The Athanasian Creed - What Difference Does a Right Theology of the Trinity Make?

 

I recently heard a talk on Athanasius a year ago--and he became a new hero to me.  

Athanasius was secretary to the Bishop of Alexandria (in Egypt) in 325AD while the Arian controversy was heating up.  Athanasius attended that the Council of Nicea and soon became involved in a life-long theological battle against Arianism--the false teaching Arius taught that Jesus was created, see this post.

Athanasius was a known as "the black dwarf" - a short, African theologian and teacher. He was a teacher and theological writer whose books Against the Gentiles and On the Incarnation of the Word revealed his lifelong belief in biblical teaching and love for right thinking.

Athanasius would go on to become the Bishop of Alexandria-- for 45 years! More than his longevity, Athanasius was known for his persistent battle for the Nicene Creed and against the Arians.  It turns out a great majority of the church was "Arian." Political leaders in the day also tended to be Arian, especially as their politics was tied to various powerful church leaders and Christian constituencies.

On Athanasius' epithet was "Athanasius contra mundum. "Athanasius against the world. One understands why we you read about his life 'on the run.' He was

Exiled by Constantine I

Freed by Constantine II 

Exiled by Constantius

Freed by Constans

Exiled (again) by Constantius

Hated by Emperor Julius and numerous church leaders.

As a Church Father, Athanasius left us a legacy of holding tightly to biblical truth.  He died in 373 AD, but his influence has continued through the centuries.  The third and final "Ecumenical Creed" which Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed folk hold to helps further clarify the the three-in-one nature of the Trinity. It reasserts the two natures of Christ (God and Man) as accepted at the Council of Chalcedon (451).  The "Athanasian Creed" was seemingly adopted at the Synod of Autun (ca. 670). It cannot be confidently attributed to Athansius as author, but certainly its name gives 'creedence' and reflects the Trinitarian thinking Athanasius defended. 

As a creed it is long and drawn out and repetitious.  It has a meter that lends itself to a 'call and response' use in a worship gathering. It also has a harsh beginning and ending which appears to condemn to hell those who do not believe.  C.S. Lewis said of the 'offense' of the creed (p. 8): 

The words “Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly” are the offence. They are commonly misunderstood. The operative word is keep; not acquire, or even believe, but keep. The author, in fact, is not talking about unbelievers, but about deserters, not about those who have never heard of Christ, nor even those who have misunderstood and refused to accept Him, but of those who having really understood and really believed, then allow themselves, under the sway of sloth or of fashion or any other invited confusion to be drawn away into sub-Christian modes of thought. They are a warning against the curious modern assumption that all changes of belief, however brought about, are necessarily exempt from blame.  

The Creed can be useful and worshipful if used with some instruction in a Christian worship setting. The Shield of the Trinity (see above). has also been used in association with the Athanasian Creed and the clarity it aims to communicate about the Trinity.

To the point about what difference does right theology make? Do we have to think rightly about God?

1. Thinking rightly about the God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit gives us a foundation for discerning false teachings about God--and keeps us from believing in a false God. A brief look at the '-isms" the early church fought: Sabellianism, Nestorianism, Arianism, and Monophysitism, reveals that proper biblical thinking about God is necessary to keep from bouncing off of the trampoline of faith into cults and false teaching.  

Like mentioned earlier, Jehovah Witnesses are modern day Arians.

Mormons believe in their own version of three gods.

Muslims deny the Trinity completely. 

Oneness Pentecostals deny the Trinity in favor of a "Jesus-Only" worldview (Modern-Day Sabellianism). 

Often the denial of the basic truth about God elucidated in these Creeds leads to all sorts of manipulative and false rules for living.

In order for a complete biblical understanding of God, one must consult the Old and New Testaments first, of course.  But from there, one finds the Creeds to be summaries of Biblical belief with regard to the person of God and Christ.  These are essential to understanding our salvation and knowing our Savior.

2. It is a matter of life and death. According to the creed at least, we must hold to this right thinking to be saved. No one likes to be told that what they believe will keep them from being saved. But the church fathers held to it.  Jesus himself was clear that all must believe in him to have eternal salvation (John 3:16). Jesus said of himself "I am the way the truth and the life' (John 14:6).  Are not these creeds simply a reiteration of Jesus' insistence that He must accepted, received and believed upon in the fullness of all that he is, as God, One with the Father (John 5)? The early disciples bowed to worship Jesus. This is the proper response of all believers for our salvation.

