On Creeds and Doctrinal Statements

Back in May I shared my comments on the Westminster Confession. It was an interesting exercise for me because while I agree with most of the points in the Confession, I'm actually not in favor of creeds and doctrinal statements, at least as they're used today. Historically they have been used as a means to maintain unity within the body, but I actually think they have worked against the unity they seek to achieve.

The main issue I have them is that they try to boil down truth to a list of statements. The fruit often is that if you agree you can hang around and if you don't you are told to go elsewhere (explicitly or implicitly). The problem is that truth isn't a list of statements or doctrines, it's a person. That person is Jesus (John 14:6). And the way that people are known is through relationship. I can tell you all about my wife, but if you don't actually spend time with her you won't really know her (and you probably wouldn't say you knew her). There has to be relationship for you to truly know her.

So if truth is fully expressed as a person, and known and understood in a relationship, a doctrinal statement falls woefully short in conveying it. Doctrinal statements and creeds aren't necessarily wrong, but usually they become the way that believers free themselves from having relationships with other folks. If someone disagrees, just ship them off to another meeting down the street. That doesn't build up the body in the way that discussion and dialogue does, and it also keeps the body from truly being the body. The reality is that our basis for fellowship with other believers isn't believing all of the same things. The basis is whether or not Jesus has received us (Rom. 15:7). If someone knows Jesus and has been received by Him, we are to received them just as He did. And in the context of the relationship that develops, we wrestle with the differences we have in how we read the scriptures, trusting Him to unify us in the process.