Vir elkeen wat salig wil word, is dit nodig dat hy die algemene geloof vashou. As iemand dit nie heeltemal en ongeskonde bewaar nie, sal hy sonder twyfel ewig verlore gaan.
En dit is die algemene geloof:
Ons eer die een God in Drieheid en die Drieheid in Eenheid – sonder vermenging van die persone of verdeling van die wese.
Want die persoon van die Vader is ‘n ander, die van die Seun ‘n ander, en die van die Heilige Gees ‘n ander;
tog het die Vader en die Seun en die Heilige Gees een Godheid, gelyke eer, en gelyke ewige heerlikheid.
Soos die Vader is, so is ook die Seun en die Heilige Gees:
ongeskape is die Vader, ongeskape is die Seun, ongeskape is die Heilige Gees.
Eweneens is die Vader almagtig, die Seun almagtig, die Heilige Gees almagtig;
en tog is daar nie drie Almagtiges nie, maar een Almagtige.
Die Vader is God, die Seun is God, die Heilige Gees is God;
en tog is daar nie drie Gode nie, maar een God.
Net so is die Vader Here, die Seun Here, die Heilige Gees Here;
en tog is daar nie drie Here nie, maar een Here.
Die Vader is deur niemand gemaak, of geskep, of gegenereer nie;
die Seun is deur die Vader alleen – nie gemaak of geskep nie, maar gegenereer;
die Heilige Gees is deur die Vader en die Seun – nie gemaak of geskep of gegenereer nie, maar Hy gaan van hulle uit.
En in hierdie Drieheid is daar nie eerste of laaste nie, nie meerder of minder nie;
maar al drie persone is gelyk in ewigheid en gelyk in heerlikheid.
So moet ons die Drieheid in Eenheid en die Eenheid in Drieheid vereer.
Wie dus salig wil word, moet dit glo.
Verder is dit nodig vir die ewige saligheid dat ons ook opreg glo in die vleeswording van ons Here Jesus Christus.
Ons glo en bely dat ons Here Jesus Christus, die Seun van God, tegelyk God én mens is:
Hy is God – uit die Wese van die Vader, voor alle tye gegenereer;
en Hy is mens – uit die wese van sy moeder, in die tyd gebore;
volkome God, volkome mens, met ‘n redelike siel en menslike liggaam.
Gelyk aan die Vader volgens sy Godheid, maar minder as die Vader volgens sy mensheid;
en tog is Hy nie twee nie, maar een Christus:
een, nie deur die Godheid in vlees te verander nie, maar deur die mensheid in God op te neem;
een, nie deur vermenging van wese nie, maar deur eenheid van Persoon;
want soos siel en liggaam een mens is, so is God en mens een Christus.
Hy het gely ter wille van ons saligheid, die lyding van die hel ondergaan, opgestaan op die derde dag, opgevaar na die hemel, sit aan die regterhand van God, en sal terugkom om te oordeel.
By sy koms sal alle mense opstaan met hulle liggame, en rekenskap gee van hulle werke:
die wat goed gedoen het, sal die ewige lewe ingaan;
maar die wat kwaad gedoen het, sal in die ewige vuur gaan.
Dit is die algemene geloof. Wie dit nie opreg en vas glo nie, sal nie salig kan word nie.
Amen.
Uitgebrei
1. “Vir elkeen wat salig wil word…”
- Die belydenis begin ernstig: dit gaan oor verlossing en waarheid.
- Die “algemene geloof” verwys na die orthodokse, katolieke (algemene) leer van die kerk, gegrond op Skrif.
2. “Die een God in Drieheid…”
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Die belydenis verduidelik die klassieke leer van die Drie-eenheid:
- Een Wese, drie Persone.
- Nie drie gode nie, maar een God.
- Elke Persoon is volkome God, ewig, almagtig.
3. “Die Seun is gegenereer… die Gees gaan uit…”
- Die Vader is die bron (nie geskep, nie gegenereer).
- Die Seun is ewiglik gegenereer (nie gemaak nie).
- Die Gees gaan uit van die Vader en die Seun (Joh. 15:26).
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Hierdie formulering is presies om kettery te vermy:
- Arianisme (dat Christus geskep is),
- Modalisme (dat God net verskillende “vorme” aanneem),
- Tritheïsme (dat daar drie gode is).
4. “Ons glo en bely dat Jesus Christus, die Seun van God…”
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Christus is volkome God én volkome mens:
- Hy het ‘n menslike liggaam én siel.
- Sy twee nature is verenig in een Persoon, nie vermeng nie.
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Hierdie leer beskerm teen:
- Nestorianisme (dat Hy twee persone is),
- Eutychianisme (dat Sy nature vermeng is).
5. “Hy het gely… opgestaan… sal terugkom…”
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‘n Volle Christologiese en eskatologiese belydenis:
- Christus het regtig gely, regtig opgestaan, en kom weer.
- Elke mens sal voor Hom rekenskap gee (Matt. 25; Openb. 20:11–15).
6. “Dit is die algemene geloof…”
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Die belydenis sluit soos dit begin:
Hierdie waarheid is nodig tot saligheid. Nie oppervlakkige of vae geloof nie, maar ‘n geloof gegrond op die openbaring van God in Skrif en Christus.
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
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.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
The Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord.
And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.
The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal.
So that in all things the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds;
and Man, of the substance of his Mother, born in the world;
perfect God, and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;
equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.
Who although he be God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
one, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God;
one altogether, not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ;
who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting;
and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.
Amen.
Expanded
1. “Whosoever will be saved…“
- The creed begins with solemn urgency: it concerns salvation and truth.
- The “catholic faith” refers to the orthodox, catholic (universal) teaching of the church, grounded in Scripture.
2. “One God in Trinity…“
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The creed explains the classical doctrine of the Trinity:
- One Substance, three Persons.
- Not three gods, but one God.
- Each Person is fully God, eternal, almighty.
3. “The Son is begotten… the Spirit proceeding…“
- The Father is the source (not created, not begotten).
- The Son is eternally begotten (not made).
- The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26).
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This formulation is precise in order to avoid heresy:
- Arianism (that Christ was created),
- Modalism (that God merely assumes different “modes”),
- Tritheism (that there are three gods).
4. “We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, the Son of God…“
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Christ is fully God and fully man:
- He has a human body and soul.
- His two natures are united in one Person, not confused.
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This doctrine guards against:
- Nestorianism (that he is two persons),
- Eutychianism (that his natures are confused).
5. “He suffered… rose again… shall come to judge…“
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A full Christological and eschatological confession:
- Christ truly suffered, truly rose, and shall come again.
- Every person will give an account before him (Matt. 25; Rev. 20:11-15).
6. “This is the catholic faith…“
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The creed concludes as it began:
This truth is necessary for salvation. Not a superficial or vague faith, but a faith grounded in the revelation of God in Scripture and in Christ.