The Assemblies use Two Creeds
I THE APOSTLES' CREED: About 150 A.D.
"The Old Roman Creed"
I BELIEVE in God almighty [1]
And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord
Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried
And the third day rose from the dead
Who ascended into heaven
And sitteth on the right hand of the Father
Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Spirit
The holy church [2]
The Remission of sins
The resurrection of the flesh
The life everlasting. [3]
II THE NICENE CREED 325 A.D.
Traditional Wording
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost
of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son];
who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified;
who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one holy (universal)[4] and apostolic Church;
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN.
COUNCILS
MARCIONISM
The Assemblies had were agreed that Marcionism was heresy. Go HERE for more.
COUNCIL OF HIPPO 393 A.D. - SIXTH COUNCIL OF CARTHAGE 397 A.D.
The Council of Hippo was called in 393 to decide the Canon of New Testament Scripture and fixed the number of Books in the New Testament at 27. Matthew to Revelation as it is in its present form. It was presided over by Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, the foremost theologian of his age.
The Council of Carthage together with the Council of Hippo also fixed the Old Testament Canon. It included the 66 Books we now have today plus The Apocrypha.[5]
DEFINITIONS
Because disputes had arisen over the various definitions of terms and doctrine, several Councils met to Rule on doctrinal matters.
CONCERNING THE PERSON OF MOSHIACH (CHRIST)
THE DEFINITION OF CHALCEDON 451 A.D.
CONCERNING THE TRI-UNE G-DHEAD
COUNCILS, SYNODS AND CREEDS OF THE REFORMATION
MORE FOLLOWING SOON!
PEOPLE OF G-D, MESSIANIC
� Copyright 2000, 2001 People of G-d, Messianic Ministries, Inc. No reproduction or redistribution without the prior Written Consent and Approval of People of G-d.
FOOTNOTES
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The Roman Church believes that there remains some "spark of goodness" within man whereby unregenerate man through his "free will" is able to "save himself". Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) a Dominican monk, the foremost Roman Catholic theologian of his age, had said that mans' will was fallen but his intellect was not. This was following the Greek philosophers such as Aristotle, which Pope Urban IV had previously forbidden as Church doctrine. Aquinas proposed this view to the Roman Church, and it was accepted. Following this, Aristotelian reasoning was re-introduced into the Roman Church by Aquinas, and Romanists believe that by using a "spark of goodness" one can somehow eventually "Merit the Merit of Christ" and be Saved even through an act of the fallen human will.
The Reformers totally disagreed with the Roman Catholic Church on this issue. Following Luther, The Doctrine of the Total Depravity of Man was continued by another Augustinian monk, John Calvin; Reformation leader and the foremost Protestant theologian of his age after Luther.
Augustine of Hippo had wriiten letters challenging Pelagianism in the 5th Century with regard to the Grace of G-d versus the free will of man. Augustine asserted that G-d ALONE supplies the Grace needed that turns mans' will to G-d. This was based, Augustine said, on Predestination and Election. (Ephesians 1:4; John 1:12,13; Acts 13:48) Furthermore, Augustine stated the none of the Elect could be lost.
Pelagius taught the total opposite: man was a "free agent" and could "will" on his own behalf. Pelagius taught that all men were born "just like Adam". This of course denied Original Sin. Pelagius asserted that man, like Adam, had the power to "choose" good or evil and had the potential to be "sinless" on his own even in the unregenerate state. Also man could secure his own Salvation through the excersize of his "free will". Because Pelagius taught that man "willed" his own Salvation, man could also be lost by not "willing" enough to "stay Saved": even an Elect individual could possibly "lose his Salvation".
PELAGIANISM was condemned a heresy in 416 A.D. at both the Councils of Mileve and Carthage.
After this, SEMI-PELAGIANISM arose to attempt to "mediate" between the two views; it was taught that both the Grace of G-d and the "free will of man" acted together to secure Salvation.
SEMI-PELAGIANISM was likewise condemned as a heresy at the Council of Orange.
Theodore Beza, a Reformer, said that when Adam, as Federal Head of the human race fell, the entire human race fell. Adams' guilt is inherent in all men. Calvin agreed with Luther that in unregenerate man there resides nothing that can Save him. We are all justly condemned in the sight of G-d.`All men, in their own flesh are "Totally Depraved".
The Protestant Reformers all declared the existing Romanist teaching corrupted, and that man was totally incapable of "saving himself" by his own energy whatsoever. That mans' unregenerate will was not "free". In this, they simply returned to the previous 4th and 5th Century A.D. Councils and teachings of Augustine on Election and Predestination.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berkhof, Louis. The history of Christian doctrines. Grand Rapids. Banner of Truth Trust. 1949.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Chritian Religion.
The Book of Common Prayer. First Ratified in Philadelphia. 1789. Seabury Press.
The Geneva Bible. 1560-1602.