Preliminary Remarks on the Ecumenical Creeds

Speaking of the Ecumenical Creeds

What we mean by “Ecumenical”

Churches of the Augsburg Confession definitely hold to the Ecumenical Creeds.

As an evangelical catholic church separated from the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran congregations today joyfully confess the faith once for all delivered to the saints by the Holy Spirit in the Holy Scriptures.

We are apostolic in the sense that we follow the teachings of Jesus as transmitted by the apostles whom Jesus sent out into all the world.

We are ecumenical in the same apostolic and worldwide-mission sense, and this befits our desire and strong passion for unity in all places where Christians gather to worship Christ and to receive His gifts.

Ecumenical Means World-wide

In all this we do not imagine that we are all alone, as if we are the only true members of Christ’s body—the church, or that we are the only ones who desire unity. But acknowledging our limitations in accord with Jesus’ teaching to His disciples about the difficulty in this life of recognizing true sheep from goats or true wheat from tares, we still must endeavor to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). This has ramifications which are at times pleasant and joyful (when believers walk together in step with Jesus’ teaching) and at other times hard and challenging (when disagreement and heresy arise that separate us from one another).

See, e.g., Jesus’ teaching about the necessary and crucial dissension and division that He intentionally brought into this world (Luke 12:49-56).

Ecumenical Implies Orthodox

From Jesus’ perspective then, unity must always be in accord with the truth revealed in Scriptures, which writings are God-breathed and profitable for these four things:

• πρὸς διδασκαλίαν (for doctrine/teaching)
• πρὸς ἔλεγχον (for rebuke)
• πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν (for correction/amendment)
• πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ (for instruction in righteousness)

that the man of God may be adequately equipped, prepared for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16f)

Unity for the sake of unity - Not an option

Since God the Holy Spirit inspired the writers of Scripture, today in our pursuit of unity, we must not pass over and disregard the testimony of God Himself about right thinking and orthodox teaching. God will hold false teachers accountable for their destructive doctrines. Persisting in known false doctrine is not an option for the Christian, whether a teacher or a lay-person, and there is much false doctrine in various organizational bodies who claim to be the church.

Unity in Baptism and in Teaching

Jesus sent the disciples into the world to make disciples of every nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that Jesus had taught them. Therefore, while Holy Baptism certainly does join us one with another as fellow members in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), that is no excuse for allowing the wolves of false doctrine to come in and eat up the sheep in God’s fold. No, indeed. That is why pastors (under shepherds) and teachers (orthodox ones only) are Jesus’ gift to the church (Eph. 4:11ff) and are called to be on guard against such wolves.

Preach the Word, be steadfast, unwavering, reprove, rebuke, admonish with all longsuffering and teaching. (2 Tim. 4:2). Compare also 1 Tim. 6:3-5.

What we mean by “Creed”

Our creed is simply our statement of faith – that is, what we believe, teach, and confess to the truth as revealed in God’s Word. When it comes to our faith, there are no secrets; we hide nothing. These written statements (creeds) to which we hold are public documents, based on the Word of God which they aim to interpret rightly, and they are accessible by anyone who cares to learn about us or what we confess as Christians.

We confess these truths from the Scriptures when they’re popular. We confess these truths when they’re unpopular or even when they’re labeled crimes of the state, punishable by death. We confess these truths, not as mere assertions that we believe, but as truths from the Word of God, being convinced of this, as we most decidedly are, by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who is the Giver of Life, and who illumines the eyes of the faithful.

What we don’t mean by “Ecumenical” or “Creed”

Ecumenical Councils Not Above Scripture

No creed or church council or other ecclesiastical body may stand with authority equal to or higher than that of the Holy Scriptures (both the Old and New Testaments). While we grieve and are heart-broken over division (in doctrines and practices) which the evil one has sown in the midst of professing Christians for many generations, we likewise do not rejoice in our separation from other brothers and sisters in Christ, who at this time disagree with us on interpretation of key Scriptures.

Ecumenical Movement Rejected

The word “ecumenical” today has some negative connotations, especially for those who insist that ecumenical implies orthodoxy. Seen in this light, the modern Ecumenical Movement is a false attempt to do what the Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to do in Ephesians chapter four:

While we are called to work hard to keep/maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, there are no short-cuts to such a Unity. Doctrines taught and confessed in churches matter. Why? Because Truth matters. Lives are on the line when it comes to the Truth of God’s Word.

Wrong (unorthodox) doctrines make unhealthy souls and so must be rejected and removed from the church. On the other hand, good (orthodox) doctrines are a source of life and health for all who hear.

We must reject the modern Ecumenical Movement, for it aims to find a new basis for Unity outside of the Truth of God’s Holy Word, and it proceeds to do this even among churches that have historically parted ways over doctrinal disagreements, as if those differences and disagreements can be ignored now without harm. However, there are no short-cuts to Unity. Unity must be based in Truth, and since there is only one Truth, such short-cuts will simply never work.

While we reject the modern Ecumenical Movement, as it has played out in modern times, we must distinguish that from the ancient Ecumenical Creeds, which we believe are in full agreement with Scripture. These creeds (Apostolic, Nicene, and Athanasian) uphold biblical truth, are in accord with the pattern of the sound (healthy) words of Scripture, and thus promote a wholesome unity among Christians in all ages and places.

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