Make-Up: October 31st – Introduction of the Creed

Make-Up:

We ask you to read the material below. The material will include "deep thought", our key words (definition), scripture (link - please read) and some general thoughts. We ask you to read all material and then comment in the comments section. Share one key thought or concept that came to you and how it will make a difference.

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Apostle Creed (Introduction)

Today started a 4-week series on the Apostle Creed. This lesson was an introduction/overview of the Creed. The next three will be each article (three articles - one a week).



The above picture is a stained glass window dedicated to the Three Articles of the Creed

Bible Text:

Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:28–34

Lesson Focus:

The Apostles' Creed states our shared beliefs as a community of faith.

Big Question:

What do I believe?

Key Words:

CREED, BELIEF, CHURCH, MONOTHEISM, TRINITY

Definition of Key Words

CREED: a statement of belief.

BELIEF: an affirmed or accepted truth.

CHURCH: the community of faith, known in the Apostles' Creed as the "communion of saints."

MONOTHEISM: the belief in one God.

TRINITY: God as three persons in one being.

Going Deep

Our creeds are grounded in biblical statements of belief. Deuteronomy 6:21–25 and 26:5–9 are ancient Israelite creeds. The New Testament echoes the ancient Israelite confession, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone" (Deuteronomy 6:4). Asked which commandment is greatest, Jesus began, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Mark 12:29).

Confessing God as the author of all things (Romans 11:36), Paul argued the unity of Jews and Gentiles based on the ancient confession of God's unity (Romans 3:29). New Testament formulations reflect distinctly Christian beliefs. Paul wrote, "For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist" (1 Corinthians 8:6). Philippians 2:6–11 emphasizes Jesus' human humiliation in suffering obedience and exaltation as Lord. Colossians 1:16–20 confesses Jesus as the revelation of God, the source with God of creation, existing before creation with God, and God's reconciling peace through the cross. In its tripartite structure, the Apostles' Creed reflects our understanding of God as triune (Matthew 28:19).

A creed is a group's confession or statement of shared belief about who God is and how God acts. In a creed a tradition or community of believers says, "This is what we teach." At different times different aspects of a creed may be more important to us than other parts. Our doubts, certainties, or questions about the meaning of particular phrases may vary.

The church's most basic creedal statement is "Jesus is Lord." Who is Jesus? What is Jesus' relationship to God? Creeds are formulated amid theological controversies about such questions and amid the Christian community's desire to define itself. The Apostles' Creed was a response to Marcionism and Gnosticism. Marcion, a second-century Christian, taught the heresy that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Apostles' Creed emphasizes the doctrine of God as the Trinity and of God as Creator, affirming that the Creator God of the Old Testament and the God of Jesus Christ are one. The Creed addressed Gnosticism by asserting Jesus' humanity (the incarnation) and God's sovereignty over heaven and earth, material and spiritual reality.

Roman in origin, the Apostles' Creed is the creed most commonly used in Western Christianity—Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. It took the form that we recognize by the eighth century. Legend said that the apostles each contributed a phrase. Though that is indeed legend, the Creed reflects theological formulations from the apostolic period and was in use at the end of the first century. The creedal questions asked in the Lutheran baptismal rite resemble the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus (c. 215 C.E.), the earliest form we have of the Apostles' Creed. During the persecutions of the second and third centuries, some Christians denied their faith. The words "I believe in the forgiveness of sins" responded to the question of whether these Christians could be readmitted to the church's fellowship. "Holy" and "catholic" (third article) developed in the fifth century, resolving a debate in northern Africa about whether the church was inclusive or excluded all but a few. In Greek and Latin texts as well, for example, as in current German and French texts and all English texts until 1543, the Apostles' Creed refers to "the resurrection of the flesh."

Small Group Connection

Creative Writing Option: Creed Poems

Invite students to develop an acrostic for the word creed. Tell them that an acrostic is a poem or statement that explains more about a word by using each letter from that word. Get them started by providing them with paper and having them write the word creed vertically on the piece of paper. When all are done, ask for volunteers to share what they have done. If they are interested in other types of poetry writing, you could challenge them to write poems using other poetic forms, such as haiku or limericks.

Debrief the activity with these questions:

• Does writing about the Creed help you think about it in a different way?
• Over thousands of years, poets and songwriters have written about their beliefs. Do you think there are still writers today who do this?
• If you had to choose one word that sums up your beliefs, what would it be?