“Not Nice Nicene”

Saturday, October 13, 2012

I need to know what the difference is between the Nicene Creed and the creeds of Christendom, and why were the creeds of Christendom created?  Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Noting The Nicene

Dear Noting The Nicene,

The difference between the Nicene Creed and all other creeds found throughout various denominations is that the Nicene Creed is older.  A creed is simply a statement of beliefs that unifies one group together under a common belief system.  The Nicene Creed is one of the very first, if not the first, creed written as an addendum to Christianity.  The Nicene Creed, written in the 4^th century A.D., was an attempt to unify all churches under emperor Constantine.  It was the beginning of Catholicism.  All creeds, by very nature, start a new religious movement.

And that is the problem with creeds… they modify Christianity and create a new and different religious movement.  God clearly states that we should never add or subtract from His Word (Rev 22:18-19, Deu 4:2, Deu 12:32, Josh 23:6).  The Bible is supposed to be our only belief system; any creed alters what God intended.  Any message (even if it claims it is christian) that isn’t the Bible is a perversion (Gal 1:6-9).  All creeds are human inventions that create new religions instead of bringing unity.  God intends for there to be one pattern for the church – the pattern found in the Scriptures (Eph 4:4-6).

Share