Chapter 18 Key Players & Historical Context

1. The classical culture of ancient Rome was the historical setting into which Christ & Christianity was born.
2. Constantine I was the emperor who called for the Council of Nicea because he was trying to unite the empire and the church.  His motto included the phrase "one Lord, one faith, one church, one empire, one emperor"
3. The central issue of the controversy was the one surrounding the person and the work of Jesus Christ.
4. Arius was a priest from Alexandria who rose to fame (or notoriety) for teaching the Jesus was not God, but was a lesser creation.
5. Athanasius was a deacon who was an assistant to the Bishop Alexander of Alexandria.  He became a force through his zeal and unrelenting protection of orthodoxy in the church.
6. The men who attended the Council of Nicea were well aware of its significance.  This was the first ecumenical council since Acts 15 in the days of the apostles.  They knew this was history in the making.

Chapter 17 The Life of the World to Come

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

1. Christians live a life of hope based on the resurrection of Christ and the promise of eternal life with Him.
2. What you believe about what the future holds influences the way you live in the present.
3. The Creed connects the eternal with the present by pointing us forward, giving us a trumpet call to live a life of hope, of faith in Christ that shine optimistically in this dark world.  Not in a foolish, dreamer or Pollyanna-ish way, but in a firm belief in the promises of the One who gave Himself for us.
4. Death doesn't have a "grip" on Christians because in Christ's resurrection, death has been overcome.  There is nothing to fear, only cause for joy & hope.
5. If death is the final weapon, the enemies of Christianity are always frustrated because it has no sting for a follower of Christ.
6. Paul summarizes things perfectly in Philippians 1:21  ...to live is Christ and to die is gain.
7. Verses:
   Phil 3:7-14  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
   Rev. 20: 6  Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
   Acts 24: 14-16  However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
   1 Peter 1: 3-9  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Chapter 16 One Baptism

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

1.  Christ specifically calls out baptism in the Great Commission given to the apostles (and therefore the church) in Matthew 28.
2.  Baptism is a unique sign, given to the church, of the ongoing apostolic mission of the church.
3/4/5.  Baptism is a sign of unity among God's people, brought together in Christ.  Ephesians 4:1-6 points to the unity we all must share in Christ as the church, becoming one body of Christ - called to do His will and work in this fallen world.
6.  Baptism is NOT the cause of the forgiveness of sins.
7.  Baptism is an outward sign pointing to or proclaiming our salvation from sin through Christ Jesus.
8. Verses:
Mark 16:16 "...Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
John 3:5  Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."
Acts 1:5  "...For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
Acts 2:38  Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:47-48   Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
1 Cor 12:13   For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Chapter 15 One Church

**This chapter is the one where I found the word that didn't mean what I thought it meant.**

We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church...
1.  To many Protestants (term used broadly), the church is not a vital or essential part of their individual existence/experience.  They feel that the church plays a role, but it is not central and therfore would not be readily part of their gospel confession.
2.  There is a movement away from the word "church" as old fashioned and irrelevant.
3.  The word 'holy' indicates that the church is of God, set apart by Him for His people and His purpose.
4/5.  Christians are 'set apart' by the work of the Holy Spirit and are called to be part of the church.  Torrance states, "The one holy Church is thus as it were the complement of the one Holy Spirit."  We don't have a choice about this - when we become a Christian, we become a member of Christ's body - the church.
6. Even's creation as Adam's wife points to our relationship as Christians with the church.  Eve was made for a specific purpose - to be Adam's wife & help-meet.  We become Christians and are given new life, new birth into our place in the church body with our purpose.
7.  The word "catholic" in the creed simply means "universal".  It does not reference a specific denomination as we now know it.
8.  The Greek word for church ekklesia means the called out ones.
9.  We tend to see the church as reflective of our unique culture or 'tribe'.  However, God's true church is universal, not tribal or denominational.
10.  The church reverses what happened at the Tower of Babel.  People were then driven apart by language into tribes - away from each other.  After Acts 2, we are called to Christ - and the church - from every tongue, tribe & nation.
11.  Every Christian is a fellow-citizen in Christ.
12.  We are members of the household of God - the church.  This means we share in teh blessings and lives of others in Christ.  We are family.
13.  The church is apostolic since it is founded on the gospel and called to fulfill the apostolic mission given by Christ.
14.  The church has access to God & can be used by God to fulfill His purposes.  We, as the church, are to reflect God's glory & seek to be a light to lead others to Christ.
15. Verses:
Acts 20:28  Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Heb 10:24-25  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Rom 12:5  so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Col 3:12-17  Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Chapter 14 Who Has Spoken by the Prophets

Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

1. We are told in this section of the creed that the Holy Spirit "has spoken by the prophets" and draw warm comfort and joy from that fact.
2. The words of God have come most commonly and clearly through the prophets of God to His people.
3. Prophets are referred to as "the mouthpiece of God" because by the Holy Spirit these men spoke the very words of God.
4. 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
5. Proverbs 29:18a (Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.), is often misused as a positive thinking or motivational type verse when the words used in the verse - in Hebrew - are a parallelism that restates a truth about the revelatory word of God.
6. The popular notion today of a prophet is more of a 'fortune teller' or one who only predicts future events.
7. In classical times, a prophet was used to interpret signs & dreams, like the Oracle at Delphi.
8. In pagan rituals, drugs/narcotics or frenzied activities were used to induce prophecies.
9. Pagan prophecies originate from the person who is involved, the are self-induced. 
10. For a biblical prophet there is always an intelligent discourse.  God speaks to his prophets in an intelligible exchange.  (ie Moses - Ex. 4:15-16, Jeremiah - Jer.1:6-9, and Isaiah - Is. 6:1-8)
11. God continues to speak to us today through the Holy Spirit that dwells within us as believers.  He is revealed in His holy word - the Bible.
12. Verses:
    Daniel 4:8 & 18   Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)....."This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
    Ezekial 11:5  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: "This is what the LORD says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.
    (example of direct exchange) Numbers 27:12-18  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes." (These were the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.) Moses said to the LORD, "May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd."
    So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him.
    

Chapter 13 Filioque

Who proceeds from the Father and the Son...

1. The word 'filioque' is Latin and means "and the Son."
2. The filioque was added to the creed at the Third council of Toledo in 589.
3. This addition was controversial because it was not added by a full ecumenical council, but rather by a regional one.  Something that belongs to the whole church should not be altered by a small part.
4. The regional council made the addition with good intentions to fight the false teachings that were strong in that region - the Visigoths of Spain.
5. This didn't become a really huge issue until the time of Charlemagne, when he tried to force unity within the church by forcing the word upon the Latin & Greek church.
6. The phrase became a line of division in a larger power struggle that was apparently far more about politics than true theology.
7. In 1054 there came a breaking point with a defined schism between East & West with the synod for the church of the East officially condemning the Bishop of Rome.
8. The major biblical text used to argue this point is John 15:26-27 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."
9. These two positions are not mutually exclusive because they really seem to focus on something that is ontological versus economical.  Ontology deals with the essence of God while economy deals with the activity of God.  Each side isn't really contradictory, they are each choosing a different emphasis. 
10. Verses:
    2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
    Galatians 3:5  Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
    Ephesians 4: 4-6, 30   There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  ..... And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Chapter 12 The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, The Lord, the giver of Life...

1. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit helps us in liturgy & worship because it is truth.  We cling to the Holy Spirit - confessing this truth, we can rejoice in the life that comes to us through the Holy Spirit.
2. Two good images of the Holy Spirit can be drawn right from the beginning, from Genesis.  The Spirit of God hovering over the darkness provides a portrait of light bringing hope to darkness.  The Spirit of God also breathed life into Adam.  He is the bringer of life.  Light & Life are perfect images for the Holy Spirit.
3. The creed's section on the Holy Spirit was expanded and defined (or refined) at the Council of Constantinople in 381.
4. In ancient times, divine power was often viewed as impersonal, some 'force' outside of us or 'the gods'.  the Bible clearly identifies the Holy Spirit as personal, one who can be grieved, using the personal pronoun "He".
5. The Holy Spirit cannot be detached from God, He is permanently connected because He is God.  the Bible teaches the Trinity - Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
6. There is unity & diversity in the person of God.  An equality of essence with a distinction in function.
7. The Holy Spirit functions in what could be termed a 'self-diminishing manner'. He does not draw attention to Himself, but rather points to or reveals to us the Father & the Son.  he comes to us as a light, illuminating for us the truth of God.
8. Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, making us alive in Christ.  He brings us the life of Christ even as we were dead in our sins.
9. The Holy Spirit works in our lives daily.  He loves us, teaches us, guides us, convicts us of sin, intercedes on our behalf, and testifies to us of the love of God.  He plays many roles in our lives - serving us, lovingly & personally.  he walks with us as our closest friend.
10. The Holy Spirit comes gently to open our hearts to be able to embrace the gift of salvation through Christ.  We are won to Christ by love.
11. Verses:
    Luke 11:13  "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
    John 6:63  "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
    1 Cor 2:9-14  However, as it is written:  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived
       what God has prepared for those who love him"—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
    Eph 4:3-6  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
    Eph 4:30   And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Chapter 11 Ascended and Coming Again

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

1. The doctrine of ascension requires that all of history connects to a destined end or purpose.
2. The ascension gives meaning to history as a specific series of events designed to move us forward under the rule of Christ toward the final judgment by Christ.
3. St. Augustine's famous book on history is titled "The City of God."
4. Pagan historians believed that history was just a meaningless cycle of events, in cycles of growth & decline.
5. The fall of the Roman Empire in AD 476 shocked the classical world.  Rome had been considered 'urbs aeterna', the eternal city, and at the fall, people were devastated.
6. Augustine wrote City of God in response to this event.  He recognized the fact that kingdoms on earth rise and fall but that the Kingdom of God is eternal and therefore is the focus of history.
7. The phrase in the creed "He shall judge the living and the dead", shows us that our personal lives are connected in the scheme of history.  It makes history personal.
8. This perspective offers very practical help in how we should live our lives day-to-day.  In light of Christ's coming and judgment, we know with certainty there will be perfect justice at some point.  This teaches us patience and dependence on God.  We, as believers, live with an eternal perspective (or we should!)  We have a purpose as a people of destiny because, just as history has been written by God's providence, so the future is His also.
9. This doctrine is sobering as well as joyful.  Judgment is certain for all - this means we need to live with the full knowledge that every part of our lives - actions, words, thoughts - all - come under the scrutiny of Almighty God.
10. Judgment by God is therefore part of the gospel message.  Good news comes with bad in order for it to be fully grasped.  people must understand that they have a need for the Savior who will judge.
11. This knowledge provides hope for the future and strength to live in faithfulness each day. Because of Christ's work on the cross, our final judgment as believers will be under grace.  This drives us to live in humility an dservice to Christ, to godly living as befits citizens of the Kingdom that shall have no end.
12. Verses:
    Matt 12:36  "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken"
    Romans 2:16  This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
    Hebrews 9:27  Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment
    1 John 4: 9-18   This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Chapter 9 The Resurrection

On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures...

1. Without the resurrection there is no gospel or salvation.
2. Paul makes this argument in 1 Corinthians 15:13-14  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
3. According to Carl Braaten, "The deepest fault line appears where faith and unbelief meet within the churches, among their theologians, bishops, and pastors. Nowhere is this more evident than in the matter of the resurrection of Jesus."  (from The Reality of the Resurrection Bazos Press 2001)
4. Braaten & Machen both contend that without the resurrection  hristianity mutates into a different religion.  It is no longer Christianity.
5. Naturalism is when supernatural elements that can't be generally explained in scientific or rational ways are simply dismissed as unreasonable.  This process makes the human mind - human wisdom - the crucible that tests all doctrines of faith.
6. There are many 'explanations' that have been put forth that are contrary to the resurrection.  There is the idea that the disciples stole the body of Christ and made up the whole thing.  There is also the bizarre 'swoon theory' that says Jesus wasn't really dead when they buried him and that he revived in the tomb.
7. Modernist theologians have dismissed the resurrection as mythology.
8. The idea that people can search for a historical Jesus that is not divine and therefor supernatural is ironic because THAT Jesus doesn't exist.  The Jesus who lived - the Jesus of history - is divine, He is God.
9. Braaten asserts the missionary movement collapses at the denial of the resurrection. 
10. The hope of Christianity rests on our risen Lord Jesus Christ.  All other religions have founders who are dead.  Jesus is alive - raised from the dead, triumphant over sin & the grave.  This is the good news of the gospel for all of us!
11. Verses:
    Romans 6:9   For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
    1 Corinthians 15:1-8  Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
    Acts 1: 3-8   After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Chapter 8 Crucified for us

For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.

