09 Jun GS 1980 art 107

GS 1980 ARTICLE 107 – The Apostles’ Creed

Committee 11 presents:

A. Material –  Agenda VIII,

• B, 8 – Report from the Committee, June 1979, June 1980.
• B, 9 –  Additional Report with corrections.
• B, 10 – Letter from the Church at Carman re: The Apostles’ Creed.
• B, 11 – Letter from the Church at Barrhead re: The Apostles’ Creed.
• B, 12 – Letter from the Church at Watford re: The Apostles’ Creed.
• B, 13 – Letter from the Church at Cloverdale re: The Apostles’ Creed.
• B, 14 – Letter from the Church at London re: The Apostles’ Creed.

B. Observations:

• 1. The Committee has presented General Synod with a proposed Revised edition of the Apostles’ Creed on the basis of the mandate received from Synod Coaldale 1977, Acts, Article 60.
• 2. a) In its submission to Synod, October 30, 1980, the Committee proposes the following changes in the Apostles’ Creed as it appears in our present Book of Praise:
  • “Creator” instead of “Maker”;
  • “I believe” instead of “and (in Jesus …)”; “only” instead of “only begotten”;
  • “died” instead of “dead”;
  • “into the realm of death” instead of “into hell”; “arose” instead of “rose again”;
  • “there” instead of “thence”;
  • “the” instead of “a (holy catholic church)”
  • b) It is to be noted that the numbering (I-XII) has been changed to I, II, Ill (Trinitarian Division).
• 3. a) Several of the churches submitted proposals which now agree with the Committee’s Revised Proposal.
  • b) The Church at Cloverdale proposes a comma after “God, (the Father),” but provides no reason.
  • c) The Church at Watford prefers “only begotten” or “only born” to the suggested “only Son.”
  • d) The Church at Barrhead proposes, “He suffered, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, dead and buried.”
  • e) The Churches at London and Watford prefer “hell” to “hades.”
  • f) The Church at Carman proposes “realm of the dead.” The Church at Cloverdale explains why the word “hell” should be discarded in favour of “the place of death.”
  • The Church at Cloverdale seems to prefer “rose” instead of “arose” and “I believe in a holy catholic church” instead of the proposed “I believe the holy, catholic church.”
  • g) The Church at Watford prefers “a” instead of “the” (church), and also prefers “flesh” to “body.”

C. Considerations:

• 1. The Committee has not provided Synod with adequate reasons for all the proposed changes:
  • a) The change from the version “descended into hell” to “descended into the realm of death” is a major change, which also affects the text of the Heidelberg Catechism, and should be adopted only if the reasons given prove fully sufficient. The Committee is “convinced” but does not provide proof that the early Christian Church understood the word “Hades” only in terms of “the realm of death.” There are Scripture passages which use the word “Hades” in the sense of “hell” (e.g. Luke 10:15; Luke 16:23).
  • Although the “Reformed” explanation of the term “Hades” may perhaps be historically doubtful (taking it as a summary of Christ’s suffering rather than a chronological occurrence), the explanation of this article as found in the Heidelberg Catechism is Biblically sound. Synod sees no reason to incorporate this change. If the version “realm of death” is not adopted, the word “died” is better rendered as previously “dead and buried.”
  • b) The definite article “the” (with respect to the church) may be in the International Consultation Text, but is not found in the original manu­scripts. It is not clear how the addition of the word “the … church” would more express the unicity of the Church.
  • Synod sees no reason to incorporate this change.
• 2. A change which may very well be adopted is the version “only Son” in accordance with the original Latin text (unicus) and various Scripture passages (e.g. John 1:14).
• This change does not alter but gives even more emphasis to the explanation of Lord’s Day 13, Question 33, “Why is He called God’s only Son, since we are also children of God?”
• 3. The other suggested changes are not so much matters of revision but simply matters of translation and pose no problems for adoption.
• 4. The new numbering (I-Ill) is suitable in the light of Lord’s Day 8 of the Heidelberg Catechism and may well be introduced.
• 5. a) The Church at Barrhead suggests placing a comma after “suffered.” According to Barrhead, the “fact that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate … is corrected more or less in Answer 37 of the Catechism.” However, Barrhead overlooks the fact that, although Question 37 deals with the meaning of Christ’s suffering, Question 38 deals specif­ically with His suffering under Pontius Pilate.
  • b) The Church at Cloverdale overlooks the fact that “to believe in” implies “to trust upon,” which trust may only be in God (Jeremiah 17:5, 7).
  • c) The Church at Watford proposes to accept “flesh” instead of “body,” whereas, Cloverdale proposes to retain “body” in the place of “flesh.” Since the reasons given are not decisive either way, it is best to retain the existing version which is also in keeping with the International Consultation Text.

D. Recommendations:

Synod decide:

• 1. To adopt the “Revised Committee Proposal” of the Apostles’ Creed as emended by Synod.
• 2. To accept the numbering I, II, ill. ADOPTED The adopted revision of the Apostles’ Creed reads as follows:
  • I. I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
  • II. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
  • He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary.
  • He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried;
  • He descended into hell.
  • On the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
  • and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
  • III. I believe in the Holy Spirit;
  • I believe a holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
  • the forgiveness of sins,
  • the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.