as a tradition and is a product of the western church.
The Apostles’ creed was and is an excellent, short summary of the Christian faith. It is lays out all the basic beliefs, while staying short enough to make the point. This simplicity makes it popular for use in many settings, across ages and station, to adequately summarize the belief of a Christian (Schaff, 1877). This “simplicity and brevity” makes it a good choice for new believers, for young believers, for those who are coming to Christ and need words to express their newfound faith in a way they can understand (Schaff, 1877, pg 16). Unfortunately, this same simplicity makes this creed “insufficient” when it comes to regulation and decision making for more advanced knowledge or questions (Schaff, 1877).
This creed, though not fully formed in its modern form until around the fifth or sixth century, was easy to adapt in the early church to whatever the present need was based on the congregation while still holding true to Scriptural truth (Schaff, 1877). Today it can be particularly helpful in Bible classes and church. The common church goer spends most of their week preoccupied with their job, their schooling, their families, entertainment, and far fewer than the apostles’ time spend concentrated time and effort on learning and discussing theology. As a culture, we have shifted away from religion at large, with many believing there is no need for a God when science has come so far. It is this dangerous belief that we as a church must overcome, and as with any child (of faith), it is best to start with soft foods (a simple creed, without confusion).
Is knowing the Apostle’s creed important? Yes. Why? Because how can believers defend their faith when they cannot adequately explain what they believe? The Apostle’s creed is perfect for those without the luxury of a career in ministry. It avoids the nuances that can be twisted into attacks, while still vocalizing the full spirit of Christian belief. There are many agents of the world working against Christianity (atheism, cults, false teachers, “alternate” Christianity, etc), and one is best prepared to stay the course when one knows what course it is they are trying to stay. This is not to say that nuances of faith are unimportant, but the big picture of what the Christian Faith is ought to be our priority.
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; Who was born by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary; was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried; The third day he rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; The Holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.
Nicene Creed translation published by Faith Alive Christian Resources, 1988.
References:
Colorado Christian University. 2022. Theological Developments in the Early Church. HIS-211A. www.blackboard.ccu.edu
Schaff, P. (1877). Apostles Creed. Creeds of Christendom, vol. 1 (6th ed.). Harper & Brothers. Retrieved from https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.ii.html
Schaff, P. (1877). The Nicene Creed. Creeds of Christendom, vol. 1 (6th ed.). Harper & Brothers. Retrieved from https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.iii.html
Schaff, P. (1877). The Creed of Chalcedon. Creeds of Christendom, vol. 1 (6th ed.). Harper & Brothers. Retrieved from https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/creeds1.iv.iv.html
For further reading, I recommend Ian Shaw’s book Christianity: The Biography.