In the end, it is worth reviewing these universal creeds--knowing the story behind them--and giving thanks to God for men like Athanasius who suffered much to keep biblical teaching about God and the Trinity in the forefront of the church's understanding. 

Praise God for Athanasius!

Here's the creed named in his honor: 

The Athanasian Creed 

Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic [Christian] faith.
      Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
      And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing
      the persons nor dividing the substance.
      For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.
But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
      Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit:
      The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated;
      The Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite;
      The Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
      In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty;
      And yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
      So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God;
      And yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
      So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;
      And yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
      Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord,
      So also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
      The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.
      The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.
      The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
      And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;
But the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
      Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
      He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages;
      And He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:
Perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
      Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:
One, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
      For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ,
      Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead,
Ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.
And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
      This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved. 

-------------------------------------- 

For Further reading/listening:

Gonzalez, Justo. "Athanasius of Alexandria," The Story of Christianity, p. 173-180 

John Piper's Biographical talk on Athanasius 

 

The Nicene Creed - Was Jesus Created?

In 2011, I underwent a theological grilling. To be ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), I had been asked to 

1. Write a theological paper on their statement of faith. After this I received a license and waited three years.

2. Further refine that paper, submitting it to a couple of readers for dialogue and correction, and finally.

3. Undergo an ordination council where a number of individuals from our church along with local EFCA pastors "grilled me" on my paper. It was an nerve racking and exciting time. I had elected my mother-in-law to transcribe the meeting. Somewhere there is a record of my hemming and hawing, on one particular issue: The Trinity.

"Did God die on the cross?" someone asked. I retorted weakly, "Sort of." The question required a simple answer, and I gave one that led me down numerous rabbit trails. 

I passed the council, but was required to write a little more to clarify my views on the Trinity. I'll tell you the simple answer I arrived later. 

The early church struggled to maintain the teaching of the Apostles about Christ in the face of false doctrines.  One popular doctrine taught in the early 300s claimed that Jesus was a created being. Remember the phrase "God so loved the world He gave his only begotten son?" (John 3:16) Common understanding of 'begotten' confused people into thinking that there must have been a time when Jesus WAS NOT--that Jesus was the first thing created by God.  John 1:1-3 clearly argues against such a view stating "All things were made by him [Jesus, the Word)] and without Him, nothing was made that was made." If Jesus made all created things, did he make himself? Of course not, he WAS in the beginning, with God, as God.

Things were not so clear to the church and a teacher named Arius promoted this falsehood that Jesus was a created being--that there was a time when Jesus WAS NOT.

The recently legalized church held a council (thanks to Constantine) in 325AD in which Arius's views were debated, clarified, and condemned. The church signed The Creed of Nicaea in agreement against Arius. Later, what is known as the Nicene Creed further addressed this topic and was adopted in 381AD in Constantinople.

Why is it important today? 

We need to value the truth of God's Being as revealed to us in the written Word of God, given by the Holy Spirit to the apostles and chewed on by the church of the last 2000 years. Knowing and embracing these truths bring clarity to our understanding of God and His Salvation in the World.  False teachings like those promoted by Arius and the 4th century church are likely to rise again in modern times.  If one researches the Jehovah Witnesses, one quickly learns that they are modern day Arians. In answer to the question "When was Jesus created?" their website says, 

God created Jesus before creating Adam. In fact, God created Jesus and then used him to make everything else, including the angels. That is why the Bible calls Jesus “the firstborn of all creation” by God. 

JW's rehearse again that old false understanding of what "firstborn" means (it's about privilege not time) and declaring there was a time when the Jesus, the Son of God, WAS NOT.

The Nicene Creed most specifically addresses the issue of Jesus co-eternality and establishing the fully divinity of Jesus ('of one substance'), a well as functioning as summary of core Christian beliefs. Notably, there is no mention of 'descending into hell'!

The Creed is generally considered Ecumenical or Universal, meaning all Christian denominations hold to it. The Lutheran Church I am now a part of holds to it and occasionally will occasionally use it in worship gatherings. 

