EXPOSITION
OF
THE APOSTLES' CREED
By
THE REV. JAMES DODDS, D.D.
* * * * *
Though I am an old Doctor of Divinity, to this day I have not
got beyond the children's learning--the Ten Commandments, the
Belief, and the Lord's Prayer; and these I understand not so
well as I should, though I study them daily, praying with my son
John and my daughter Magdalen.--LUTHER'S _Table-Talk_.
* * * * *
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL NOTE
PREFATORY NOTE
INTRODUCTION
ARTICLE
1 I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
SECTION
1. I BELIEVE
2. GOD
3. THE FATHER
4. ALMIGHTY
5. MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
2 AND IN JESUS CHRIST HIS ONLY SON OUR LORD
SECTION
1. AND IN JESUS CHRIST
2. JESUS
3. CHRIST
4. HIS ONLY SON
5. OUR LORD
3 WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY
4 SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, WAS CRUCIFIED, DEAD, AND BURIED
SECTION
1. SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE
2. WAS CRUCIFIED
3. DEAD
4. AND BURIED
5 HE DESCENDED INTO HELL, THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD
SECTION
1. HE DESCENDED INTO HELL
2. THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD
6 HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
THE FATHER ALMIGHTY
7 FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
8 I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST
9 THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
SECTION
1. THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH
2. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
10 THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
11 THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY
12 AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING
* * * * *
APPENDIX
FOOTNOTES
SOME BOOKS ON THE APOSTLES' CREED OR BEARING UPON ARTICLES THEREOF
* * * * *
EDITORIAL NOTE
Dr. Dodds' _Exposition of the Apostles' Creed_ will supply a real
need. It contains a careful, well-informed, and well-balanced statement
of the doctrines of the Church which are expressed or indicated in the
Creed, and it will be helpful to many as arranging the passages of
Scripture on which these doctrines rest. Though historical references
could have been easily made, the Editors agree with the author in
thinking that to insert them in the discussion of doctrines would have
probably perplexed the readers for whom the book is designed.
_February_ 1896.
* * * * *
PREFATORY NOTE
The title and purpose of this Handbook limit its subject matter to an
exposition of the doctrines which have place in the summary of belief
termed the Apostles' Creed. It is not meant to cover the whole field of
Christian doctrine.
A history of the Creed has not been attempted. There is much that is
interesting in its origin and growth. It did not come into existence all
at once, but was built up from time to time by the insertion of clauses
formulated by Councils or by leading representatives of the Christian
Church. The space available is not sufficient to include a history.
The Handbook being not controversial but expository, references to the
heretics and heresies that gave occasion for the articles which have
place in the Creed are few and brief.
JAMES DODDS.
* * * * *
THE APOSTLES' CREED
INTRODUCTION
While the disciples had Jesus with them, there was no occasion for a
formal summary of the doctrines which His followers were called to
accept and to maintain. He was present to resolve all doubts and settle
all difficulties, so that when their faith was assailed or their
teaching impugned they could refer to Him. Then, as now, faith had Him
for its object,--with this difference, that He was visibly at hand to
counsel and to direct, while now He is passed into the heavens and
guides His people into all truth, not by personal instruction but by
His invisible though ever present Spirit.
Another reason why Jesus gave His disciples no creed may be found in the
fact that His work was not finished until He had laid down His life, and
that no creed could have been satisfactory which did not cover those
great unfulfilled events in His history that lie at the foundation of
the Christian religion.
Jesus did indeed require belief in Himself as a condition on which
healing and salvation were bestowed. Unbelief hindered His work, while
faith in His Messianic claims and mission never failed to secure a rich
blessing to those who confessed Him. The faith which He recognised was
not the acceptance and confession of a summary of doctrine such as any
of the Creeds now existing, but a simple statement of belief in Himself
as the Son of God and the Messiah. On one occasion only does He appear
to have called for a confession which went further than this, when,
having declared to Martha the great doctrine of Resurrection, He put to
her the question, "Believest thou this?"[001]
After His death and resurrection, when Jesus charged His disciples to
preach the Gospel, He bade them teach their followers to observe all
things whatsoever He had commanded them.[002] The Apostles, accordingly,
appear to have furnished the leaders of the churches they planted with
summaries of doctrine, such as we find in the fifteenth chapter of
Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians.[003] Paul seems to refer to
such a summary when he writes to the Romans commending them for
obedience to the "form of doctrine" which was delivered them,[004] and
when he bestows his benediction on those Galatians who walked according
to "this rule."[005] It was, doubtless, such a compendium of doctrine he
had in view when he charged Timothy to "keep that which was committed to
his trust," contrasting this "deposit" with "profane and vain babblings,
and oppositions of science falsely so called."[006] The bearing of this
charge is made more emphatic when it is repeated by the Apostle in
connection with the exhortation, "Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus."[007]
It would thus appear that from Apostolic times there existed a form of
words of the character of a creed, which, for some reason, came to be
jealously guarded and concealed from all who were not Christians. It was
perhaps Paul's reference to the summary of doctrine as a "deposit" to be
carefully kept, that led the early converts to regard it as a private
possession--a trust to be hidden in the heart and covered from
unfriendly eyes. The Apostle did not mean that it should be so regarded,
but this interpretation given to his words, or some other cause, led to
its being used as a watchword rather than as an open confession, the
consequence of which is that in the writings of the earliest Christian
fathers no statement of doctrines corresponding to a creed is found.
