No. 30, April 1998

 

UNITY AND THE APOSTLES’ CREED

 

            To suggest unity based upon the so-called Apostles’ Creed to people with a non-creedal heritage, as we are in the Stone-Campbell tradition, calls for an explanation. The explanation is that our forebears in the Restoration Movement did not object to creeds per se, but only as they were imposed as conditions to salvation or terms of fellowship.

 

            Too, it was human or man-made creeds to which they objected. They readily accepted the fact that Jesus is Lord! was a creed, perhaps the creed of the earliest Christians, but this was not a man-made creed as they used that term. If a creed was strictly biblical, reflective of apostolic teaching – “catholic” in nature - our forebears applauded it.

 

            The Apostles’ Creed met that criteria, to Alexander Campbell at least. Before we go further let’s reproduce the Apostles’ Creed for those who might not have ready access to it:

 

                        We 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 Ghost,

                                    Born of the Virgin Mary,

                                    Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

                                    Was crucified, dead, and buried;

                                    He descended into hell;

                                    The third day he rose again from the dead;

                                    He ascended into heaven,

                                    And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

                                    From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

                        We believe in

                                    The Holy Spirit;

                                    The Holy Catholic Church;

                                    The Communion of Saints;

                                    The forgiveness of sins;

                                    The resurrection of the body;

                                    And the life everlasting.

 

            Except for an unreliable early tradition, no one claims that the apostles actually composed these lines, and it is found in this exact form only as early as the fifth century. But still it goes back over 1500 years and has been affirmed as the church’s faith from underground to cathedral. In the darkness of persecution and in secret meetings, without Bibles or hymnals, believers could say these lines together.

 

            The Apostles’ Creed is seen as an expansion of Mt. 28: 19 in that it is about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As early as about 230 AD. Tertullian described the faith of the church in terms that included most of it. It came to be called the Apostles’ Creed because it was seen as a summary of the apostolic faith.

 

            It is still today confessed in unison in many churches. It is reflective of the church’s faith through the centuries – We believe (Some versions begin with “I believe,” but “We believe” is likely more ancient) – and not necessarily any single person’s faith. Our faith is personal but it is not private. It is shared by millions of Christians, in heaven as well as on earth.

 

            One might have a problem with a line here or there, such as “He descended into hell.” Or one might understand “the resurrection of the body” different from others. But still the creed is basic enough that he or she can join the church of the ages in saying “We believe” even when there might be some reservations.

 

            This point reminds me of what 1 heard Fred Craddock say to an assembly of our preachers: “When your faith wavers, let the church believe for you.” This is why no church or denomination should stand apart from others. We are to confess our faith as the church catholic. Then when persecution comes we are ready to be the confessional (persecuted) church, as in Nazi Germany. We confess together, we die together, if need be.

 

            You will notice that the creed is facts, with little or no theology. God, Christ, and Holy Spirit are confessed, but nothing about “the Triune God” or the Trinity. There is no effort to identify the relationship between Father and Son. No “hypo-static union” or “Very God of Very God”! It has the Virgin Mary but not the “Mother of God.” It has the Catholic or Universal church, but not Roman, Greek, Orthodox, or Protestant. No theories. No sectarianism. It is unitive in nature.

 

            So, I submit the Apostles’ Creed as one more way of expressing the unity that we have as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Surely we can accept as part of the Body of Christ anyone who believes what this creed says. We may differ about inferences to be drawn from it, but we can unite upon its facts. We believe! Not We theorize or We have these opinions.

 

            While Alexander Campbell may never have explicitly postulated the Apostles’ Creed as a bond of union, he came close to it. As early as 1832 (Mill. Harb., p. 602) he published the whole of it and insisted “I believe every word of it.” Modem creeds are “a synopsis of opinion,” he charged, while the Apostles’ Creed is “a synopsis of facts, and of all the great gospel facts.”

 

            “It is ancient beyond all human creeds,” Campbell went on to say, and he commended it for its simplicity and freedom from abstraction. He even claimed that the Creed’s use of faith or belief is “proof positive” that those terms meant to the ancients what he had been saying all along, that faith is based on testimony.

 

            A few years later (Mill. Harb., 1834, p. 537)) Campbell wrote an essay on “The Old Creed’s better than the New.” Again reproducing the Apostles’ Creed, he contrasted it to modern creeds, particularly one just issued by the Regular Baptists of the Monongahela Association. The new Baptist creed was the work of “believers in opinions” while the ancient creed looked to the “testimony of God.” The modern was “false philosophy” that “muddied the waters of the sanctuary,” while the ancient was authenticated by its brevity and simplicity as well as by its apostolicity.

 

            Campbell scored the modern creeds for such language as “the elect can be neither increased nor diminished;” “the positive and direct operations of the Spirit;” and “God has decreed to himself from all eternity all things whatsoever comes to past.” Not only are these not biblical language but they find no place in the creed of antiquity, he avowed.

 

            In charging that the church can never unite on the modern, opinionated human creeds, Campbell is implying that we can unite on the brief, factual, apostolic creed – “the Creed called the Apostles,’” he was won’t to call it.

 

            These strictures from Campbell go far in clarifying our pioneers’ attitude toward creeds. Creeds were not deemed inappropriate simply because they were creeds, but because they were mere opinions (theological theories) imposed as authoritative. They were “man-made” and “modern” in that they were not apostolic, and they were made tests of church member-ship. Campbell put it acidly: “These creed-makers are privileged characters, and they have taken to themselves the right of making scripture to prove their opinions.”

 

            Campbell was usually willing to allow facts to speak for themselves. He found but one exception to the 17-point Apostles’ Creed. He explained that “Descended into hell” meant “descended into the grave” or “into the place of departed spirits.” With that explanation he avowed that “I believe every word of it” – and, by implication, he was inviting all believers to join him. Unity in an ancient, apostolic, catholic creed!

 

            This also helps to explain why Campbell would now and again identify his people with “We are catholics!” And what he called “the catholic rule” became his basis for unity, which was that we can unite upon what we believe in common. A catholic creed!

 

            Will you join me (and Alexander Campbell?) in welcoming all those who can sincerely confess/profess/submit to the Apostles’ Creed – including those who may have a problem with a point or two. After all, the focus is on Christ, facts about Christ, gospel facts. Good news!

We believe! – Leroy

 

 

 

CAN WE TALK ABOUT DEATH?

 

            A few weeks ago Tom Hunter of College Press, who published my history book, called to inquire about my welfare. He expressed relief when I answered the phone. He had heard that I had died and was calling to check it out. A call from Abilene to the church office where I am a member made similar inquiry about my demise, only to be told by the playful secretary in Twain-like fashion that the report was an exaggeration.

 

            Then came a clipping from the obituary column of a newspaper in another state, along with the picture of one Leroy Garrett. He could have been my age but no similarity in looks, so I could only conclude that it wasn’t I.

 

            Ouida had her fun out of all this. “Are you sure that you’re not dead?,” she kidded. I told her I didn’t think so, but that I had been wrong before. But then again Ouida found the erroneous reports as sobering as amusing. It reminded her that one day there would be such a report and that it would be true.

 

            And so with you. The pale rider calls on us all, sometimes sooner rather than later. Unless the Lord comes first, death is certain, but can we talk about it?

 

            Many seem to be in denial about their own mortality. They make plans, negotiate long-term loans, and generally behave as if life on earth had no end. Death is not on their agenda and they don’t want to talk about it or even think about it.

 

            I am not suggesting that we be morbid about it, but that we talk about it, all about it. We need to let our loved ones know how we feel about death, and we should discuss what needs to be done when the time comes. Life has to go on for the surviving spouse and family, and it is no time for her or him to make decisions alone and under trying circumstances. The decisions should already be made – funeral, the will, finances, records, what to do about many things.

 

            Many women are left widows without ever having discussed such matters with their husbands. They hardly know where to start in sorting out all the questions suddenly thrust upon them. Sometimes there are surprises, such as debts they didn’t know they had. Men who never neglect the slightest detail at the office are often neglectful of one of the most significant events of their lives, and the most certain, their own demise.

 

            Even those who dare to broach the subject occasionally may avoid dealing with specifics, a kind of “Whatever you think best” approach. A family needs to sit down and plan for when death comes, in detail.

 

            Ouida and I have planned somewhat for our departure from planet earth. Perhaps we can say some things that will encourage you to better prepare for the inevitable.

 

            This is not to suggest that you are to do it our way, but if you do not take care of such matters now, someone else will have to do it for you later, and in a way that you might not like. And you can have it your way!

 

            In our case, since we have donated our bodies to the Willed Body Program at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (We carry wallet cards to that effect), the first thing one of us will do is to call the hospital and inform them to come after the body. It is important to them for donor and research purposes to have the body as soon as possible. The coroner is also to be called, and the doctor if the deceased has been under medical care.

