August 7, 2024

Reflections of a ten-year-old, seventy-one years later

For some unknown reason, the other day, I started thinking about the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed and their differences and reasons for having them as they are not in the Bible, per se, as is the Lord’s Prayer. I did my usual and went to the Episcopal Glossary of Terms for both. This led me to Arius, a priest as described in Britannica which led me to the Creed of Saint Athanasius in the Historical Documents of the Church including the Articles of Religion.  The Historical Documents begin on page 864 of the 1979 edition of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). In my opinion, an uncommon book.

In reviewing the Historical Documents section, I noticed that An Outline of the Faith came before it and on reviewing it I realized that I had probably gone over all of this in my confirmation classes or Catechism but that was 71 years ago when the priest did the Eucharist with his back to the congregation.  We used the 1944 version which I was given on confirmation. It is interesting to compare the preface to the Catechism in each book. The ’44 version is specific as instruction to be learned by every person before he be brought to be confirmed by the bishop.

The ’79 version is broader and includes an additional use for inquiring strangers to become aware of the Church’s teaching. You may wish to look at the one in the back of the pew in front of you, but not during the sermon.

The Apostles’ Creed

Turning to the definition of the Apostles’ Creed it is stated to be an ancient formula of Christian belief in three sections concerning God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although its authorship is attributed to the twelve apostles, opinions vary concerning its origin. Its title dates from the late fourth century, and it may be based on a shorter form of the creed in use at Rome in the middle of the second century. The Apostles’ Creed may be considered to be an authentic expression of the apostolic faith. It contains twelve articles and is known as the baptismal creed because catechumens were traditionally required to recite it before baptism. It was the basis for the original baptismal formula. Candidates were baptized by immersion or affusion after their response of faith to each of the three questions concerning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Apostles’ Creed is the basis for the baptismal covenant in the BCP (p. 304), and it is used in the Daily Offices. It may be used at the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, at the Burial of the Dead, and at the Consecration of a Church. 

Can you outline the twelve articles?

The Nicene Creed

It was first issued by the Council of Nicaea in 325, but in the form used today it is frequently thought to have been perfected at the Council of Constantinople in 381. There is no doubt that it was passed on to the church through the Council of Chalcedon in 451. It is commonly held to be based on the baptismal creed of Jerusalem, and it is often referred to as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

It states the full divinity of the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, in opposition to Arius, see below. It also states the full divinity of the Holy Spirit, as denied by Macedonius.

The use of the Nicene Creed in the Eucharist service, in contrast to the use of the Apostles’ Creed in the Baptism service, began in the fifth century in Antioch and became the universal practice in the church.

DID YOU KNOW? The Nicene Creed is expressed in its original form of “We believe” in the Rite 2 Eucharistic Liturgy of the 1979 BCP, and this communal expression of faith is also presented as the first option in the Rite 1 Eucharistic Liturgy. The Rite 1 Eucharistic Liturgy also offers the “I believe” form as a second option (see BCP, pp. 326-327, 358).

Arius (born c. 250, Libya—died 336, Constantinople [now Istanbul, Turkey]) was a Christian priest whose teachings gave rise to a theological doctrine known as Arianism. Arianism affirmed a created, finite nature of Christ rather than equal divinity with God the Father and was denounced by the early church as a major heresy.

An ascetical moral leader of a Christian community in the area of Alexandria, Arius attracted a large following through a message integrating Neoplatonism, which accented the absolute oneness of the Divinity as the highest perfection, with a literal, rationalist approach to the New Testament texts. (Britannica)

Arius and his followers, the Arians, believed if the Son were equal to the Father, there would be more than one God: but Christianity had to be a monotheistic religion (Jewish influence and Roman & Greek culture with their Gods).

Athanasius and his followers argued the contrary and believed and argued that by insisting Christ was a separate entity, Arius was taking the church into mythology or worse, polytheism. (ThoughtCo)

How would you consider the passage about Jesus (Christ) from Matthew 26:29?  “And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Does this passage suggest two or one entity?

The Council of Nicaea, in May 325, declared Arius a heretic after he refused to sign the formula of faith stating that Christ was of the same divine nature as God. Influential support from colleagues in Asia Minor and from Constantia, the sister of Emperor Constantine I, succeeded in effecting Arius’s return from exile and his readmission into the church after consenting to a compromise formula. Shortly before he was to be reconciled, however, Arius collapsed and died while walking through the streets of Constantinople. (Britannica)

On reflection, I doubt that I had any real understanding of the language used in the ’44 BCP at the time of my confirmation but the concepts were all there but not as clearly outlined in the ’79 version. At that time, I clearly did not appreciate the historical aspects of the Creeds. 

Thank you for your time and blessings to you.

Watermelon Wednesday of the season TONIGHT, 6pm-8pm! The watermelon will be cold and the grill will be hot! Bring something for the grill and a side to share. Bring friends for this fun summer activity.

If it rains, it will be canceled and a message will be posted on FB and sent out.

Stay after service on Sunday 8/18/2024 for our Parish mid-year check-in!