Is the Apostle's Creed Something We Really Need?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom address questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question:  “Dear Dave and T. A., I recently read an article by D. James Kennedy entitled, ‘Reasons to Believe in the Holy Catholic Church.’  In the article he explained that the term ‘catholic’ does not refer to a specific denomination but rather to the universal church which is comprised of all true believers.  He’s right of course, but the article is taken from his book, Back to Basics, The Apostle’s Creed and What it Means to You.  I’m a bit skeptical when someone refers to creeds and confessions as standards of the faith.  Aren’t they manufactured by men and don’t they displace the Word of God?”

Tom:

Dave, let me just mention two creeds, the Apostle’s Creed certainly, but there’s also the Nicene Creed and what we are finding is that these are vehicles for ecumenism, supposedly among Christian, but—

Dave:

They don’t have the gospel in them, do they?  

Tom:

No, they don’t, that’s why—well, here’s an example.  Now the Apostle’s Creed—as a former Roman Catholic, that was one creed I had to memorize so I know that pretty well.  The Nicene Creed is very much like it, but let me just quote a comment with regard to the Nicene Creed.  In liturgical churches it is said every Sunday is part of the liturgy.  It is common ground for Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups.  Dave, in going through the internet, just looking at what was on there with regard to creeds, you can find every church sets that right up right front, particularly the Apostle’s Creed, as this is our statement of faith, but as you said, where is the doctrine?

Dave:

What does it say about the—Tom, I don’t have one before me and I know that it says that Christ—

Tom:

Well let me quote the Apostle’s Creed.  “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead—(Oh, by the way, some change hell to the abode of the dead), but as a Catholic I learned it was hell)—and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.  From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting, amen.

Dave:

Okay Tom, now read the Nicene Creed, just the part that has to do with Jesus.

Tom:

Okay.We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.  Through him all things were made.  For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.  It goes on and says:  For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried.  On the third day he arose again and accordance with the scriptures he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

Dave:

I’m interested in what it says about Christ.  The Apostle’s Creed—He suffered under Pontius Pilate.  And then the Nicene Creed:  For our sake he was crucified.  But the fact that Jesus was crucified isn’t going to save anyone.  He had to pay the penalty that his own infinite justice demanded for sin and neither of these creeds makes that clear.  This is not the gospel that Paul preached.  Furthermore, the Apostle’s Creed—I’m sorry Tom, I could say, is this a joke?  The apostles never heard of the Apostle’s Creed.  So, that kind of bothers me a bit, when we try to pass this off—

Tom:

Well traditions, legends say that they may have gotten together and—

Dave:

No, never, never.  Now, what we want to go by is the Bible.  That’s what this program is called, “Search the Scriptures Daily.”  What we have here is, as you pointed out, this is a vehicle for ecumenism.  Here is a watered down version condensed that we can all accept.

Tom:

Dave, “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” is just one example.

Dave:

That was a document.

Tom:

This is a the pillar of the document so that Catholics, Roman Catholics could evangelize with along with evangelicals.

Dave:

And this is what brought them together.  They said we both accept the Apostle’s Creed, therefore we must agree on everything, we must be Christians.  You would never become a Christian through the Apostle’s Creed or the Nicene Creed.

Tom:

It was never written, Dave, originally to deal with Gnosticism, to deal with heresies, Aryanism in the church, but now they are used as a device to gather around.

Dave:

Yes, okay, so we have condensation of a supposed faith.  It’s not totally biblical, it does not include the gospel of Jesus Christ, the apostles never heard of it.  The Nicene Creed—Counsel of Nicea was called by Constantine the emperor who could have cared less. All he wanted was to unite his empire.  They were divided on whether Jesus was really God.  Now it does make that very clear but it doesn’t make clear why he died.  He was crucified for our sake, but what does that mean?  So, I am concerned about ecumenism because we’ve come to the least common denominator and we have left out that which is essential for our salvation.

Tom:

Yes and Dave, one last thing, I know a lot of people—you ask them about their beliefs and immediately turn to creeds, confessions.  Again, if you fall short on those so-called vehicles, it’s going to keep you away from knowing what the gospel is, what the Bible says, and so forth.