1. The section of the creed that deals with Christ's crucifixion is notably short - very basic.  Probably because there was no argument around it - it was a basic fact of the faith.
2. It bears some elaboration today because there are those who deny the reality of the crucifixion and its vital work as Christ offered himself for our atonement.
3. The doctrine of the "harrowing of hell" teaches that Jesus, while he was buried, actually descended into hell and preached to those in hell and then 'broke free', taking some souls with him. **Personally I have never read anything in the Bible that teaches this doctrine specifically and have never been part of a church that teaches it to my knowledge.
4. Jesus' death on the cross provides salvation for sinners.
5. Atonement means 'a covering', which Jesus' death provides for us. His blood covers us, pays out debt, our penalty due for sin.
6. Irenaeus taught that the incarnation of Jesus was a recapitulation on behalf of sinners.  He became man in order to take man's place for the punishment of sin.
7. Athanasius said, "...He surrendered His body to death instead of all,and offered it to the Father. This He did out of sheer love for us, so that in His death all might die, and the law of death thereby be abolished..."
8. St. Anselm likened it to the payment of debt to divine honor, which was offended by sin.
9. Romans 5 describes how Christ is the second Adam who brings life instead of death.
10. Divine love is the motivation for the atonement. Such amazing love - so powerful and perfect - we can scarcely comprehend it.
11. Verses:
    Isaiah 53:5   But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
    Galatians 2:20   I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
    Ephesians 1:3-8   Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Chapter 7 For Us and for Our Salvation

For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human.

1.  The Fathers of Nicea were anchored in the love of God in salvation.  They used as a 'theological compass' the truth that Jesus as the Son of God is not separate from Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 
2.  At the core of the incarnation is love.  God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16)
3.  Why did Jesus need to be both God and man?
         Athanasius is quoted in reply - "If Jesus Christ the incarnate Son is not true God from true God, then we are not saved, for it is only God who can save; but if Jesus Christ is not truly man, then salvation does not touch our human existence and condition."  [from Trinitarian Faith pg 149]
4/5.  The Arians tried to show from the scriptures that point to Christ as a servant in his human condition, the contrast with the majesty and glory of the Father.  This is clear, but far from weakening Jesus' position as Son, it magnifies our praise for the one who loved us so much He became one of us.
6.  Athansius embraced the human weakness and servility that the Son became as fundamental to salvation.  The irony of the incarnation becomes a point of praise.
7.  Gregory of Nyssen exclaims [ Trinitarian Faith pg 153] "Why did the divine being descend to such humiliation? Our faith staggers at the thought that God the infinite, inconceivable, and ineffable reality, who transcends all glory and majesty should be clothed with the defiled nature of man, so that his sublime activities are abased through being united with what is so degraded."
8.  Jesus incarnation as truly human allows him to sympathize with our weakness.  He truly understands us and all our frailties and temptations.  He can relate to us when we cry out to Him. He became fully man to take our place.  This is true philanthropy.
9.  Verses:
 John 8: 56-58   "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"
Hebrews 1:2-3  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
 Hebrews 2:10  In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Hebrews 2:14-18   Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Chapter 6 God of God

