The First Creed: Crucifixion and Resurrection

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Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 (ESV)

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.

Devotion:

            These verses from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians very likely represent one of the first creeds of the Christian Church. The first creed may have been the simple statement, "Jesus is Lord.” These creeds were vitally important for the newly founded church because very few people had access to their own copies of the scriptures due to the high cost of reproducing them by hand. It was necessary, therefore, to have short, easy-to-memorize sayings that contained the most essential elements of Christian teaching.

            What is the most important thing to know about Jesus’ life? What is most essential to the Christian faith? Its simplicity is a powerful truth. Jesus' death on the cross, His burial, and resurrection from the dead are the primary facts to know in the Christian faith. This does not mean that other facts of Jesus’ life and ministry are not important, but simply that without Jesus’ blood shed on the cross to forgive our sins and His bodily resurrection to give us the hope of resurrection. Christianity is without life-changing power.

            This week, we will examine several creeds of the early church. While these creeds are not found in scripture and, therefore, are not inspired and inerrant like the creed found in 1 Corinthians, they are important for the teaching ministry of the church. We will examine each creed in its context, as these creeds were written to counter specific heresy that the church encountered during the first four centuries or so of its existence.

            Let us pray that God will provide a fruitful investigation of these creeds.

Prayer:

            Lord, help us study the creeds of your church so that we may come to an intellectual understanding of their meaning. Having understood what each creed means, we may be changed in our hearts. May we love you and our fellow creatures with a love that is truly Christ-like. May we be examples of the kind of people Christ intended us to be. Increase the power of our ministry to reach the lost and hurting world in which we find ourselves. Amen.

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