ABOUT THE CREEDS & TRINITY
 

Apostles’ Creed, Yahad Version

We believe in YHWH the Father Almighty, the Creator of sky and earth, and in Yahshua the Nazorean, who is the Anointed One, His only Son, our President and Master - a Son of Adam who was conceived of the Ruach haQodesh, born of Almah Marya, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was impaled, died, and was buried. He came back to life. He descended into the netherworld.  He came to the Yahad of his Shlichim and taught them.  He ascended into the sky to sit at the right hand of YHWH the Father El Elyon.  From the Highest Place He returns to earth to judge the living and the risen dead. We believe in the Ruach haQodesh, in the viability of the qahal of the Qadoshim, the yahad of the Tzadikim, the forgiveness of sins, the body's rising from death to life, and life from age to age.  Amein.

There is no reason we cannot stand with the Yahad Version of the Apostles' Creed.

However, most Credal Churches insist that the worshipper to swear allegiance to the Trinity. Other than that which is set forth in another part of this site, we can only have a very limited understanding of the relationship between the Father and the Son.  The following Creeds hold us to a very simplistic and unwieldy confession, so they are rejected.

Nicene Creed, First Council of Nicea (325)

We believe in one Gwd, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Gwd, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, Gwd of Gwd], Light of Light, very Gwd of very Gwd, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost.

The Nicene Council judged a doctrine that the Emperor considered disunifying, dealing with Arianism, which taught the Savior to be a man only, or a man who became a god through baptism. The following statements are added as prohibitory for all holding Arian beliefs.

[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of Gwd is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]

Nicene Creed, redacted.  First Council of Constantinople (381)

The Nicene Creed was redacted a number of times. Here is the first redaction.

We believe in one Gwd, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of Gwd, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very Gwd of very Gwd, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; he was crucified 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.  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 world to come. Amen.

Nicene Creed, current from the Church of England (Anglican Episcopal)

I believe in one Gwd the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And of all things visible and invisible: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of Gwd, Begotten of his Father before all worlds, Gwd of Gwd, Light of Light, Very Gwd of very Gwd, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, By whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man, And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, And ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead: Whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and giver of life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son (filoque), Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the Resurrection of the dead, And the life of the world to come. Amen.

The filoque (...and the son) was added to help unify the East and West churches - the East believing the Holy Spirit to have emanated from the Son and the West believing the Holy Spirit emanated from the Father.  The addition of the filoque temporarily resolved one theological contradiction between East and West.

While not necessarily rejecting the Nicene Creed as erroneous, some evangelical and other Christians, on the basis of their sola scriptura view, consider it as in no way authoritative because it is not part of the Bible, and do not recite it in their services.

The Church of the New Jerusalem, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and similar groups, accept the Christian Scriptures in whole or in part, but reject post-Apostolic statements such as the Nicene Creed. They consider themselves Christians, an identification contested by others who consider acceptance of the Nicene Creed a key part of Christian orthodoxy.

THE TRINITY AND THE SCRIPTURES

Besides what you have read in your work regarding the doctrine of the trinity, I would like to add some observations of my own.

1| Later additions: “holy” before “spirit” in some NT passages are later additions, especially in those passages that could be interpreted as Trinitarian.  Other additions: Matthew 28:19, John 20:28, 2 Cor 13:13, 1 John 5:8ff.

2| There is no capitalization of “Holy Spirit” or “Spirit” in the source languages. Modern translators capitalize in order to continue the status quo regarding Trinity while (at the same time) marginalizing the passages referring to the human spirit regenerated.  (2 Kefa 1:1,2)

3| Difficult translations include John 1:1 and, Jude 20,21.