 We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light...
 1.  The catalyst for Nicea was Arianism which taught that Jesus was not fully divine. This strikes at the heart of the gospel.
2.  Jesus must be fully divine (fully God) in order to accomplish the divine work of salvation. He had to be God to save man from the punishment/wrath of God against sin.
3.  The key phrase in this debate is "only begotten"
4.  Scriptures focus of Christ is redemption - keeping everything in context is key. By keeping the focus on the context of Jesus redemption of all mankind - the church fathers were able to stay true to scripture and not get caught up in a philosophical and semantic rabbit trail.  It focused them on the work at hand.
5/6.  The serious mistake or weakness in Arian theology is a mistake in categories.  Arianism projects human categories onto God.  Because God is eternal, the relationship with Jesus is eternal.  Jesus is eternally begotten of His Father.  Jesus is "of" the Father in a unique way that all other creation is not because Jesus is not created - He IS God, the creator.   John 1:1-3 states In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
 7.  The fathers of Nicea "anchor" their teachings about Jesus to the redemptive context of scripture. The Bible speaks of the Son as fully God, and since the Bible speaks of the Father as God, the phrase "only begotten" must be interpreted in this context.
8.  The fathers at Nicea used a very specific word to clarify all of this, homoousios which is translated in English "of the same essence".  Whatever one understands to be that which constitutes deity - it is the same for the Father and for the Son. 
9.  God gives Himself, in Christ Jesus, to save sinners. This is the truth and power of the gospel.  We are so loved that God gave Jesus for our redemption.
10. Verses:

Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:20  "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."

Chapter 5 Almighty Creator

The Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth...
1. One of the most basic teachings of Christianity is that God is the creator of all things.
2. The basic doctrine of creation is a fundamental starting point. This means that if God is the creator and we are His creatures, we owe Him all that honor, obedience, and most importantly worship that is due to Him as the Almighty Creator.
3. The phrase "maker of heaven and earth" originates in Psalms and is one of my favorite comforts.  Psalm 121:1-2   I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
 4. In the Psalms, we find the context that links redemption and salvation and results in the natural expression of praise to God as creator.  I would personally be stunned if someone could look on the beauty and power of creation and NOT be moved to praise God for the awesomeness of creation.  His artistry is without equal.
5. Man is created as an expression of God's love.  All creation is a gift of love to us from God.  He didn't need creation - but we do.  It is an expression of kindness to humans.
6. All things have their origin in the creation of the world by God, which provides a foundational way of thinking about the world and our place in it.  If we attempt to redefine reality away from its creator's design, we pay a dear price for the confusion and chaos we create for ourselves.
7. Our worldview depends - demands - correspondence to the divine reality of creation. Our place in the world and how we view the divine pecking order and relationship in all of creation come from acknowledging the Almighty Creator and our relationship to Him.
8. When Adam named all the animals in creation, he was defining the divine significance according to God's creation. Putting things in their proper order for God's purposes for creation. This is still required today. Things must be called what they are according to God's structure. Denials of creation order by legislators, educators, medical experts, scientists and everyday people - subject our world to moral and social chaos.  Evolution, homosexuality, abortion - all are examples of such a decline and chaos.
9.  Scripture demands that we recognize God as creator.  Consider the obvious in Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and then consider Colossians 1:16-17 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
10. Verses:
Romans 1:19-20  since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Chapter 4 Access to the Father

Continuing
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty...
1. A fundamental plank in the theology that came from Nicea can be stated as, "God can't be known unless He makes Himself known."
2. Christ Jesus is the focus of the Bible and also of all of history.
3. The coming of Jesus is the 'fullness of time' (Eph. 1:10, Gal. 4:4)
4. The gods of the classical world were nothing more than exaggerated humans associated with the impersonal forces of fate.
5. Mythology is the projection of human thoughts and ideals onto divinity. Theology comes from the Greek words theos (God) and logos (word). It originates with God, not man.
6. Our confession of faith comes from God, it originates in heaven not from ourselves. We can only confess what God has revealed to us.
7. If we seek to know God as He is, His true self as revealed to us by Jesus and His word, we will come to learn the way to attain all true knowledge (scientific method).
8. The true God of history is personal, all-loving and all-caring.  He loves us so much that He sent Jesus (His Son) to die for us.  We come to God as our Father.  He is not impersonal - He is warm, inviting and approachable through Christ.
9. We have access to God through Christ alone, this is not optional.  Jesus is the only way.
10. Verses:
John 14:6  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No on ecomes to the Father except through me."
John 14: 9a-10  "...anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. ... Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?"
John 14:20-21  "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Chapter 3 Faith and Godliness

