The Biblical Case for Creedalism

The Biblical Case for Creedalism

Although there was benefit to the dialogue on Creedalism and Non-Creedalism, there was one glaring oversight: explanations of our respective views with biblical support. The format and time constraints tended to lead us towards clarifying and interacting with each other’s views. David Dean and I have both written on these subjects in the past, and the resources we recommended are informative of our positions.

Since the matters at hand are not inconsequential, there is, I believe, tremendous value in sharing a concise, direct presentation of my own position: creedalism. It is my conviction that the following view faithfully represents both the charge to the Church given by God in his Word, and the example set down by the earliest churches, as recorded in God’s Word.

This is not intended to be a thorough explanation and defense, though I would be glad to speak with anyone individually to go deeper on these matters. What you will find below is a simple series of statements followed by supporting Scripture references that, when pieced together, form a simple, but not exhaustive, explanation of the biblical case for creedalism and the Church’s need to faithfully practice it. 

1. The Bible, since it is God’s Word, is the ultimate and final authority of matters of faith and practice.
   II Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 17:11; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 5:21

2. There are foundational truths to the Christian faith that are clearly revealed in Scripture.
   Hebrews 5:11-6:2; I Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 4:4-6; II John 1:9; Hebrews 2:1-4

3. Christians are called by God to publicly profess the faith.
   Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:8-10

4. The Church is called to corporately confess faith.
   Hebrews 4:14; 10:23; I Timothy 6:12-13; Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 15:5-6

5. Saving faith consists in the knowledge of, assent to, and trust in the objective truths revealed by God in his Word.
   Hebrews 11:1, 6; James 2:19; John 20:30-31

6. Scripture itself contains creedal summaries of doctrine.
   Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:6-11; I Corinthians 8:6; 15:3-5; I Timothy 3:16; 6:15-16; II Timothy 2:11-13

7. The doctrine revealed in God’s Word is entrusted to the church.
   II Timothy 1:13-14; 2:2; Jude 1:3; II Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6; I Timothy 6:20; Acts 20:28-31

8. The Church is called to pass down sound doctrine from one generation to the next.
   Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 78:1-8; II Timothy 2:2

9. The Church is called to test doctrine according to God’s Word.
   Acts 17:11; I Thessalonians 5:21; I John 4:1-3

10. The Church is responsible to guard and display the doctrine entrusted to it.
    I Timothy 3:15-16; Philippians 1:27; 2:15-16; I Peter 3:15; Acts 15:22-29

11. The Church is warned against false teachers.
    Acts 20:29-31; Titus 3:10-11; II Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4

12. Elders (pastors) are called to teach sound doctrine and refute error, which requires knowing what sound doctrine is.
    Acts 2:42; Titus 1:9; 2:1; I Timothy 1:3-11; 4:6, 16; II Timothy 4:1-5

13. The church is called to distinguish truth from error.
    Galatians 1:6-9; Romans 16:17; I John 4:1-6; II John 1:7-11

14. The Church is called to unity in Christ through a shared confession of the truth and a life consistent with that truth.
    I Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:4-13; Philippians 2:2; Romans 12:16

15. The church receives new believers on the basis of their confession of faith.
    Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-38; Romans 10:8-10

A creed is simply the Church’s public confession of what it believes Scripture teaches and it covenants together to uphold, defend, and pass down to future generations. It is not a rival to the authority of Scripture, but a servant of it, seeking to faithfully summarize and safeguard “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).”