Sunday, November 23, 2008

Mystics esteem their opinions and their experience above the nature and extent of the greater authority whereby men are saved, sanctified and secured, namely the Word of God. Their obnoxious opinions defy the very ground of biblical faith because their perceptions about God are contingent upon their experience of Him, presupposing God acts in a way He has not acted and says what He has not said. Sure, a consciences mystic may try to provide a kind of biblical argument; however, his proof texts patronize the biblical attestation more than agree with it. If only they heard what they were saying, "God subjectively graces them with a special special revelation beyond and above what he has affirmed with the words of His mouth."
On the contrary, Christians affirm that God shines into our hearts the knowledge of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ acting specially or supernaturally with the same kind of creative power he employed when He spoke the world into existence. Christians also affirm that God works through means namely the sacraments, the Scriptures, and prayer: otherwise there is not an ounce of surety that God acts in a given esoteric way as many mystics protest.

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The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.


http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm


Symbolum Nicaenum A.D. 325

Πιστεύομεν εις ΄ενα Θεον Πατερα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ορατων τε και αοράτων ποιητήν.

Πιστεύομεν εισ ΄ενα κύριον `Ιησουν Χριστον, τον υ΄ιον του θεου, γεννηζέντα εκ του πατρος μονογενη, τουτέστιν εκ της ουσίας του πατρός, θεον εκ θεου αληθινου, γεννηθέντα, ου ποιηθέντα, ΄ομοούσιον τωι πατρί δι οϋ τα πάντα εγένετο, τα τε εν τωι ουρανωι και τα επι της γης τον δι ΄ημας τους ανθρώπους και δα την ΄ημετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα και σαρκωθέντα και ενανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, και αναστάντα τηι τριτηι ΄ημέραι, και ανελθοντα εις τους οθρανούς, και ερχόμενον κριναι ζωντασ και νεκρούς.

Και εις το ΄Αγιον Πνευμα.
Τους δε λέγοντας, ΄οτι ΄ην ποτε ΄ότε οθκ ΄ην, και πριν γεννηθηναι ουκ ΄ην, και ΄οτι εξ ΄ετερας ΄υποστάσεως η ουσιας φάσκοντας ειναι, [η κτιστόν,] τρεπτον η αλλοιωτον τον υ΄ιον του θεου, [τούτους] αναθεματίζει ΄η καθολικη [και αποστολικη] εκκλησία.

Martin Luther - 16th century


"O Lord, we are not worthy to have a glimpse of heaven, and unable with works to redeem ourselves from sin, death, the devil, and hell. For this we rejoice, praise and thank you, O God, that without price and out of pure grace you have granted us this boundless blessing in your dear Son through whom you take sin, death, and hell from us, and give to us all that belongs to him."