1) The Trinity

Belief. Christians confess one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—coequal and coeternal, distinct yet indivisibly one in essence.

Historical context. The doctrine of the Trinity, a cornerstone of Christian belief, was clarified and defended in the early centuries of the church. The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) and the  Council of Constantinople (AD 381) played pivotal roles in affirming the divinity of the Son and the Spirit, shaping what is commonly called the Niceno‑Constantinopolitan Creed.

Key Scripture. Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1–3; John 14:16–17; 2 Corinthians 13:14.

2) The Authority of Scripture

Belief. God inspires the Bible and is the authoritative norm for Christian faith and practice.

Historical context. The Old Testament canon, received from Israel, and the apostolic usage, which included the writings of the apostles and their associates, played a significant role in shaping the New Testament canon. The Synod of Hippo (AD 393) and Council of Carthage (AD 397) listed the 27 New Testament books recognized today. The creeds themselves echo Scripture’s authority with the phrase “according to the Scriptures,” linking Jesus’ saving work to the biblical witness.

Key Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Luke 24:27; John 5:39.

3) The Deity and Humanity of Jesus Christ

Belief. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the same Son, without confusion, change, division, or separation.

Historical context. Debates in the 4th and 5th centuries centered on the relationship between Jesus’ divinity and humanity. The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) articulated the “Definition of Chalcedon,” confessing Christ as one person in two natures—divine and human—guarding against errors that either divided Christ’s person or collapsed His natures.

Key Scripture. John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9; Philippians 2:5–11; Hebrews 1:1–4; 1 Timothy 2:5.

4) The Incarnation and Virgin Birth

Belief. The eternal Son became incarnate—truly human—conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, for our salvation.

Historical context. The Apostles’ Creed (rooted in 2nd-century baptismal confessions) and the Nicene Creed confessed the virgin birth as a non-negotiable sign of Christ’s true humanity and divine initiative.

Key Scripture. Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4–5.

5) The Atonement

Belief. Through His obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, Jesus reconciles sinners to God, defeats the powers of evil, and brings forgiveness and new life.

Historical context. The church has expounded several complementary biblical motifs:

• Christus Victor (Irenaeus, Athanasius): Christ overcomes sin, death, and the devil (Colossians 2:15).
• Ransom/Redemption: Christ gives His life as a ransom (Mark 10:45).
• Satisfaction (Anselm): God’s honor/justice is satisfied by Christ’s offering.
• Penal Substitution (Reformation theologians): Christ bears the penalty of sin in our place (Isaiah 53; Romans 3:21–26).
  Across traditions, the cross is central, even as emphases vary.

Key Scripture. Isaiah 53; Mark 10:45; Romans 3:21–26; Romans 5:6–11; 2 Corinthians 5:18–21; 1 Peter 2:24.

6) The Resurrection

Belief. Jesus rose bodily from the dead on the third day; His resurrection is the pledge of our own resurrection and the decisive vindication of His person and work.[^7][^8]

Historical context. The resurrection was the heartbeat of apostolic preaching (Acts 2–3; 1 Corinthians 15). Early denials of a bodily resurrection were rejected as contrary to the apostolic witness. The church proclaimed not only “immortality of the soul,” but resurrection of the body—a distinctly Christian hope.[^8]

Key Scripture. 1 Corinthians 15:3–8, 12–26; Luke 24:1–12, 36–43; John 20–21; Romans 6:4–5; 1 Peter 1:3.

7) Salvation by Grace Through Faith

Belief. Salvation is by grace, through faith, in Christ—the gift of God, not the result of human merit. The creeds confess the forgiveness of sins as a core gospel benefit, received because of Christ’s work.[^9]

Historical context. The patristic church emphasized grace (e.g., Augustine versus Pelagius). The Protestant Reformation crystallized the slogans sola gratia, sola fide, and solus Christus, insisting that justification is God’s gracious declaration received by faith apart from works of the law. Catholic and Orthodox traditions likewise affirm the primacy of grace while articulating justification and sanctification within sacramental and participatory frameworks.

Key Scripture. Ephesians 2:8–10; Titus 3:4–7; Romans 3:21–28; Romans 5:1; John 1:12–13.

8) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

Belief. The Holy Spirit, a fully divine entity, empowers believers, unites them to Christ, and produces holiness. This divine empowerment is a source of inspiration and strength for believers in their daily lives and in their mission to spread the gospel.

Historical context. The Council of Constantinople (AD 381) confessed the Spirit as “the Lord and giver of life,” who is worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son. Later debates arose over the “filioque,” but all orthodox traditions affirm the Spirit’s deity and mission.

