1st June 2023
A Trinitarian creed
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIVUK)
The Athanasian Creed is of uncertain origin, but it was supposedly prepared in the time of Athanasius, the great theologian of the fourth century. Some scholars, however, have theorised that it seems more likely that it dates from the fifth or sixth centuries because of its Western character. Nevertheless, the Creed communicates an essential point of Bible teaching: that God’s Son and the Holy Spirit are of one being with the Father.
Traditionally it is considered the ‘Trinitarian creed’, and although the Trinity is not an easy concept to understand, this creed provides some valuable points to ponder. Here are some key excerpts:
Now this is the catholic [universal] faith: We worship one God in Trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.
But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty.
What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.
Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.
The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite.
Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit: And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited.
Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty.
Thus, the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God.
Thus, the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord.
As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic [universal] religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.
The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created but was alone begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.
Thus, there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.
And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons. 1
There is a lot to think about in this creed, and as you do, ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’
Prayer
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God, have mercy upon us. Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, we worship You. Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour and Lord of the World, we worship You. Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the people of God, we worship You. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
Study by Barry Robinson
1 For an example translation of the Athanasian Creed see
https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/creeds/athanasian-creed
About the writer:
Barry Robinson is a minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Southern England.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Camberwell
The Salvation Army Hall
105 Lomond Grove
Camberwell
London SE5 7HN
Local congregational contact:
Barry Robinson
Email: camberwell@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church