The absence of creeds or of allusions to them in the oldest Christian
treatises gives seeming point to the objection urged by Professor
Harnack and others against the Apostles' Creed as now held and
interpreted by the Church, that it is not a correct summary of early
Christian belief. That such objections are not well founded will become
apparent as the various articles of the Creed are considered in the
light of Apostolic teaching. The absence of creeds in early Christian
writings is sufficiently accounted for by the care with which the
summary was cherished as a secret trust, to be treasured in the memory
but not to be written or otherwise profaned by publicity.
The word "creed"--derived from the Latin "_credo_, I believe"--is,
in its ecclesiastical sense, used to denote a summary or concise
statement of doctrines formulated and accepted by a church. Although
usually connected with religious belief, it has a wider meaning, and
designates the principles which an individual or an associated body so
holds that they become the springs and guides of conduct. Some sects of
Christians reject formal creeds and profess to find the Scriptures
sufficient for all purposes that creeds are meant to serve. The
Christian religion rests on Christ, and the final appeal on any question
of doctrine must be to the Scriptures which testify of Him: but it is
found that very different conclusions are often reached by those who
profess to ground their beliefs upon the same passages of the Word of
God. Almost every heresy that has disturbed the unity of the Church has
been advocated by men who appealed to Scripture in confirmation of the
doctrines they taught. The true teaching of the Word of God is gathered
from careful and continuous searching of the Scriptures, and there is
danger of fatal error when conclusions are drawn from isolated passages
interpreted in accordance with preconceived opinions. It has been found
not only expedient but needful that the Christian Churches should set
forth in creeds and confessions the doctrines which they believe the
Scriptures affirm. They are bound not only to accept Scripture as the
rule of faith, but to make known the sense in which they understand it.
As unlearned and unstable men wrest and subvert the Sacred Writings, it
is fitting that those who are learned and not unstable should publish
sound expositions of their contents. In the light of creeds, converts
are enabled to test their own position, and to put to proof the claims
of those who profess to be teachers of Christian doctrine.
One of the most widely accepted of these forms is the Apostles' Creed,
so called, not because it was drawn up by, or in the time of, the
Apostles--although there is a tradition to the effect that each of them
contributed a clause--but because it is in accordance with the sum of
Apostolic teaching. The history of this Creed is not easily traced. The
care with which it was guarded excluded it from the writings of the
early fathers, and it is impossible, therefore, to assign to their
proper dates, with certainty, some of the articles of which it is
composed. This, however, is evident, that it came gradually into
existence, clauses being added from time to time to guard the faithful
against false doctrine, or to enable them to defend the orthodox belief.
It appears to have been the general creed of the Christian Church, in a
form very similar to that which it now bears, from the close of the
second century.[008] At that time and afterwards it served not only as a
test of Christian doctrine, but was also used by catechists in training
and instructing candidates for admission to the Church.
It is sometimes urged as an objection to this Creed that it is not a
sufficiently comprehensive summary of Christian doctrine. Those who
object to it on this ground should consider the purpose of creeds. They
were not meant to cover the whole field of Christian faith, but to
fortify believers against the teaching of heretics. The Apostles' Creed
was not intended, and does not profess, to state all the things that
Christians ought to believe. There is no reference in it to Scripture,
to Inspiration, to Prayer, or to the Sacraments. It sets forth in a few
words, distinct and easily remembered, the existence and relations to
men of the three Persons of the Godhead--those facts and truths on
which all doctrine and duty rest, and from which they find development.
It is especially objected that there is no reference in this Creed to
the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. But, though not directly
expressed, this doctrine is really and substantially contained in it.
The Creed is the confession of those whose bond of union is common
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The articles which
treat of Him and of His sufferings and work are intelligible only to
those who believe in the reality and efficacy of the Atonement.
The Creed contains twelve articles, and to each of these, and to every
part of it, the words "I believe" belong. One article relates to God the
Father, six to God the Son, one to God the Holy Ghost, and four to the
Holy Catholic Church and the privileges secured to its members. These
articles are--
1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth.
