In the creeds the church has preserved the truth of the gospel and identity of Jesus in the face of false teachers and false teaching. While many churches have incorporated the creeds into their worship services, there are still many who remain confused as to the creed’s source, occasion, and purpose.
Matthew 7:23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘Depart from me you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you.”
Matthew 16:13-16
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Observations:
- Defining – “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
- Personal – “But what about you?”
- Confessional – “Who do you say I am?”
- “Creed” means – “I believe”
- The Creed (1) Preserves the faith (2) Protects the faith
- Creeds were use at baptism
- Creeds define Christians and are kept by Christians
False Teachers & False Teachings
False Teachers
Marcion taught:
- God of the Old Testament was different than the God of the New
- There was a evil god that created the world
- Jesus was not Jewish and was only a spirit being
False Teachings
Gnosticism
- The world was created by an evil god
- Everything physical is evil, everything spiritual is good
- You don’t need forgiveness, but rather enlightenment or secret knowledge
- The resurrection is only spiritual
Docetism
Jesus only “seemed” to appear in the flesh
- Did not suffer
- Did not die
- Was not buried
- Did not rise from the dead
2 Extra Notes:
- “Hell” means the grave / the dead
- “catholic” means “universal” from kata + holos
Conclusion:
- For Jesus to be the Lord, He must be “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”
- For Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the Living God”, He must be confessed and defined according to the truths from the Apostles’ Creed.
Application:
If you know Him as the Lord, you must know Him as your Lord.
What do you believe about what you believe?
I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,And in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into the grave. On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen