I’ve been reading The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman. There’s a little Trueman and a little Tavella in the following words.   It has inspired me to write a few lines about the relationship between praise, creed, and apologetics and guided me in what to say.

A number of hymns are found in the New Testament.  Let’s look at some of them.  First we examine a hymn found in Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.  

‘ . . . though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2: 6b-11 ESV)

The context for the hymn is Paul’s admonition directed to the community to be of one mind. He also counsels that members should regard others as more significant than themselves, exercising humility in their relationships.  In the text that follows this hymn, Paul calls the Christians  to be “lights in the world.”  The Christians are to be blameless amongst a “crooked and twisted” generation.  Paul’s words remind us of Jesus’ words in the “Sermon on the Mount,”  where he says, “. . . let your light so shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’  (Matthew 5: 16 ESV)

The passage from Philippians may or may not have been written by Paul.  It is possible that he inserted a pre-existing hymn into his letter.  Either way, the hymn  speaks of glorifying God for Jesus sake and is a confession of the meaning of Jesus’ life for us all.  It may have been used as a hymn in the worship of the Church.

Statements of faith like this one serve as doxological (praising God) elements in worship. The hymn is creedal, praise, and recognizes that through Jesus all people will bend the knee.

Another confession of faith is found in Colossians.

“He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him were all things created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.  Fore in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1: 15-20 ESV)

Here is a form of confession that reflects the First and Second Articles of the Apostles’ Creed, composed much later.  This sort of biblical confession was summarized in “The Rule of Faith,”  found in some of the early Church Fathers.  This Rule eventually is formed into the Apostles’ Creed and variations thereof., ‘ used today in Baptisms and congregational worship. (Trueman wrote an excellent section in his book about the “Rule of Faith).”

In I Peter we are told that we belong to a royal priesthood that proclaims the Lord who called us from darkness into light. (I Peter 2: 9 ESV)   Our praise goes out into the world as a witness to the Gentiles (non-believers).

We will look at I and 2 Timothy sometime soon.

Michael G. Tavella

October 12, 2024

 

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