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Book of Confessions<br />
Formalized Statements of Faith<br />
• Creed<br />
• Confession<br />
• Catechism<br />
• Declaration
Book of Confessions<br />
Formalized Statements of Faith<br />
• Universally<br />
Recognized and<br />
Acknowledged<br />
• Reformed<br />
• <strong>Presbyterian</strong>
What do <strong>Presbyterian</strong>s believe about confessions?<br />
Why Do We ‘Confess’ Our Faith?<br />
http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/today/confessions/<br />
• We have confessions because of the Scriptural precedent of being<br />
confessional.<br />
• We have confessions because we are a community of believers, not<br />
a random collection of individuals.<br />
• We have confessions because we are fallible human beings, prone<br />
to error, and inclined to forget who and whose we are. We need<br />
guidance and continual reminders about what we believe.<br />
• We have confessions because we believe faith has an intellectual<br />
component as well as an experiential one.<br />
• We have confessions because we are an evangelical church.<br />
• Our confessional statements serve as road maps to the Reformed<br />
faith.
Creed<br />
a statement of faith which begins with the words<br />
“I believe” and expresses a<br />
Biblically based doctrinal faith<br />
The Latin word “credo” means “I believe”
Doctrine<br />
Doctrine is simply stating what the<br />
Bible teaches about God<br />
theological truth<br />
distilled from scripture<br />
which forms a fundamental basis of faith and is<br />
recognized by a segment of the <strong>Church</strong><br />
The Greek word translated “doctrine”<br />
is also translated “teaching”
Orthodoxy<br />
• Ortho: right, correct; doxy: doctrine, teaching<br />
• The purpose of orthodoxy is not to control<br />
people or force them to believe a certain thing,<br />
though that has sadly always been one way<br />
orthodoxy has been used against people in order<br />
to force conformity.<br />
• The true purpose of orthodoxy was and is to shed<br />
light on the path we tread. Orthodoxy intends to<br />
avoid as much wrong action that results from<br />
wrong belief.<br />
• Far from conformity, orthodoxy offers us freedom<br />
to express our faith uniquely and creatively.
Scripture<br />
influences, shapes, and determines...<br />
Faith<br />
Doctrine<br />
drawn from scripture,<br />
summarizes and interprets . . .
Biblical Creeds<br />
statements of faith in scripture<br />
• Deuteronomy 6: 4<br />
• Ephesians 4:4-6<br />
• Philippians 2:5-11<br />
• Colossians 1:15-20<br />
• 1 Timothy 3:16<br />
• 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
Apostles’ Creed<br />
• Oldest<br />
• Legendary<br />
• Most Familiar<br />
• Purpose<br />
Didactic<br />
• Baptismal<br />
• Unifier<br />
• Refuge
Context, Context, Context<br />
Creeds and Confessions were responsive<br />
to the contextual challenges<br />
• False Teachings<br />
• Misunderstandings due to mixing various<br />
religious traditions<br />
• Aberrant theologies<br />
• Gnosticism
Present Contextual Challenges<br />
• Dumb it down<br />
• Major in the minors<br />
• Personal vs. Social<br />
• Diminish the consequences<br />
• Confusing conviction for ignorance<br />
• Emphasize the similarities and diminish the<br />
uniqueness
Confession<br />
• “Be ready to speak up and tell<br />
anyone who asks why you’re living<br />
the way you are, and always with<br />
the utmost courtesy.”<br />
1 Peter 3:15 The Message<br />
• What do you<br />
believe?<br />
• What is your<br />
creed?
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