Understanding our Faith

New Testament ‘Creeds’

As foreshadowed in last week’s article, this week we will have a look at two texts from the New Testament which were the equivalent of creeds at that time.

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verses 3 to 7, Paul hands on to the Corinthians the following statement of faith:

“In the first place I handed on to you what I myself had received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried and was raised up on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, that he was seen by Cephas and then by the twelve; then he was seen by more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still with us, though some have died.  Then he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.  Last of all, as though by one born at the wrong time, he was seen also by me.”

And again in his Letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 6 to 11, Paul makes this statement of faith:

“Who (Jesus), being in the form of God,
did not count equality with God
something to be grasped.
But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
born in human likeness, and found in human shape;
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient unto death, death on a cross.
And therefore God highly exalted him,
and granted him the name above every name
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend
of beings heavenly, earthly and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In each of these texts, what stands out is the centrality of the person of Jesus Christ and of his death and resurrection.  The faith of those first believers was clearly faith in Jesus Christ and the new life which had come into the world with his resurrection out of death.

By Fr Frank O’Loughlin

Published: 27 October 2023