CREEDS

1.     History and Development of Creeds

a.     The word “Creed” means “I Believe”

b.     Short, simple statements of faith

c.     Apostle’s Creed was adopted in 325

d.     Councils and decrees of the Pope are considered infallible
 

2.     Creeds during the Reformation Movement

a.     Insisted on the Bible as supreme authority

b.     Rejected the decrees of the Pope or Councils

c.     Lutheran – Augsburg Confession (1530)

d.     Presbyterian – Westminster Confession (1646)

e.     Baptist – New Hampshire Confession (1833)

f.      Methodist – Articles of Religion (1784)

g.     NOTE: Debates were about which creed was right, not if they conformed to the teaching of the Bible. This is where the restoration movement gained the advantage.
 

3.     The four basic principles of the Restoration Movement

a.     The acknowledgement of the New Testament Scriptures as the only authoritative rule of faith and practice.

b.     Renunciation of all human creeds and acceptance of the precepts of Jesus as the only creed binding upon Christians. Human creeds are by their very nature divisive. Only the Bible is a rational basis for unity.

c.     The restoration of the apostolic or New Testament concept of the church in the minds of men.

d.     The union of all Christians upon the basis of the Bible.
 

4.     The early restorers

a.     James O’Kelley (1775-1801) Methodist in Virginia and North Carolina – 5 Cardinal Principles

                                                    i.     Jesus is the only head of the church

                                                   ii.     Wear the name Christian. No sectarian names

                                                 iii.     Bible only rule of faith and practice

                                                 iv.     Christian character only test of fellowship

                                                  v.     Liberty of conscience and private judgment

b.     Dr. Abner Jones (1800) Baptist in Vermont – Established a church based on the principles of restoring the New Testament church.

c.     Elias Smith (1801) – Baptist in Vermont – Joined Jones and became a spokesman. Started several congregations which discarded creeds and called themselves Christians. Jones was the deeper thinker and Smith was the better speaker.

d.     Barton W. Stone (1801) Presbyterian in Kentucky – He was licensed to preach in the Orange Presbytery in Cane Ridge, KY. When asked about holding to the Confession of Faith, he said, “As far as I see it consistent with the Word of God.” He was condemned by the Kentucky Synod in 1803. He formed the Springfield Presbytery. He killed it in 1804.
“When we at first withdrew, we felt ourselves free from all creeds but the Bible, and since that time constant application to it, we are led farther from the idea of adopting creeds and confessions as standards, than we were at first.”
Stone did not meet Alexander Campbell until 1824. Full fellowship was not achieved until 1832.

e.     Alexander Campbell (1810) Presbyterian in West Virginia – He stated, “To connect myself with any people who would require me to sacrifice one item of revealed truth, to subscribe any creed of human device, or to restrain me from publishing my sentiment as discretion and conscience now direct, is now, and I hope ever shall be, the farthest from my desire, and the most incompatible with my views.”
NOTE: This was not an organized movement. Each of the first four worked without knowledge of others with the same views. The first four were working and teaching BEFORE Alexander Campbell came to America (1808). The Campbells worked together, but without knowledge of others.
 

5.     Why are Creeds wrong?

a.     Their purpose

                                                    i.     To crystallize thinking

                                                   ii.     To demand loyalty to a doctrine

                                                 iii.     To test fellowship

b.     Objections

                                                    i.     Became more important than the Bible

                                                   ii.     Were constantly being changed

                                                 iii.     Were a major cause of division

c.     Logic

                                                    i.     If more than the Bible – too much

                                                   ii.     If less than the Bible – not enough

                                                 iii.     If same as the Bible – not needed