The Importance of Confessions

"It does really appear to me that those orthodox brethren who admit that the church is bound to raise her voice against error, and to "contend earnestly" for the truth (cf. Jude 3), and yet denounce creeds and confessions, are, in the highest degree, inconsistent with themselves."
-Samuel Miller, "The Utility and Importance of Creeds and Confessions" (1824)

Many Christians are opposed to the use of creeds and confessions, believing such documents rival and supplant the authority and supremacy of the Scriptures. There is no doubt some have placed their creeds and traditions above the authority of Scripture (Mark 7:7-8); such is sinful and reprehensible. Scripture alone is the infallible and final source of divine authority (2Tim. 3:16-17).

The use of creeds and confessions, however, is not based on the belief Scripture is insufficient as a religious authority, but on the belief Scripture is sufficient and must therefore be rightly interpreted, believed, and applied. Heresy is, most often, the result of misinterpreting and perverting Scripture rather than outright denying it. Mormons affirm they believe the Bible, so too do Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholics, and many who today are affirming their support for same sex marriage. Are all of these groups simply to be welcomed and affirmed as faithful brethren in the Lord on the basis of their confession of faith in the authority of Scripture?

It is one thing to say we believe the Bible; it is another to say what we believe the Bible means. For example, when Arius in the 4^th century began teaching people that Jesus was a created god and not of the same substance as the Father, the Church gathered together and affirmed the proper and historical understanding of the biblical doctrine. The result was the Nicene Creed. Creeds and confessions were written throughout the early centuries of the Church and later during the Reformation to clarify what particular groups believed the Scriptures taught, not as a substitute or replacement for them.

Even those who oppose the use of creeds and confessions have their own; they are simply unwritten. You say you believe the Bible, but what do you believe the Bible teaches about the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Nature of Man, Sin, Atonement, Salvation, and the Church? How you answer will define your creed. Such summaries of our biblical convictions are essential for defining the limits of fellowship and practicing church ministry, unless we think truth does not matter. The question is not whether having a confession of faith is appropriate. The question is whether yours is biblical. -JME