“We have no creed but the Bible,” said the preachers of my youth. Indeed, this is the mantra of many fundamentalists groups and, often, groups which spin off into heresy and cultism. That does not prove it to be an incorrect statement, but that is a fact.
What are you saying when you claim, “I have no creed but the Bible”?
What Is a Creed?
Creed comes from the Latin credo, which means “I believe.” The Nicene Creed (325 A.D. – see an English translation at the end of this article) begins with “Credo in unum Deum” (I believe in one God).
So having a creed means I can say or write what I believe to be true based on my understanding of God’s Holy Word. The explanation and vocalization of my belief is not inspired by the Holy Spirit, but it tells what I believe to be true.
Why Are Some against Creeds?
Problems arise when we start treating our creed as Scripture, elevating it to the same level of authority as God’s holy word. We can have a great deal of respect for a solid, time-tested creed, while at the same time allowing God’s word to reign supreme over it.
If it’s already in God’s word, why would you need to write it outside of the Bible?
A Look at the Nicene Creed
If you read the Nicene Creed below, you’ll see statements clarifying who the Father is, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Each line is supported in Scripture, but this creed challenged some false teachings of the time. Some claimed Jesus was fully God and did not come in the flesh. Some claimed Jesus was flesh but was not really divine. Some claimed that when Jesus was “begotten of God” He then came into existence. The Nicene Creed combats all of those errors by asserting Jesus was fully God, fully man, and “begotten from the Father before all ages…begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father.”
Today, if you talk with a Jehovah’s Witness, for example, you will need to discuss the nature of Jesus Christ. They teach that Jesus is Michael the Archangel and the very first (and highest) created being. Colossians 1.15 says Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” They take this to mean that He was the “first created” of all the created things—not the firstborn over all creation. Thus they reject the doctrine of the Trinity.
If you talk with Mormons today, you will need to discuss the nature of Jesus Christ. According to thegospelcoalition.org,
Unlike Christian Trinitarianism (one God existing in three Persons), Mormons believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. They also believe the Father and Son each have a “body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s” but that the Holy Ghost “has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.” According to Joseph Smith, when Adam was formed in the image of God, it was a physical image. God the Father was once a mortal who lived on an earth. He died, was resurrected, glorified, and grew into his deified status. (According to Joseph Smith, there is a “God above the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”) God the Father is the literal father of all spirit-children, including Jesus and the Holy Ghost, whose divinity is derived from the parent-child relationship. Within Mormonism, Jesus is identified with the Yahweh of the Old Testament.[1]
The Essential Trinity
All cults and heretical groups seem to depart from the Bible doctrine of God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Nicene Creed was written to clarify and summarize Biblical teaching on who God is in order to combat these errors. This does not remove the need for close Bible study, but it keeps the truth foremost in the minds of Christians who might recite the creed on a regular basis.
Paul identified seven ONES that Christians should be most concerned about: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4.4–6, emphasis mine, NW). Scattered through the list are the three Persons of God, so true Christians must continue to teach and champion God in three Persons (even if the word trinity is not found in the Bible!).
How Do Creeds Help Christians?
I am not contending for the Nicene Creed as something that must be formally adopted by a church in order to make sure it’s a real church of Christ. I am making the case, though, that creeds can be tools, tethers, and teachers. The early church had creeds, some of which are recorded in Scripture for us. Christ has always wanted us to confess our faith, which has to do with confessing Him (1 Tim. 5.12–16; Luke 8.44–48; Rom. 10.9–10).
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
(1 Tim. 3.16)
I have met some men who lavishly quote the Bible, but I have never met a man who exclusively spoke Scripture. When we teach and preach, we are called to explain the meaning of the Scripture (Neh. 8.8). This creates “I believe” statements. “I believe the Bible means this…”
Even when a man says, “I have no creed but the Bible,” isn’t he saying, “I believe there should be no creed but the Bible”? And in saying that, he has spoken his creed aloud. When we say, “We speak where the Bible speaks and are silent where the Bible is silent,” we are speaking aloud something we believe to be right and true and Scriptural. And amen. But let us recognize our informally written creeds are also creeds of men.
We should not fall on either side of the balance beam. On one side we could consider creeds of men to be as authoritative as Scripture itself. On the other side, we could consider the creeds of men to be anathema, sinful, and sending folks to hell should they hang on to one. Neither is right. Neither is healthy. Neither is balanced. Trust in Christ alone and enjoy and use the tools He gave the church for our good.
The Nicene Creed
I 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 I 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.
[1] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-mormonism/