Let us rejoice in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who always have been! Amen! 

P.S. The simple answer I arrived at when asked "Did God die on the cross?" was "The Son of God died on the cross." 

The Nicene Creed (confirmed in 381AD)

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.

Translation © 1988, Faith Alive Christian Resources. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Sources:

Gonzalez, Justo. The Story of Christianity. "The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicea," 158-167.   

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology, p. 243-245

Leith, John, Creeds of the Churches.

The Apostle's Creed - Did the Apostles Write it?

 

The Apostle's Creed

I was baptized as an infant in a Lutheran church. Most likely the congregation recited the Apostle's Creed during the ceremony. Our family soon thereafter began attending a Baptist church where the creeds were (rightly) subjugated to biblical exposition. Unfortunately, they were also almost forgotten--until I was fifteen and had chosen to be baptized.  The Creed made an appearance in the person of the candidate who preceded me in baptism. I had been prepared for baptism by writing out my testimony--being prepared to clearly state my belief in Christ as my Savior and my desire to live for him.  The lady who preceded me recited the Apostle's Creed as part of her baptism, certainly outclassing me.

While the Bible doesn't require a baptismal candidate to recite a creed-or even to give a formal testimony, both can be helpful. My purpose here isn't to make a case for mode and means of baptism, but rather to point to the value of the Apostle's Creed, or any creed, in summarizing our belief in basic Biblical doctrine.

Creeds have histories and help tie us to the believers centuries before. Did the Apostle's actually write this creed? In short, the answer is no. An unfounded legend claims that the Apostle's Creed was penned ten days after Pentecost. Historical evidence rather points to an early Roman Creed (or Roman Symbol as it is sometimes called) in the late 2nd century (100s AD) which holds the Trinitarian structure. Most of the creed can be seen by 341AD (The Creed of Marcellus). The creed recited today was adopted by the Church in 750 AD (Textus Receptus). (See Creeds of the Churches, John Leith, p. 22-25)

Almost every phrase of the Creed has biblical moorings which can be discovered and delighted in.
Two questions for the modern Church remain: "Do I really believe in the catholic church?" The answer is found in understanding the term catholic originally means "the global body of Christ through all time" rather than the Roman Catholic Church. The Apostle Paul would gladly remind us all that we are "are one body in Christ" (Rom. 12:5) 

We also might ask "What does descending into hell mean?" This phrase is highly debated.  The scriptures used to justify the "descent" phrase come from (Acts 2:27, Romans 10:6-7, Eph. 4:8-9, 1 Pet. 3:18-20, and 1 Pet. 4:6).  After careful analysis of each of these passages, Wayne Grudem concludes none of them actually justifies the use of "descending into hell." He notes that "unlike every other phrase in the Creed, it represents not some major doctrine on which all Christians agree, but rather a statement about which most Christians seem to disagree. It is at best confusing and in most cases misleading for modern Christians. My own judgment is that there would be all gain and no loss it it were dropped from the Creed once for all" (Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 586-594).

On the whole, the Apostle's Creed is a straight-forward summary of doctrine, broadly accepted by Christians. Reciting it in a room together with others could be meaningful, though recitation itself doesn't cause unity.  Our unity as the Church was forged by Christ's work on the cross: "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility" (Eph. 2:14). If Jesus could make believing Jews and believing Gentiles "one" through the work of the cross, how much more has he done this for each of us--making us a holy people crafted for His holy service?

To that end, I consider the recitation of this Creed as positive, though not obligatory, to the corporate, united worship of God by His people--though, I might just keep my mouth shut during his 'descent into hell." 

 

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

Creator of heaven and earth,

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again from the dead, 

he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. 

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, 

the Holy Christian (catholic) church

the communion of saints  

the forgiveness of sins

the resurrection of the body

and life everlasting. 

Amen. 

  

I was the pastor of this little church on the edge of downtown Cedar Falls, IA for 8 years. It was here long before me-- and there's just something timeless about the space. I wrote this song a kind of "Christmas Card" for the congregation. 