Continuing...
We believe...
1. Two other valid translations of the Greek "we believe" are "we trust" or "we have faith".
2. No one can truly separate what you live from what you believe. Doctrine is what you say you believe, but it is displayed in how you live.
3. Our words and our actions are completely connected.  They either match up to prove us upright - or they prove us a liar and a fake.
4. If we have faith, we must follow God and to follow is to live by His laws of righteousness. Godly living comes from faith. Faith is not based on human reason or emotion, faith is grounded in God himself.
5. In confessing our belief in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are offering praise & worship. This is a practical tool for liturgy and because it is so basic, it serves the whole Christian world. This is grounded in scripture, not in humanity.
6. The creed states simply the gospel completely. It is a complete outline of God's gift of grace through Christ.
7. Verses
Ephesians 4:3-6
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
2 Peter 1:1-2
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Chapter 2: A Corporate Confession

Continuing my notes from my study time.
We believe...
1. The Nicene Creed - in Greek - begins with the verb 'pistuomen' meaning "we believe". The Apostles creed begins with "I believe".
2. The Nicene Creed was the first "official" created created for/by the church - it was written as an expression of faith of the church body as a whole.
3. Individualism tends to define life in terms of individual choices, isolating oneself from the culture or group collective.
4. Christianity is unifying and cohesive - God calls us, even commands us, to live together in peace. Focusing our attentions away from ourselves. It is a 'we' existence, not one of 'I'. The church is a big group.
5. Individuals are NOT free to modify or change the faith to suit themselves.
6. Individualism can be selfish and destructive, pulling people apart from one another.
7/8. Something personal is not made less when it is included in something corporate. We can be in relationship with God alone at the same time we worship with the congregation. Nothing is lost in the personal relationship by being part of the body.
9. "It is not good for man to be alone"(Genesis) God created us as social beings. He wants us to be together.
10. The 'we' demands unity and implies obligation and responsibility to one's neighbor.
11. Jesus came to serve others. He lived as a servant, humble - and died thus - being glorified by the Father in the resurrection.
12. Verses:
  Romans 12:  v5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.    v10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.    v13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.   v16 Live in harmony with one another....   v18  if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Chapter 1 "No Creed but Christ"?

Each chapter focuses on one line or piece of the creed and has questions at the end.  Most of the questions deal specifically with information presented in the chapter and the last question is an instruction to find scriptures not mentioned in the chapter that address the same/similar issue.
Following are my notes/answers from the questions for chapter 1.

1. Some people avoid creeds because they believe 'doctrine divides'.  That dogma & doctrine creat a bad 'religious environment'.
2/3. Any statement about what you believe is a creed.  The word creed comes from the Latin credo which means I believe.
4. Even the demons believe in God (James 2:19), the real question is WHAT do you believe about Jesus.
5/6. Creeds were not invented by the church.  The 'shema' is a primal creed in Deut. 6:4.  Baptism, the Lord's supper and Peter's confession of faith are all creeds.
7.  Creeds help us answer old & difficult questions without reinventing the wheel. They act like a light in a dark world. Looking to the past reveals both wisdom & humility.  Creeds help us to worship in a way that is decent & orderly.
8. It shows humility to seek the wisdom of those who have gone before, as a son seeks wisdom from his father.
9. The Council of Nicea was convened because of controversy. Because of prevailing questions abou tthe nature of the relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father.  It was a major controversery and serious division that drove the need.
10. Phil. 2: 10-11  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; to the glory of God the Father
John 14:11a  "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me..."

The Nicene Creed

I have mentioned that I am doing a devotional study of the Nicene Creed, working from a great book The Faith of Our Fathers.  I thought I would share the notes I am taking as I go through each chapter in answering the questions at the end of each.
I will start by posting the creed itself from the front of the book.  Please keep in mind that not all the words mean what you might *think* they mean.  I was very surprised at one in particular.

The Nicene Creed

(Translation: The English Language Liturgical Consultation)

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through Him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human.  For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.  On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heave and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.  We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen