The Athanasian Creed
In my continuing quest to expose the errors of Modalism, I thought it might be profitable to post the Athanasian Creed.
Unfortunately, creeds, confessions, and catechisms have fallen on hard times in our day, but I believe there is much we can learn from these historic writings as well as from men whom God raised up in centuries past.
The Athanasian Creed was written sometime in the 4th or 5th Centuries. Though the creed is named after Athanasius (a great defender of the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ), it's very probable that he wasn't the author. This creed is a wonderful definition of the orthodox Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead as well as the Divinity of Christ.
Please note: The word "catholic" in the creed should be understood as meaning "universal" and not a reference to Roman Catholicism.
The Athanasian Creed was written sometime in the 4th or 5th Centuries. Though the creed is named after Athanasius (a great defender of the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ), it's very probable that he wasn't the author. This creed is a wonderful definition of the orthodox Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead as well as the Divinity of Christ.
Please note: The word "catholic" in the creed should be understood as meaning "universal" and not a reference to Roman Catholicism.
The Athanasian Creed
1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.
9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.
14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;
18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.
26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.
34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.
35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.
36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;
39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;
40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. and shall give account of their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.
(photo: Athanasius, from Wikipedia.)
3 comments:
>The word "catholic" in the creed should be understood as meaning "universal" and not a reference to Roman Catholicism.
Actually, the word "catholic" in the Athanasian creed means the entire Catholic Church, all 23 of them. You are correct in that, although the Bishop of Rome has the largest flock, the Athanasian Creed is not exclusive to Latin Rite Catholics, but is applicable to all Catholics, including Melkite, Chaldean, Syrian, etc. As you are a Westerner, if you were baptized using a Trinitarian formula, you are a member of the Catholic Church at Rome, albeit as a seperated brother. You are just one profession of faith away from being in full communion with the Catholic Church, all 23 of them.
I, for one, would love to see Baptists and others adopt the ancient creeds. The creeds were provided by the Catholic Church to aid in ensuring that one gospel was preached and believed. The abandonment of the creeds by the Reformation led to fracturing and disunity among the Protestant denominations.
BTW, do you know where the word "catholic" appears in the Bible? Its in Acts 9:31, but you'll likely need a Greek version to read it. In most English translations εκκλησιαι καθ ολης (ekklesia kath olos) appears only as "church".
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%209:31;&version=69;
God bless...
I thought there was only ane, holy, catholic and apostolic church? :)
RK
Timothy, a majority of the Protestant churches did not abandon the ancient creeds, especially of Nicaea and prior. I once had a discussion on eschatology with a Lutheran chaplain, who was adamant that the ancient creeds and confessions could not be separated from the Christian faith, and even now the statements of faith for many Protestant churches begin with "I believe in one...Catholic church," the meaning of which, as Rhett stated, is 'universal,' a collective of all saints everywhere with Christ as the Head, not the pope. Hence it is not improper for a Christian to say, "I am Catholic, not Roman Catholic."
The very name 'Catholic' denotes universality and singularity. So despite the fact that there were around 23 branches of the church, yet there is still only one Catholic church comprised of all believers, and the city we seek isn't Rome, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Alexandria or Antioch.
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:14)
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. Galatians 4:26
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