Lesson 1

Question 1

What does Dr. Cara mean that a Protestant denomination’s creed is a “secondary standard”?

Answer 1

a. Primary Standard = Bible = ultimate authority.
b. Subordinate Standard
i. Similar to elders in the church.
c. The bible is infallible
d. The church’s corporate theology is fallible but useful (That is creeds and confessions)

Question 2

Explain Dr. Cara’s comment: “No creed but the Bible” will only work when everyone agrees to what the Bible says.

Answer 2

You have to have a standard to evaluate views.
Theology is done at a concept level not a word level.

Example: Someone may say, “I blieve the OT.” However, if they see Jesus in the OT, they have a bad view of the OT.

Question 3

According to Dr. Cara, how are traditional ST and creeds similar?

Answer 3

**a. Similar => **concerned with summarizing the main topics of the Bible
**b. Dissimilar => **
i. Systematics goes into detailed arguments to how the doctrine is found in Scripture
ii. Creeds state, without detailed explanation, doctrines found in Scripture.

   iii.	Systematics more explicitly show the interconnections of various doctrines
   iv.	Creeds state the doctrine and does not explicitly show how it does not contradict other doctines.

   v.	Systematics is a product of an individual  (Calvin’s Institutes)
  vi.	Creeds are a product of a group of individuals

 vii.	Systematics are more explicitly is showing bad views
viii.	Creeds sometimes reference bad views but does not explicitly explain and refute bad views.

Question 4

What doe Creed mean?

Answer 4

From Latin credo I believe
the first word of the Western received Latin text of the Nicene-Constantinople Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.

Related to 2 Cor 4:13
Ps 116:10.

Question 5

What does Symbol mean?

Answer 5

“identity-token,” which was used often by Xns to refer to the Apostles’ Creed
To throw together ideas.

Question 6

iii. Confession or Confession of Faith

Answer 6

Rom 10:9,
Matt 10:32,
Heb 3:1, 1
Tim 6:12-13.

Question 7

iv. Statement of Faith

Answer 7

Related to the Bible’s multifaceted use of “faith,” which includes saving faith, continuing full trust in God/X, and content of doctrine. See Rom 3:22, Heb 11:4, Jude 1:3.

Question 8

Statement of Faith:

Answer 8

Confessions during the 1900’s, sometimes implies “small confession.”
1. Full trust and love
2. Hope (Heb 11). Forward looking to Christ
3. Content of Doctrine. (Jude 3) – Faith once delivered to the saints.

Question 9

Justification for Creeds and Confessions

Answer 9

e. Justification:
i. Given Sola-Scripture and that Christians are to “Confess Christ”.
1. The Bible itself uses creeds (Heb 13:8, Matt 16:16)
2. The preached Word of God – is the Word of God as a derivative
a. Creeds = Human words explaining Scripture
3. The Bible requires teachers and pastors to be qualified. You have to have a standard to evaluate their views. Theology is done at a concept level not a word level.
4. Evaluations of translations of the Bible
5. Everyone has a creed in the mind (a belief in what Scripture says and who Jesus is). It is just not written down and has not been evaluated / critiqued.
6. A creed is the churches understanding of what Scripture say.
7. Summaries of the doctrines of the Bible and helps you read the Bible with a consistent doctrine across Scripture.
8. Bonds of union among brothers in Christ.
9. Public standard and guards against false doctrines.
10.Provides – as much as possible – the whole council of God.
11.Reformation creeds provides summaries of the main doctrines of Scripture
12.Knowing the historical situation of the creed, helps us understand the creed.
13.Public standard and guards against false doctrines.