Comment to 'How did we get from the Sermon on the Mount to the Nicene Creed?'
  • David, I agree that several confessions of faith or creeds are found in the bible. It is likely that "Jesus is Lord," was a very early one. In I Corinthians 12:3 Paul stated that no one can truly confess Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit. Also in Philippians 2:10-11 it is found.
    A more lengthy one is found in 1 Timothy 3:16

    16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

    God was manifested in the flesh,
    Justified in the Spirit,
    Seen by angels,
    Preached among the Gentiles,
    Believed on in the world,
    Received up in glory.

    It is most likely that even then they were working on establishing the foundations of the Christian faith verses other belief systems that some might thought were based upon Christ.
    Modern scholars teach that there were "Christianities," in the First Century. I disagree, and am truly thankful that we have our Old and New Testaments to confirm what we know were the "essential" beliefs.
    The Apostle's Creed was certainly important for then as well as now. At the same time we could learn much from considering the importance of practicing the faith we confess.