Creeds & Confessions

Westminster Abbey London, EnglandThe early church fathers Irenaeus (130-200 AD) and Tertullian (160-220 AD) referred to creeds as the regula fidei or ‘rule of faith'. Indeed, creeds and confessions comprise a framework that a person can confess publicly, study privately, and also ‘keep in mind' when reading Scripture. Creeds and confessions guard the church from old heresies and guide the church to think in an orthodox (right thinking) manner. Charles Arand helpfully comments that there is a "reciprocal relation between the confessions and biblical writings. The confessions reproduce in miniature the doctrinal content of the Scriptures." He goes on to say that this involves two elements. "First, the confessions draw together into one place the principal sights that are "must sees" in Scripture, as a map might highlight the mountain peaks in a given region that rise to at least 14,000 feet in elevation. Second, the confessions employ certain principles congruent with those of Scripture itself for mapping out the region to be explored." (A Confessing Theology for Postmodern Times, (ed.) Michael Horton, 19).

The following Links lead to the clearest confessional expressions of Biblical, Protestant Christianity:

> The Apostles' Creed (5th c.) 

> The Nicene Creed (4th c.)

> The Augsburg Confession (1531)

> The Belgic Confession (1618)

> The Second Helvetic Confession (1566)

> The Heidelberg Catechism (1562)

> The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646 - Historic Version)

> The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646 - Modern Version)

> The Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647-8)

> The Westminster Larger Catechism (1647-8)