Ancient Paths Blog

From the Creed - Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

The creed shifts from its focus on Christ's nativity to the events associated with Holy Week.  And with this shift - as one commentator put it - "the creed takes a jarring leap from Jesus' birth to His death," James Howell, The Life We Claim, 59.

That is jarring - not just because it moves us immediately from the tender scene of Mary's maternal love in the incarnation to the shocking specter of Christ's violent death on the cross.  But it's also jarring because of what it seems to leave out namely,

From the Creed - An Affirmation of Virginity

One final thing to note as we continue examining our Lord's birth is the creed's implicit approval of virginity.  Our Lord was born to the virgin Mary.  Indeed, it is not Mary's faith that is highlighted but her chastity. 

And Oh, what a timely and relevant message this is - not just to our culture but to the Church.  In response to the assertion, "The virginity of Mary matter just doesn't matter in modern times!" one man responded "In my opinion the virginity of Mary matters more in modern times than at any other point in history."  James C. Howell, The Life We Claim, 55.

From the Creed - An Affirmation of Motherhood

Sunday, May 9 is of course Mother's Day.  It would not do therefore, in our consideration of Jesus "born to the virgin Mary...," to miss the creed's implicit affirmation or approval of motherhood.  Or maybe it would be better to say the creed has preserved for us the important place of motherhood in God's plan of redeeming the cosmos.

Mary stands in a long line of Biblical women through whom God has saved the world - not because they themselves have brought salvation.  Rather, God brings His saviors into the world by means of women embracing their uniquely feminine powers of bearing and nurturing children.

From the Creed - Must We Believe in the Virgin Birth? Part 2

Mark Driscoll, preaching pastor for Mars Hill Church in Seattle was once asked (by an incredulous advocate of the Emergent church movement impatient with theology), "What would we loose by abandoning the virgin birth?"  He answered (equally incredulously and with just a little sarcasm), "Ah, I don't know... Jesus! The gospel!  Everything!"

From the Creed - Must We Believe in the Virgin Birth? Part 1

Ok, so we've confessed Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  What is so significant about these two phrases concerning Christ's birth that they have been enshrined in the creed for centuries?  Is it important that we retain them?  Must we believe in the virgin birth today?  The answer to that must be an unambiguous and emphatic Yes.  But because the significance of Christ's virgin birth is lost on many people, let me enumerate several reasons.

From the Creed - Born of the Virgin Mary...

The other fact being affirmed by the creed, derived from the same passages of scripture, is that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.  As we've said, while His conception was truly miraculous, His birth was natural and ordinary.  While the Holy Spirit was the powerful Agent causing His conception in Mary's womb, it was the natural working of her womb through labor and delivery that brought forth the infant Jesus.

Tolerance With A Fist

Foreword

In December 2001 I wrote a response (never submitted) to Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist who had written a piece called "The Real War" in which he made the assertion (fresh in the wake of the attacks of September 11) that the war we faced was not against terrorism but religious totalitarianism - which he dubbed "Bin Ladenism."

From the Creed - Conceived by the Holy Spirit...

A Divine Person

Having noted the historical implications of the opening statement about Jesus, the first thing affirmed by the creed regarding His birth is that He was "conceived by the Holy Spirit."

Maundy? Don't You Mean "Monday"?

The Meaning and Origins of Maundy Thursday

Church life for traditional evangelical churches consists mainly of an alternating rhythm of Sundays and Wednesdays.  On Sundays we meet with worship, singing of songs and hearing sermons.  On Wednesdays we participate in a discipleship program, Bible study or prayer meeting.  This schedule remains constant except for the High Holy Days of Christmas and Super Bowl and of course, the Pilgrimage Season where we all devoutly set out for the cabin or Disney World.

From the Creed - Conceived by the Holy Spirit

The Jesus of History

We now delve into the next section of the creed's statement about Jesus.  About this transition Alister McGrath says "Having told us what to believe about Jesus," that He is both Lord and Christ, and God's only Son, the creed now begins "to explore the foundations of those beliefs," I Believe, 44.