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PRESBYTERIAN TRADITION    /     WORD GOD

    Salvation  
1. "God has predestined and foreordained some men and angels out of His free grace and love without any foresight of faith in either of them, and others are foreordained to everlasting death and the number of either is so certain and definite that it cannot e increased or diminished."
-Westminister Confession of Faith, Article 3,4,5; Chapter 3;Article 2, Chapter 10. 
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     God's Grace
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       1. God's Grace is so irresistable, that one cannot  help yielding to it if he is among the elect; he has no choice, but must be saved. 
(Doctrine of Irresistable Grace) 
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    2. God's Atonement was sufficient for all, but efficient only for the elect. 
(See Lingle, p.41). 
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  3. One cannot fall from God's grace; it is an utter impossibility. 
(Calvin's doctrine of Perserverance of Saints) 
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      Baptism 
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   5. There are three baptismal modes; (immersion is not necessary, but one may be sprinkled or poured. 
(Presbyterian Confession of Faith, Chapter 30, p. 157). 
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Baptism of  infants 
   6. Infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized.
(Presbyterian Confession of Faith, Chapter 30, p. 157). 
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   7. Faith alone will save a person. (This is why many talk about "just confessing and believing in Jesus to be saved or the "sinners prayer"). 
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    8. Confession of the Apostles' Creed is necessary. 

Similarities Between the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds

The two creeds have some similarities:

  • They are both statements of a belief.

  • Both are crafted with the Latin word “creed” which means “I Believe”.

  • Both creeds are used to pray as well as connect with God.

 

Differences Between the Apostles’ and Nicene Creed

  1. Origin

The Apostles’ Creed is referred to as so as it is rightly regarded as a faithful summary of the Apostles’ faith. It is also regarded as the ancient baptismal symbol, and thus, its great authority arises from that fact. On the other hand, the Nicene Creed draws its authority from the reason that it stemmed from the first two ecumenical councils.

  1. History

The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest of the two as it was drawn up and adopted by the early church before the middle of the 2nd century. The Nicene Creed was created in 325 by the Council of Nicaea.

  1. Purpose

The Apostles’ Creed has been in use during Baptism while the Nicene Creed is mostly associated with the death of Jesus Christ. As such, it is recited during Lent and Easter times.

  1. Wording

The wording in both creeds differs too.

  1. The Apostle’s Creed begins with “I Believe” while the Nicene Creed uses “We Believe”.

  2. The wording “descended into hell” is recited in the Apostles’ Creed but is absent in the Nicene Creed.

  1. Language

The Apostles’ Creed has an origins in the Greek language although the earliest manuscripts are in Latin while the Nicene Creed was produced in Greek.

Apostles’ Creed Vs. Nicene Creed: Comparison Table

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    Lord's Supper 
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       9. Communion is not to be observed weekly. 
      "And truly this custom, which enjoins communing once a year most wicked contrivance of the devil, by whose instrumentality soever it may have been determined." 
 Calvin's Institutes, Book 4, Chapter 17. 
     "It ought to have been far otherwise. Every week at least the table of the Lord should have been spread for Christian assemblies." 
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      Holy Spirit 
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    10. The Holy Spirit acts directly upon the heart of the elect to persuade him to obey the call of the Gospel.  
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      "We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who moves every where upon the heart of men to restrain them from evil and to incite them to good...
and to persuade them to obey the call on the Gospel." 
-General Assembly in Los Angeles, 1903. 
      
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VIII. Name Lutheran 
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     Luther did not approve:
"I pray you leave my name alone and not to call yourselves  Lutherans but Christians. (Life of Luther, Michelet, p.262). 
I. Salvaton  
1. Salvation is for all who believe and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. 
John 3:16; Hebrews 5:9; Matthew  28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:9-17; 6:1-18; Acts 2:38, 39, 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1:7-8; 2 Peter 1"10. 
2. God is no respector of persons. Acts 10:34; 2 Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:3-4; I John 4:14
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     God's Grace
 
  1. Man must choose for himself whom he will serve, Jehovah God or false gods.  Joshua 24:15
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   2. I Kings 18:21. Elijah called for a decision between the two sides. 
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  3. Obedience is from our own mind and heart. Romans 6:17-18 
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       1. II Corinthians 12:9. Grace is sufficient. 
       2. II Corinthians 9:8. All sufficiency in all things.  
      3. Romans 5:6. Christ died for the ungodly. 
      4. II Corinthians 5:14. "One died for all..."
    
       1. Judas did fall      Acts 1:25. 
       2. You may fall. Hebrews 12:15;
I Corinthians 10:12. 
       3. Some did fall. Galatians 5:4.
       4. Paul feared he might fall. I  , the Corinthians 9:27
       5. Some will be taken out of the kingdom, the group of saved one.
Acts 2:47; John 3:3-5; Matthew 13:41.
       6. We labor in hope of eternal life. Titus 1:2 
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 Baptism 
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       1. Buried. Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12. 
       2. Washed. Hebrews 10:22; Titus 3:5
      3. One baptism. Ephesians 4:5
      4. Birth. John 3:5 
       5. Going down into, coming up out of.  Acts 8:36-39. 
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  Baptize infants Unbiblical
    1. Acts 8:12. Men and women. 
    2. Mark 16:16. Belief precedes. 
    3. Acts 2:38. Repentance precedes.
    4. John 6:45. Must hear and learn before coming to Jesus.
     
    1. James 2:14, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26. 
    2. John 1:12. "Power to become" sons of God if believe. 
    3. John 12:42. Some believed, yet lost 
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   1. Matthew 16:16. Christ is our only "Creed". 
   2. Matthew 16:18. Christ built His church upon the confession of that truth. 
   3. Acts 2:42. Christ true disciples (Christians) devoted themselves to the "apostles doctrine". This was teachings given by Christ and the Holy Spirit and completed by 96 A.D. (1st century). 
  4. No Christian in the Bible ever knew of or ever practiced a "Apostles Creed nor Nicene Creed" The "Apostles Creed" was adopted by the Catholic Church in the second century (2nd) and "Nicene Creed" forth century (4th). These creeds are a century or three too late to be of any relevance to truth. Bible already a done deal!  
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 Lord's Supper 
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   1. Leviticus 24:5-9. Shewbread weekly
, shadow (Hebrews 10:1) of new. 
   2. Acts 2:42. Steadfastly. 
   3. Acts 20: 7. Early church communed weekly. 
 
 
 
 
   
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    Holy Spirit  
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  1. Christ prayed for Holy Spirit to come to apostles. John 14:15-17
  2. Promised to those  who repent and are baptized. Acts 2:38; 5:32.  
  3. Holy Spirit assisted preachers directly in New Testament, but never operated directly on sinner in saving him. Acts 8:26-39. 
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 Name Presbyterian  
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  1. 1. Acts 4:12. No other name. 
  2. 2. I Peter 4:16. If you suffer as a Christian (not Presbyterian ) 
  3. 3. Acts 26:28. "...Almost thou persuadest me to be a (Lutheran) no the Bible says Christian. Paul like the other Christians in the first century church established by Christ persuaded people to be just Christians...not hyphenated Christian names. 
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