The Jesus Way

Session 9 –

Follow His Teaching

Introduction

• First believers:– prioritised the apostles’ teaching– were humble and ready to learn

• Jesus gave the apostles authority to pass on his teaching

• They have deposited it for us in the Bible

• If submitted to Jesus, must submit to his apostles

Creeds

• The New Testament is very varied

• Believers tried to summarise its teaching

• These brief summaries are called ‘creeds’

• Not intended to add to the Bible

• Reliable guides within which to read it

The Nicene Creed – God the Father

• First section – there is only one God

• God is the creator:– We should value his creation– He intends to renew creation– He values our humanity

• One God: in Old and New Testaments

• God is ‘Father’: to Jesus and to us

The Nicene Creed – God the Son

• Brief mentions of the work of Jesus

• More emphasis on his identity:– Key point under dispute at the time– Jesus did not just perform the actions of God– Shared in God’s eternal being

• Creed underscores apostles’ teaching: Jesus was fully human and fully divine

The Nicene Creed – God the Holy Spirit

• Spirit as divine person

• Eternal: before Pentecost

• ‘Spoke through the prophets’

• We find the Spirit’s teaching in the Bible

The Nicene Creed – The Church

• Believers in Jesus must be baptised

• They become part of a community marked by repentance, holiness and faithfulness

• This community is a worldwide family

The Nicene Creed – The Trinity

• Threefold structure to the Creed

• God in Three Persons

• Often challenged as ‘unbiblical’

• Apostles do not use actual word ‘Trinity’ but speak in terms of a ‘threefold’ God

• Bible-believing Christians know God as a Trinity

Conclusion

• We must prioritise the apostles’ teaching

• The Nicene Creed summarises much of what they taught us to believe

• Are we ready to submit ourselves to their teaching?

Building-block 9in following Jesus his way:

Follow His Teaching –

It’s the Only Way to Freedom!