What
Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Through the
Apostles’ Creed by Michael F. Bird
The Apostles’ Creed in its early reception was designed
to teach people the essential truths of the Christian faith so that they might
worship and live out the faith fully.
Michael F. Bird, lecturer and author has written a splendid exposition
of the creed here in his new book entitled What
Christians Ought to Believe. With an
insistence on including the historical development of Christianity and the way
the creed represents a firm tradition set forth in the Bible, this book is a
good aid in discovering the rich truths of the creed.
In the opening chapter Michael counters the concept of “no
creed but the Bible” by looking at how the pages of Scripture are filled with
creedal affirmations. The shema in Deuteronomy 6, the Christ hymn
in Philippians 2 and the various passages in the NT regarding the resurrection
all point to a creedal foundation in the biblical texts. These creedal statements were for the
purpose, at least in the NT, of outlining “Jesus’ career from incarnation to
exaltation (20).” These concise
descriptions of the elements of Jesus’ career carried with them great
encouragement for the follower of Christ, who could easily remember and hold
onto these statements in suffering and in joy.
The nuances and distinctions that Michael makes in this
book are extremely important. In the
chapter on God the Father Almighty, Michael mentions that many have a hard time
with this teaching, deeming it patriarchal and against women. Yet, he elaborates that “all theological
language is analogical,” and that “a sizeable number of places where God is
described in maternal language (63).” One,
God isn’t a Father in his essence but God as Father is an approximate way that
likens him to a role. And yet,
fatherhood “can be associated with notions of love, closeness, and protection
(64).” The lack of a good father or the absence
or death of a father doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t understand God as
our Heavenly Father. In fact, the creed
points to God as our Father Almighty, who cares deeply for his children.
Later in the book Michael discusses the various theories
of the atonement with a view toward incorporating the truths of each one of
them. Yet, he looks to the victory theme
as the most transparent theme in the NT as both evidencing God’s rescue plan
against the evil powers and including motifs such as recapitulation, representation,
ransom, sacrifice and triumph (133).
With wisdom, a robust biblical and theological vision,
and including practical elements, What Christians Ought to Believe is not to be
missed.
Thanks to BookLookBloggers and Zondervan for the copy of
this book in exchange for an honest review.
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