The Basics
The Christian message, the Gospel entrusted by Christ to his church, is at the core brief and quite simple and yet in the totality of its details longer and more complex. It is simple enough for a child to understand and yet complex enough to challenge the most gifted of scholars. The most succinct and familiar statement of the Gospel is found in the words of Jesus himself as recorded by the Apostle John;
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
The Apostle Paul explains this Gospel message at the most foundational level in 1 Corinthians 15 where he identifies the core truths one must believe to be saved;
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
This is the starting point but there is much more to know about God and his redemption story, and in time we must all grow in our knowledge and faith. From its earliest days the Church sought to summarize the body of essential beliefs required of all Christians. The Nicene Creed, adopted in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea and then modified in 381 at the Second Ecumenical Council has stood the test of time as the most widely accepted profession of the Christian faith. With slight variations in wording this has been accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and most Protestant denominations as reflecting the basic essential beliefs of the Christian faith. The Nicene Creed, linked below, is not viewed as authoritative or exhaustive, but rather as an accurate summary of the major teachings of the Bible with respect to God and his relationship with people and therefore summarizes the basics of Christian belief.
Nicene Creed
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
The Apostle Paul explains this Gospel message at the most foundational level in 1 Corinthians 15 where he identifies the core truths one must believe to be saved;
1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
This is the starting point but there is much more to know about God and his redemption story, and in time we must all grow in our knowledge and faith. From its earliest days the Church sought to summarize the body of essential beliefs required of all Christians. The Nicene Creed, adopted in 325 at the First Council of Nicaea and then modified in 381 at the Second Ecumenical Council has stood the test of time as the most widely accepted profession of the Christian faith. With slight variations in wording this has been accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and most Protestant denominations as reflecting the basic essential beliefs of the Christian faith. The Nicene Creed, linked below, is not viewed as authoritative or exhaustive, but rather as an accurate summary of the major teachings of the Bible with respect to God and his relationship with people and therefore summarizes the basics of Christian belief.
Nicene Creed
|
|