2. And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord,
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary,
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried,
5. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the
dead,
6. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God
the Father Almighty;
7. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost,
9. The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of saints;
10. The Forgiveness of sins;
11. The Resurrection of the body,
12. And the Life Everlasting.
In estimating the value of creeds in the early ages of the Christian
Church, it is important to bear in mind that the converts were almost
wholly dependent on oral instruction for their knowledge of Divine
truth. Copies of the Old and New Testaments existed in manuscript only.
These were few in number, and the cost of production placed them beyond
the reach of the great majority. A single copy served for a community or
a district in which the Hebrew or the Greek tongue was understood, but
in localities where other languages were in use the living voice was
needed to make revelation known. It is only since the invention of
printing and the application of the steam-engine to the economical and
rapid production of books, and since modern linguists have multiplied
the translations of the Bible, that it has become in their own tongues
accessible to believers in all lands, available for private perusal and
family reading. It was therefore a necessity that Christians should
possess "a form of sound words," comprehensive enough to embody the
leading doctrines of Christianity, yet brief enough to be easily
committed to memory.
* * * * *
ARTICLE 1
_1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth_
SECTION 1.--I BELIEVE
The Creed is the expression of personal belief. Whether spoken in
private or in a public assembly, it is the confession of the faith held
by each individual for himself. Each of us has a separate life, and each
of us must personally accept God's message and express his own belief.
Religion must influence men as units before it can benefit them in
masses. Faith that saves is a gift of God which every one must receive
for himself. The faith of one is of no avail for another, therefore the
Creed begins with the affirmation "_I_ believe." In repeating it we
profess our own faith in what God has revealed concerning Himself.
"I _believe_."--The Apostles' Creed is a declaration of things
which are most surely believed among us, and its several parts or
articles are founded upon the contents of Scripture, which is our one
rule of faith. It does not begin with the words _I think_ or _I
know_, but with the statement "I believe." "Belief" is used in
various senses, but here it means the assent of the mind and heart to
the doctrines expressed in the Creed. When we repeat the form we declare
that we accept and adopt all the statements which it covers. "With the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made."[009]
Faith differs from knowledge. There are some things which we know to be
true, and there are others of which we say we believe them to be true.
There are certain truths which are termed axiomatic. When the terms in
which they are expressed are understood, the truth they convey is at
once admitted. We know that two and two make four, we know that two
straight lines cannot enclose a space; but we do not know in the same
sense those things which the Creed affirms. It deals with statements
that, for the most part, have never been, and cannot be, tested by
sense, and that cannot be demonstrated by such proof as will compel us
to accept them. We believe them, not because it is impossible to
withhold our assent, nor only because nature, history, and conscience
confirm them, but on the ground of testimony. "Faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the Word of God."[010] We believe because we are assured
on sufficient and competent authority that these things are so. We know
that we live in a material universe, but our knowledge does not extend
to the manner in which the universe came into being. That is a matter of
belief. "Through faith"--not by ocular or logical proof, but on
testimony--"we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of
God."[011]
Faith differs from opinion. When a man believes his mind is made up. By
whatever process it may have been reached, the conclusion commends
itself as one that is fixed and irreversible. Opinion, on the other
hand, is held loosely. It is based not on certainty but on probability.
The possibility of error is recognised, and the opinion is readily
surrendered when the grounds on which it was formed are seen to be
insufficient or misleading. "A man," says Coleridge, "having seen a
million moss roses all red, concludes from his own experience and that
of others that all moss roses are red. That is a maxim with him--the
_greatest_ amount of his knowledge upon the subject. But it is only
true until some gardener has produced a white moss rose,--after which
the maxim is good for nothing."[012]
The testimony on which faith rests is human or Divine. It is human in so
far as it is based on human experience and observation. It is Divine in
so far as it rests upon the direct revelation of God. Faith in man is
continually exercised in business and in all the departments of life. It
is necessary to the very existence of society. Faith in God moves in
another sphere. Its objects are not seen or temporal, and they do not
rest for proof upon the testimony of man. It receives and assents to
statements which are made on the authority of God, who knows all things,
who therefore cannot be deceived, and who is truth and therefore cannot
deceive us. On this Divine rock of faith, and not upon her own
knowledge, the Christian Church rests. "If we receive the witness of
men, the witness of God is greater."[013] Among Christian virtues faith
stands first. It must precede everything else. It is the foundation on
which all Christian character and life are built. "He that cometh unto
God must believe that he is."[014] "Without faith it is impossible to
please God."[015]
That which Christian faith realises and grasps is expressed in doctrine.
Faith is not a separate and self-dependent grace. Its existence and
growth arise from those things which are believed, and therefore it is
necessary to study and understand, as far as we can, the doctrines of
the Christian faith before we can possess or manifest belief. It is
important that we should have a definite knowledge of these doctrines;
that we should study them in relation to the Scriptures upon which they
profess to be founded, and that we should be in a position to defend
them against assailants. Thus faith will gather strength, and believers
will be "ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh them a
reason of the hope that is in them with meekness and fear."[016]