Key Scripture. John 14:16–17, 26; John 16:7–15; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:1–17; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Galatians 5:22–25.

9) The Church

Belief. The church, as the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit, is a unified entity, regardless of regional or doctrinal differences. This unity is a testament to the power of faith and the shared belief in the core tenets of Christianity.

Historical context. The Nicene Creed’s four marks (one/holy/catholic/apostolic) guided the church’s self-understanding. Organization and sacramental practice developed differently across regions and centuries, yet Christians have consistently gathered around the Word, the sacraments/ordinances (e.g., Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and pastoral oversight to preserve unity and pursue holiness and mission.

Key Scripture. Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:42–47; Ephesians 2:19–22; Ephesians 4:1–6, 11–16; 1 Peter 2:9–10.

10) The Second Coming and Final Judgment

Belief. Jesus Christ will return in glory to judge the living and the dead, raise the righteous and the unrighteous, renew creation, and consummate His kingdom. The church confesses this hope in all major creeds.[^11][^12]

Historical context. From the earliest creeds, the church has confessed Christ’s return and the resurrection of the body. Interpretations of the millennium (Revelation 20) vary—amillennial, postmillennial, and premillennial—yet the church’s common hope is Christ’s visible return, the triumph of justice, and the new heavens and new earth.

Key Scripture. Matthew 24:29–31; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 2 Thessalonians 1:6–10; Revelation 20–22; 2 Peter 3:10–13.

11. How the Tenets Fit Together

These tenets are not isolated doctrines but an integrated confession:

• The Trinity is the fountainhead: the Father sends the Son; the Father and the Son send the Spirit.
• Scripture bears authoritative witness to God’s saving acts “according to the Scriptures.”
• Christology (who Jesus is) grounds soteriology (how we are saved): only one who is entirely God and fully man can mediate between God and humanity.
• Atonement and resurrection secure forgiveness and new life in creation.
• Grace through faith articulates how salvation is received and lived, in line with the creedal confession of forgiveness of sins.
• The Spirit applies redemption, builds the church, and equips believers for mission.
• Eschatology (last things) holds together personal hope (resurrection) and cosmic hope (new creation).

12. A Brief Timeline (Select Milestones)

• c. AD 30–33 – Death and resurrection of Jesus; birth of the church at Pentecost (Acts 2).
• c. AD 48–96 – Apostolic writings composed; New Testament received in the churches.
• AD 325 – Council of Nicaea: affirms the Son’s full deity (homoousios with the Father).
• AD 381 – Council of Constantinople: affirms the Spirit’s full deity; expands the Nicene Creed.
• AD 393/397 – Hippo/Carthage: regional councils list the 27-book New Testament canon.
• AD 451 – Council of Chalcedon: “one person in two natures” Christological definition.
• 16th century – Reformation: clarifies justification by grace through faith; Scripture’s primacy.

13. Living These Tenets Today

To affirm these doctrines is not merely to pass a theological exam; it is to enter a way of life:

• Worship the Triune God with reverence and joy (John 4:23–24).
• Read and meditate on Scripture as the Spirit-illumined guide (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• Confess Christ as Lord and trust Him daily (Romans 10:9–10).
• Receive grace and offer forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32).
• Walk by the Spirit, cultivating the fruit of holiness (Galatians 5:22–25).
• Belong to the church, serving with your gifts for others’ good (1 Corinthians 12).
• Live in hope, working for justice and mercy as you await His appearing (Titus 2:11 14; 2 Peter 3:11 13).

14. Conclusion

Across centuries and cultures, the church has proclaimed a consistent, life-giving confession: one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who creates, redeems, and renews. Scripture testifies to Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, crucified and risen for our salvation. By grace through faith, we are reconciled to God, incorporated into the Spirit-filled church, and sent into the world as witnesses. We look to the blessed hope of Christ’s return and the renewal of all things. These tenets do not constrain the Christian life; they liberate it—aligning heart, mind, and mission with the God who loved us first and will love us to the end.

15. Footnotes & Creed Excerpts

“And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance.”
(Traditional Latin/English text; widely used in Western liturgy.)

“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth…
Moreover, in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only‑begotten Son of God… being of one substance with the Father…
Moreover, [we believe] in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.”
(English rendering of the 381 text without the later Western filioque.)

“…and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures…”
(This phrase anchors the saving events in the prophetic/apostolic witness.)

“… the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man… to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union…”
(Standard English translation of the conciliar definition.)

“I believe… in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…”
(Received Western form; early roots in 2nd–4th century baptismal confessions.)

“Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and **was crucified also for us under...

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