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Why the Early Creeds Matter
The early creeds helped the church clarify biblical truth,
defend against false teaching, and preserve sound doctrine.
In this episode of Contending for the Word Q&A, Dave Jenkins
explains why these summaries still matter and how they serve
the church under the authority of Scripture.
Listen or Watch
The Early Creeds Help Clarify Biblical Truth
The early church faced challenges concerning the deity and
humanity of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.
The creeds helped believers clearly confess what Scripture
teaches about these foundational truths.
In times of confusion, faithful summaries of biblical doctrine
helped churches articulate what they believed and why they
believed it.
The Early Creeds Help Guard Against False Teaching
Jude 3 calls believers to contend for the faith once for all
delivered to the saints. In 2 Timothy 1:13–14, Paul instructs
Timothy to follow the pattern of sound words and guard the
good deposit entrusted to him.
The early creeds served this concern by helping churches
identify teachings that denied or distorted essential biblical
doctrine. Their usefulness depended on their faithfulness to
the Word of God.
The Early Creeds Connect Us to the Historic Christian Faith
Christianity did not begin with our generation. Christians
today confess many of the same biblical truths that faithful
believers confessed centuries ago.
The early creeds remind us that we stand in a long line of
believers who have sought to preserve and proclaim the truth
of God’s Word.
Scripture Remains the Final Authority
Creeds are not equal to Scripture. The Bible alone is God’s
inspired Word, and every creed must be evaluated by its teaching.
At their best, creeds help Christians understand and summarize
what Scripture says.
Their proper use directs our attention back to the Word of God
and helps us confess its teaching with clarity.
Putting This into Practice
- Recognize how the early creeds clarify essential biblical truth.
- Understand how they helped churches identify and reject false teaching.
- Appreciate their connection to the historic Christian faith.
- Use them as helpful summaries while keeping Scripture as the final authority.
The truth entrusted to the church remains worth preserving
and proclaiming. As we learn from faithful believers who have
gone before us, we are called to stand firm in God’s Word today.
Key Scriptures
- Jude 3
- 2 Timothy 1:13–14
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
