… Who Proceeds from the Father …

The Nicene Creed is, at least theoretically, one of the major forces that unifies Christians. But, as we will see today, its text has created as much division as it has resolved. Today I’m going to try, as best as I can, to summarize the controversy, which is about the relationships among the Trinity, its … Continue reading … Who Proceeds from the Father …

… And in the Holy Spirit

Over the past few weeks’, we’ve been going over the history, theology, and spirituality of the Nicene Creed, an ancient statement of faith that has been one of the major standards of Christian orthodoxy for close to 1700 years. Today our attention will shift to what it says about the Holy Spirit. In the original … Continue reading … And in the Holy Spirit

The Compassion of Christ: A Reflection on Matthew 9.35-10.8

“The name of God is blasphemed among the nations because of you!” This biblical slap in the face, from the Greek version of Isaiah 52, is deployed by Paul in Romans 2 against those who attack others for being “sinners” while ignoring their own sins. And it’s sad to say that, after two thousand years, … Continue reading The Compassion of Christ: A Reflection on Matthew 9.35-10.8

The Law of Faith: A Reflection on Romans 4:13-25

My main series in the blog right now is about understanding the Nicene Creed, not just its history and theology, but also its spirituality. And so, my thoughts have returned quite a bit lately to the relationship among the connected but different concepts of faith, ‘the faith’, and faithfulness. In light of this, today’s Epistle … Continue reading The Law of Faith: A Reflection on Romans 4:13-25

For Us and for Our Salvation

In the last post in this series exploring the history, theology, and spirituality of the Nicene Creed, we turned our attention to Jesus. We saw how, in numerous ways, the Creed reiterates our faith that the man Jesus is fully God, that is to say fully expressing the wholeness of divinity just as the Father does. … Continue reading For Us and for Our Salvation