 

On main street between 10th street and 12th

Stands a l'l church that is like no place else

For years upon years saints there gather to pray 

And look to the heavens for hope on Sunday 

 

Chorus 

It's where God is still great, and His word preached as true 

The fellowship sweet and the coffee well-brewed 

Jesus still saves and he's coming again 

When we all get together at the li'l church on main. 

 

St. Pat's to the north and Naz to the south 

We all bless the Lord with His praise in our mouth 

Some like the crowd, we are family 

We serve one another, by His grace we are Free! 

 

With prayer and petition in a quaint upper room 

Saints midweek seek a revival to bloom 

In a world that is sinking under weight of our sin 

The Light of the world has now entered in! 

 

It's where God is still great, and His word preached as true 

The fellowship sweet and the coffee well-brewed 

Jesus still saves and he's coming again 

When we all get together at the li'l church on main. 

When we all get together at the li'l church on main. 

Let's all get together at the li'l church on main. 

 (c) 2024 Eric Twietmeyer

Books I Read in 2025

It's still January so there is still time to review what I read last year. This list includes the fun books first, then ministry books. And there were many others I started and didn't finish. They didn't make the list.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 

I like Enger's crisp writing style and his Northern Minnesota vibe. This novel was dystopian, but still oozed with hope. I recently learned the Enger brothers (both Minnesotans) have ben co-writing mystery novels, so they're on my list for this year.  

Shadows Over Pine Hollow by RC Nash 

RC's a friend I made this past year. He is an expert in church revitalization. He wrote 12 ministry books in 2026 and finished his first novel. I enjoyed reading the novel--it has mystery, romance, and a hopeful picture of a church revitalizing. I look forward to reading his next novel. 

Back of Beyond by CJ Box (Book 1 in the Highway Series)  

The Bitterroots by CJ Box (Book 5 in the Highway Series) 

In Plain Sight by CJ BOX (#6 in the Joe Pickett Series) 

I've been reading Joe Pickett Novels for a while, so I thought I would try a different CJ Box Series.  Same great Montana background storytelling, different characters. These two books came together--a mass marketing version--had I known I was reading the first and the last in the series I might have sought out the others. But they read well, so I just kept going.  The Disney plus TV series "Big Sky" is also based on these books.  The TV series is grittier than the Pickett novels.

 The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell 

As a result of my time with our church consultant, I decided to read this book on leadership. Maxwell's stories of great leaders are inspiring.  His encouragement that everyone can develop their leadership ability is convincing.  Some chapters are more convincing to me that others.  While I think we can all learn something from 'great leaders,' I'm not sure that Maxwell's definition of success matches that which Christians are called to.  Just reading now this critique on how the Irrefutable Laws are.... refutable, at least the law of the lid.

Spurgeon's Sorrows by Zack Eswine

This small helpful book looks at how Spurgeon dealt with his depression. I was certainly experiencing some Circumstantial Depression this year (starting with Seasonal Affective Disorder, I think) and found this to be a gentle book--reminding me that there is hope even if one can't eliminate feelings. Spurgeon was ahead of his time for not calling physiological and psychological depression sinful.  His efforts to pursue joy and fight depression are inspiring. I will probably keep this book near by. It is well written.

 Where Have All The Church Members Gone (How to Avoid the Five Traps That Silently Kill Churches) by Thom Rainer

A recommended resource by our church consultant.  It basically points out that most church members have no idea what is expected of them and that church leaders need to hold better orientations for new members and communicate, communicate, communicate with members.

Teaching to Change Lives by Howard Hendricks

For a Seminary Class on Teaching. A classic.  

Preaching for God's Glory by Alistair Begg  

Recommended by Jeff McCourt, a fellow preaching pastor. A short book. Focusing. Think yourself dry. Read yourself full. Write yourself clear. Pray yourself hot. Be Yourself, don't preach yourself.

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxas

After taking a class on Interpretation, I decided to read this very accessible biography of the Protestant Reformer. Some day I'll finish the more classic Here I Stand : A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton.

 The Pastor by Eugene Peterson

I think I actually read this at the tail end of 2024, but I'll list it because it was an interesting read.  Peterson takes an anti-CEO approach to pastoring. He took a month off every summer to re-calibrate in Montana with family. He had close relationships with a Company of Pastors in the town where he served. I wish I could say our area churches had a clue how to get a long with each other.