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To: boatbums
I was raised Southern Baptist. When I was 25 years old, I converted. Tenets of Faith: We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets; And we believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the Life of the age to come. Amen. Or in Greek if you prefer: Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα, Παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο. Τὸν δι ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα. Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός. Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν. Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν. Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.
2,753 posted on 11/18/2011 10:18:59 PM PST by TexConfederate1861 (Surrender means that the history of this heroic struggle will be written by the enemy.)
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To: TexConfederate1861
The Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed are pretty much what I would call the basic tenets of the Christian faith and I can't think of any Christian denomination that would disagree. What seems to matter, though, is how these are "interpreted". For example, to say you believe Jesus Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven there are those who say this meant Jesus only "cleared the way" or opened the gates of Heaven so that we might go there if we're worthy or good enough. While others believe it means, as Scripture says dozens of times, that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and God offers to us eternal life by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ and NOT because we deserve it or are good enough.

The same thing with the phrase, one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Some believe that is speaking of the universal, spiritual Body of Christ, but others believe it speaks of THE Catholic Church, which excludes any other believers in Christ that aren't members of the institutional Roman Catholic Church.

The phrase, We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. Some believe that it speaking of the baptism of the Holy Spirit that happens as a result of confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in our heart God raised him from the dead. Yet others say it speaks of the sacrament of water baptism and nobody can be saved until they have themselves water baptized. Some think tiny babies can have this baptism, but others believe faith must come first then the act of water baptism as an outward testimony of the act of receiving Christ as Savior.

But I'm glad you posted this and you may want to draw on your memories of being in the Southern Baptist Church. Is there anything in these creeds that "they" did not teach and preach as well? Did what they believe concur with Holy Scripture? Can you remember anything outlandish that they taught that goes against the tenets of these creeds? When I think back on what I learned as a Roman Catholic, I can honestly say I repeated those words hundreds of times, if not thousands, but I didn't really let them reach my heart and grasp their real meaning until I was shown Scripture in a little Southern Baptist Sunday school room. What matters above all labels, is what we believe about what God has revealed to us. Saying words counts as nothing with him if they don't echo in our hearts as well. I just realized how late it is, so I'm signing off soon. Hope you have a good night.

2,756 posted on 11/18/2011 11:18:56 PM PST by boatbums ( Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Titus 3:5)
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To: TexConfederate1861

Do you also believe Mary was sinless? Did she have children other than Jesus?


2,774 posted on 11/19/2011 5:11:45 AM PST by CynicalBear
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