A question I get asked, occasionally, is "why do creeds matter or why does Ardent adhere to creeds and confessions?" This is an incredible question! One thing I must stress is that creeds and confessions are NOT the inspired Word of God. They are NOT an addition to the Bible. They are NOT above the Bible. During the Protestant Reformation, one of the 5 Solas was "Sola Scriptura" or "Scripture Alone". The Bible alone is our guide for godliness and holiness. We don't need anything else to guide us. But creeds and confessions are helpful because they can help simplify and give clarity to our understanding of the Gospel. There are several positives to having creeds and confessions. After the apostle's and first church leaders died and the message of Jesus spread throughout the world, it became necessary to help believers come to a proper understanding of the Bible. They were intended to defend the Gospel and clarify for beliefs for the Church and act as the "yardstick of correct belief". The Apostle's Creed was used as a simplistic statement of belief for believer across the known world to understand their faith in Jesus as their salvation and the effects there of. The Nicene Creed was formulated in response to the "Arian Controversy" where Arius had claimed that Jesus, although divine, was "created" by God. The Council at Nicaea clarified the Trinity that God, the Father; Jesus; and the Holy Spirit were all of the same essence but yet three separate persons. Confessions such as the Baptist Confessions, the Westminster, etc. give a systematic, doctrinal approach to understanding key tenets of theology such as the nature, person, and character of God, the full ramifications of Jesus's life, death and resurrection, and how the believer is to conduct themselves in worship and in life. Creeds and Confessions are still important because: 1) We are given a simple expression of faith that is easy for new believers to grasp. When discipling new believers, the first question I usually get is "where do I start reading"? This can be confusing if you have never picked up a Bible. I usually point people to John, Ephesians, and then give them a confession or creed to look over so that they can quickly understand who God is, what He has done, and why that matters. 2) They help churches to rally around the essentials of the faith. It's very easy to get off on a theological tangent that is simply secondary at best and preferential at worst. Confessions, especially, can help churches focus on the essentials and when that occurs, the non-essentials become less of an issue. 3) They connect "ancient faith" and "modern context". The Gospel is as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. We don't need to make the message relevant. It is relevant. The delivery of that message may change but the message remains. Creeds and confessions connect us to our history as the Church. We are learning, repeating, and believing the same words that the church rallied around in 500, 1500, 1900, etc. Our faith is rooted in a glorious history of the work of Jesus that has affected generations and millenniums. A creed can help connect our faith to our context as the Gospel is shaping us to reach our context. 4) They are a great tool for parents to teach children the basic tenets of the Gospel. One of the greatest tools I have found to disciple my children is to use an adapted version of Spurgeon's Catechism (confession). It gives me small chunks for my children to learn, process, and apply. Creeds and confessions are a great tool. How do you use them in your life or church?