The significance of creeds lies in their nature as universal yet consensual, concise yet
comprehensive, and succinct yet coherent declarations of the church’s doctrines. They
cannot be perceived as exhaustive, but are constructive in relation to their times. Every creed
in church history voices as a human witness to the event of truth. And this witness, on one
hand, ought to be analyzed and examined within its specific historical framework, while on the
other, it needs to be perpetually reinterpreted for contemporary times.
Karl Barth’s threefold form of the conception of the Word of God can significantly enhance
our comprehension of the role of Creeds within the church. According to him, the Word of God
can be envisioned as three concentric circles. The central circle represents Jesus Christ (the
revelation); this central element is affirmed by the second circle, consisting of Scripture (the
Bible), while the third circle comprises the proclamations of the church. It is the third circle
that interests us in our pursuit of Creeds. In line with Barth’s concept of the Word, scripture
stands as a primary witness to Jesus Christ, while Creeds can be rightly understood as a
secondary witness to Christ and are subordinated to scripture. In other words, scripture is
the predicate to the creeds, while creedal statements find their origin in scripture.
Creeds can never replace scripture, but they stand as a profound testament to the
universal church throughout history. Creedal statements should not be confined solely to
their theological content; they also serve to exemplify the unity of the churches as a
cohesive bride. In addition to unity, they also uphold the discernment between correct
doctrines and heresies. While the nature of scriptures can be regarded as the work of individual
authors inspired by the Spirit, the Creeds are collective or universal declarations that unify the
Church in harmony. Since the canonicity of the scriptures confers marginal control upon the
church, the same principle can be observed in the creeds as well. Neither of them bypasses
human limitations, yet God chose to work through these means, and thus, they are trustworthy
as long as they are grounded in Christ and illumined by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the
authority of Creeds lies in the authority of the universal church.
A brief overview of the three renowned creeds is as follows. The Apostles’ Creed succinctly
encapsulates the teachings of the Apostles, primarily delineating two dialectical
movements: the descent of the Son from the Trinity to the humanity of Christ, including
his descent to earth, the cross, and hell, followed by an upward movement toward
resurrection, ascension, and heaven. This progression culminates in the judgment of all,
with an emphasis on the establishment of the Church, and concludes with the promise of
everlasting life.
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed also commences with an emphasis on the Holy
Trinity, highlighting the shared essence between the Father and the Son. It then advances
with a similar ascending progression concerning Christ, incorporating references to the Church
and the coming age. Conversely, the Chalcedonian Creed begins and concludes with
Christological assertions, emphasizing the validity of Christ’s dual natures—divine and
human—and advocates for their harmony by employing negative terminology such as confusion, change, division, and separation. Thus, the Apostles’ Creed and the Niceno-
Constantinopolitan Creed primarily emphasize the doctrine of the Trinity, whereas the Chalcedonian Creed focuses predominantly on Christology.
