Singular, Binary and Trinitarian Creedal Formulas in the New Testament

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29357/2521-179X.2020.24.9

Keywords:

Keywords, Apostolic Creed, New Testament, creedal formulas, Christology, Trinitarian formulas.

Abstract

For hundreds of years, Christian churches have become accustomed to fixed creedal formulas, such as the Apostolic Creed. The legendary story of the origin of the apostolic symbol of faith testifies in the fervent desire of Christians to attribute the symbol to the 12 apostles  themselves. However, scholars of the history of Christian doctrine do not have a definite position as to whether religious formulas are  contained in the New Testament. A study of the NT texts shows that there were already terms in the church during the formation of the NT that indicated that there was an objective body of Christian teaching in the objective form. The researchers find elements of the «Christian credo» in the context of catechism preparation, baptism, chanting, prayer, worship, preaching and correspondence. In the article used a methodology of the study of religious formulas from simple and short singular formulas to complex and expanded trinitarian formulas. The singular formulas are purely Christological in nature and speak only of Christ. At the same time as the singular  formulas, partially formalized binary religious formulas were developed that included the names of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Most often these binary formulas are found in the  introductory and final benedictions of Paul’s messages and the prayers of the authors of the New Testament. The explicit Trinitarian formulas in which the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is found are not often found in the New Testament and are not numerous. However, many New Testament texts have a Trinitarian structure. The emergence of Trinitarian formulas is linked to the sacramental context of baptism. Singular Christological formulas were most popular in the apostolic period. Binary formulas are less common, and Trinitarian ones are rarer. Singular, binary and Trinitarian denominations that reflect the core teaching of the apostles and form a prototype for the «symbols of faith» of later generations of Christians.

Author Biography

Fedir STRYZHACHUK

Fedir Stryzhachuk, PhD, docent, Dean of theology department of Odessa Theological Seminary (Odessa, Ukraine)

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How to Cite

STRYZHACHUK, Fedir. 2020. “Singular, Binary and Trinitarian Creedal Formulas in the New Testament”. Theological Reflections: Eastern European Journal of Theology, no. 24 (September):155-68. https://doi.org/10.29357/2521-179X.2020.24.9.

Issue

No. 24 (2020): THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS: Euro-Asian Journal of Theology

Section

Academic Life

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Copyright (c) 2020 Fedir STRYZHACHUK

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