During the Civil War a man from a border state decided to play it safe and remain neutral. To show his nonpartisan stance he put on a Union jacket and Confederate pants. Guess what happened? The Confederates shot him in the chest and Union soldiers shot him in the rear. It’s usually true, people who stand for nothing will fall for anything.
Down through the centuries, the Christian church has held fast to the historic tenets of the faith. Through persecution and sometimes ridicule, the church has held on. This historic faith has been expressed through various creeds of faith.
Perhaps the two most important creeds are the Nicene Creed, going back to the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and the Apostles’ Creed, which goes back equally as far. Some suggest that it is even older. Theologian Justo Gonzalez states, “We now know that the origins of the Apostles’ Creed can be traced back as far as the middle of the second century, where a formula very similar to the Creed itself was used in Rome.”
What has the Christian faith taught and believed for centuries? The ancient creeds of the church help us begin to understand.
I am currently presenting a series of sermons on The Apostles’ Creed. If you are not active in a church, I invite you to join us as we grow in our faith together. Remember, if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.