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Unlike confessions, creeds most frequently refer to statements that Christians in all times and in all places have affirmed.Ĭreeds originated in the early church in the first five centuries AD, while confessions, as said before, refer mostly to the statements of faith from the Reformation onward. Like confessions, creeds are formal statements. 3 What Is A Creed?Ĭreeds are a close relative of confessions. Confessions are the very things that help us rehearse and remember each and every day what Scripture teaches. The Apostle Paul tells us that there should be a standard of teaching that we as Christians should commit to and live by, which is first and foundationally determined by the Word of God. Consider Romans 6:17, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves to sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” (ESV). We use confessions because the Bible implies that we should. They are human documents that are liable to error and subordinate to the Bible. Unlike the Bible, however, confessions can err. So, a group of Reformers wrote the Augsburg Confession stating (among other things) that, “our works cannot reconcile us with God or obtain grace for us, for this happens only through faith, that is, when we believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake.” Thus, they clarified this important doctrine for the people of their time through th is confession. Many Reformers rejected the Roman Catholic notion that good works merit salvation. Nowadays, it’s most commonly used to describe “formal statements of the Christian faith written especially by Protestants since the time of the Reformation.”įor instance, the Augsburg Confession, written in 1530, clarifie s C hristian teaching on the doctrine of justification, or how we become right before God.Īt the time of the Augsburg Confession, the Reformation was gaining momentum across Europe. Sometimes it also clarifies Christian teaching for the people who live in a particular place. Simply put, a “confession” is a written statement that clearly articulates Christian teaching about a particular problem. L et’s look at creeds and confessions and discover how they are used today. Both creeds and confessions are formal statements of faith, but they have differences. Maybe you have heard people talk about “being saved by God,” Jesus dying for peoples’ sin, or God’s unconditional love - but what do such people believe about God and Jesus?Ĭonfessions and creeds serve as helpful, straightforward resources for discovering what Christians believe about God. Have you ever found yourself wondering: So what exactly do Christians believe? Share Your Story: What Has God Done for You?.