Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

NOTE.

The relative OC (ög, who) is best sustained by evidence (NAC-though Aleph has been meddled with, and B is wanting), instead of the noun OC (tóg, God, in the text. rec.), or of the neuter gender, ő (which). See Tischendorf, ed. viii. maj. ii. p. 849, and the long notes of Alford and Wordsworth. The reading öç improves the rhythm without changing the sense; for it certainly refers to Christ the God-Man, whether we connect it with μvorýρiov (by transition from the mystery to the person of Him who is the sum and substance of the revelation of God), or regard it (in accordance with the parallelism and continuity of the following clauses) as a quotation from a primitive hymn or confession. Wordsworth refers 'who' to the preceding 'living God,' but God as such can not be said to have been 'received in glory.'

The Elementary Articles.

HEB. vi. 1, 2.

Διὸ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Therefore, leaving the word conΧριστοῦ λόγον, ἐπὶ τῆν τελειότητα φερώμεθα· μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι

μετανοίας ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ θεὸν, βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς,

ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν,

ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν,

καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου.

cerning the beginning of [the] Christ, let us go unto perfection [maturity], not laying again a foundation

of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God,

of the doctrine of baptisms [washings],

and of laying on of hands,

and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

NOTE.-Many commentators suppose that the sacred writer here refers to the fundamental and elementary articles of catechetical instruction in the apostolic Church; but the articles mentioned were held by Christians in common with the Jews, and are distinguished from the fullness of Christian knowledge (reλεióτnç), or 'the strong meat for those who are of full age' (ver. 14). The passage has only a remote bearing on creeds. For details, see the commentaries of Bleek, Tholuck, Delitzsch, Lünemann, Alford, Moll and Kendrick.

Other Allusions to Creeds.

The duty of confessing the faith is taught by our Lord, Matt. x. 32, 33, and by St. Paul, Rom. x. 9, 10.

Allusions to a creed may be found in the following passages:

Acts xvi. 31, where Paul and Silas, in answer to the question of the jailer at Philippi, say: 'BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.'

Rom. xii. 6: "The analogy of faith' (karà rỳv ávaλoyiav τñç tioteWC).

1 Cor. xv. 3: 'I delivered unto you among the first things that which I also received, that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS, according to the Scriptures, and that HE WAS BURIED, and that HE ROSE AGAIN the third day, according to the Scriptures,' etc.

2 Tim. i. 13, 14: 'Hold fast THE FORM OF SOUND WORDS [Vπо‡Úлwoir twv vyiαivóvTWV Móyov, a sketch or outline of the healing words] which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love, in Christ Jesus. THAT GOOD THING WHICH WAS COMMITTED unto thee [Tv πapaVOL. II.-B

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Ińkŋν, or waρakaTa‡ýη, the deposit] keep, by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us.' Comp. ver. 12, and 1 Tim. vi. 20 (v πapa‡ýkηv púλažov).

Heb. v. 12: 'Ye have need that one teach you again which be THE FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD” (τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ Θεοῦ). Comp. vi. 1, 2.

1 John iv. 2: 'Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that CONFESSETH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH [ὁμολογεῖ ̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα] is of God.'

2 John 10: 'If there come any unto you, and bring not THIS DOCTRINE [TaÚTηv Týv didaxi, viz., the doctrine of Christ, ver. 9], receive him not into your house.'

Jude 3: Exhorting that ye should earnestly contend for THE FAITH WHICH WAS ONCE DELIVERED UNTO THE SAINTS” (τῇ ἅπαξ παραδοθείση τοῖς ἁγίοις πίστει).

REGULÆ FIDEI

ECCLESIÆ ANTE-NICENE ET NICENE.

ANTE-NICENE AND NICENE RULES OF FAITH AND BAPTISMAL CREEDS.

[blocks in formation]

LUCIAN, OF ANTIOCH. A.D. 300...

GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, OF NEO-CÆSAREA. A.D. 270. 24

THE PRIVATE CREED OF ARIUS. A.D. 328.....

25

28

EUSEBIUS, OF CÆSAREA IN PALESTINE. A.D. 325.

29

....

[blocks in formation]

THE APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS. A.D. 350...
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF THE ANTE-NICENE RULES OF FAITH

AS RELATED TO THE APOSTLES' CREED AND THE NICENE CREED. 40

39

REGULÆ FIDEI

ECCLESIÆ ANTE-NICENE ET NICENÆ.

ANTE-NICENE AND NICENE RULES OF FAITH AND BAPTISMAL CREEDS.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

The Rules of Faith and Baptismal Confessions which we find among the ecclesiastical writers of the second and third centuries mark the transition from the Bible to the (Ecumenical Creeds. They contain nearly all the articles of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, and some are even more full, especially those of the East; for the Greek Church was, at an early period, disturbed by heretical speculations and perversions, and had a greater talent and taste for metaphysical theology than the less learned but more sober, practical, and steady Church of the West. I have included here also some creeds of the fourth century, to facilitate the comparison with the Apostles' and the Nicæno-Constantinopolitan symbols. In addition to the valuable collections of HAHN (Bibliothek der Symbole und Glaubensregeln, 1842) and HEURTLEY (Harmonia Symbolica, 1858, and De Fide et Symbolo, 1869), I have examined the more recent works of CASPARI (Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols und der Glaubensregel, 1866–75, 3 vols.), LUMBY (History of the Creeds, 1873), Swainson (Literary History of the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds, 1875), and HORT (Two Dissertations, etc., 1876).

[blocks in formation]

The following passage is no creed nor part of a creed, but it shows what facts of the gospel history were most prominent in the mind of the famous bishop and martyr IGNATIUS, of Antioch, and the Church of his age, in opposition to the Gnostic heretics, who resolved the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ into an unreal and delusive show or phantom (dóêŋoig, hence Docetaæ). A similar passage of greater length occurs in the commencement of his letter to the Christians at Smyrna.

The text is from the shorter Greek recension of the seven Epistles, with the chief interpolations of the longer Greek recension added in brackets. The latter mentions also Christ's lonely descent into Hades (rañλdev eiç ädŋv póvoc). In the short Syriac Ignatius there is no Epistle to the Trallians. On the Ignatian controversy and literature, see my Church History, Vol. I. § 119, pp. 463 sqq.

Κωφώθητε οὖν, ὅταν ὑμῖν χωρίς Be deaf, therefore, when any would Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λαλῇ τις

[blocks in formation]

speak to you apart from (at vari

ance with) JESUS CHRIST

[the Son of God],

who was descended from the fam

ily of David,

born of Mary,

who truly was born

[both of God and of the Virgin truly took a body; for the Word

« PredošláPokračovať »