The Rule of Faith and the Apostles’ Creed

Monday I presented the Apostles' Creed in my series on Apostolic Tradition. Yesterday I looked at The Faith of St Patrick, after all it was St Patrick's Day! Today I want to very briefly compare the Rule of Faith and the Apostles' Creed.

The Rule of Faith in Irenaeus (130-202) 
"The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father to gather all things in one, and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send spiritual wickednesses, and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning, and others from their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory."

The Rule of Faith in Tertullian (155-220) 
I skipped over Tertullian when presenting the Rule of Faith, I had what I thought then was a good reason, which I can't remember now! Anyway, he presents the Rule of Faith two or three times in his works. This is from Prescription Against Heretics. Another book I recommend. (If you haven't gotten the hint, you should just read the Ante-Nicene Fathers!)

"Now, with regard to this rule of faith— that we may from this point acknowledge what it is which we defend — it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth; that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen in diverse manners by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself the Power of the Holy Spirit to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ."

The Rule of Faith Origen (184-253)  
"Now it ought to be known that the holy apostles, in preaching the faith of Christ, delivered themselves with the utmost clearness on certain points which they believed to be necessary to every one…
First, That there is one God, who created and arranged all things, and who, when nothing existed, called all things into being; and that this God in the last days, as He had announced beforehand by His prophets, sent our Lord Jesus Christ to call in the first place Israel to Himself, and in the second place the Gentiles.
Secondly, That Jesus Christ Himself, who came (into the world), was born of the Father before all creatures; that, after He had been the servant of the Father in the creation of all things— For by Him were all things made — He in the last times, divesting Himself (of His glory), became a man, and was incarnate although God, and while made a man remained the God which He was; that He assumed a body like to our own, differing in this respect only, that it was born of a virgin and of the Holy Spirit: that this Jesus Christ was truly born, and did truly suffer, and did not endure this death common (to man) in appearance only, but did truly die; that He did truly rise from the dead; and that after His resurrection He conversed with His disciples, and was taken up (into heaven).
Then, Thirdly, the apostles related that the Holy Spirit was associated in honour and dignity with the Father and the Son…
After these points, also, the apostolic teaching is that the soul shall, after its departure from the world, be rewarded according to its deserts, being destined to obtain either an inheritance of eternal life and blessedness… or to be delivered up to eternal fire and punishments: and also, that there is to be a time of resurrection from the dead. This also is clearly defined in the teaching of the Church, that every rational soul is possessed of free-will and volition.
Regarding the devil and his angels the teaching of the Church has laid down that these beings exist indeed...
This also is a part of the Church's teaching, that the world was made and took its beginning at a certain time, and is to be destroyed on account of its wickedness.
Then, finally, that the Scriptures were written by the Spirit of God.
This also is a part of the teaching of the Church, that there are certain angels of God which are His servants in accomplishing the salvation of men."

Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, and buried; [he descended into hell] ;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
holy catholic Church;
communion of saints;
forgiveness of sins;
resurrection of the flesh;
life everlasting. AMEN


Now just a couple of observations:

(1) It is immediately apparent that they all follow the same basic trinitarian outline. This is the same faith and from the same source, which they themselves trace back to our Lord Jesus Christ through the Apostles. This is the Apostolic Tradition, that which the Apostles deposited in the Church and which was faithfully preserved and passed down by the presbyters and bishops.

(2) It is also obvious that the Apostles' Creed is a concise version of the Rule. I believe that is because this was originally the baptismal confession of faith. Having said that, just think our rich our preaching would be if we were teaching these things!