 

            Once it has served their purposes, the hospital will cremate the body. They will return the ashes to the family, if requested, or they will inter them anonymously in their memorial garden. We opted for the latter. It is our view that our bodies are temporary abodes, and when we leave them it is like moving out of an old house. Let the living use what can be used, and then be done with it.

 

            Our rule is: the fewer things to do and worry with the better. In our case there will be no funeral, no casket, no flowers, no cemetery, no encumbering of the ground, no funeral home. And no expense, not even one dollar! (My funeral home friends, whom I love and often work with, will forgive me.)

 

            There will be a memorial service at our church. The plan is a simple one: our friends and loved ones at worship, with brief remarks by those who would like to say a word, mutual sharing – including the sisters.

 

            So as to keep each other informed on our finances, we have a folder where our assets are listed and kept updated. We regularly go over this together. Our will is kept updated and the family knows where to find it. We have filed a letter to our children, accompanying the will, that provides details. A list should be kept current of people and institutions to be informed. It would also be helpful to the survivors if an obituary is prepared in advance, so that only date of death need be filled in by survivors.

 

            We believe in what the TV money adviser calls “Dying Broke,” the title of his book. He says the last check you write should be to the funeral director, and it should bounce! (They may not forgive me after all!)

 

            We are in the process in our old age of giving away our money, including what our children are to inherit (They can use it sooner better than later and they may save on taxes). If we both live long enough we will die broke. Even our home will already be given away.

 

            A couple can do this and still provide for their needs by way of gift annuities. They give the money to a favorite charity. While it is theirs at the time of the gift, they contract to pay the couple a good rate of interest on the money until they both die. The income has tax advantages, which makes it is a good deal for those who are willing to give away their money while still living.

 

            For the fearful of heart there are revocable gift annuities. They can take the money back if need be, but they receive less interest. But a couple would not so opt if they are serious about dying broke.

 

            The principle is stewardship. Nothing is really ours, including our bodies. Money, property, things are ours to use for a time, as good stewards of God, and then we turn them back, hopefully at a gain, for others to use, and that as soon as possible. This way your assets go where you want them to go. Your heirs may not use the money the way you would.

 

            Prayerfully and thoughtfully Ouida and I have chosen two charitable organizations to which we will leave/give away most of our assets, along with giving to our children what is deemed appropriate and according to need. We name these in case you might be interested.

 

            Food for the Hungry, 7729 E. Greenway Rd., Scottsdale, Az. 85260 (602-998-3100), is an international organization dedicated to feeding the hungry of the world. They have numerous projects by which they help people help themselves, such as agricultural programs and providing loans for small businesses in third-world countries. Digging wells for clean water in disease-ridden areas is a special effort. They do lots of work in famine-stricken areas. They rank among the top in financial accountability, with a high percentage of the money going into the projects. They are a Christian organization, transdenominational.

 

            The other is World Bible Translation Center, Box 820648, Fort Worth, Tx. 76182 (817-595-1664). It not only translates the Bible into easy-to-read language for various peoples of the world, some 20 languages so far, but it also publishes and distributes the Bible. It is presently involved in upwards of a dozen nations, including Russia and China. It has produced the only modem version of the complete Bible in Russian, and it has issued over a million copies of the New Testament in that language. It makes the Bible accessible, understandable, and affordable for the poor people of the world. It is associated with Churches of Christ, and is one of our most effective and responsible ministries.

 

            Other ministries we believe in, though not charitable in the sense of the above, are the Disciples of Christ Historical Society and the World Convention of Churches of Christ. The address of both is 1101 19th Ave., South, Nashville 37212.

 

            It is meaningful to us that after we leave planet earth we will still be doing a little good with what we left behind – a few more Bibles printed and distributed for the near illiterate, a little more food for the hungry, another well or two of fresh water, a loan for an ambitious Angolian who wants to start her own business. And I will be pleased if a medical school professor can say, “Look at this old boy. He must have really taken care of himself. We ought to get good mileage out of this one.” We might be able to glorify God in our bodies in death as well as in life.

 

            Far more important than these physical matters is what we believe about the spiritual side of death. My favorite metaphor is a biblical one: death is departure ( exodus). It is the description used by heavenly visitors to this planet, Moses and Elijah, when they spoke with Christ at the Transfiguration in Lk. 9:31: “They spoke of his exodus which He was about to complete in Jerusalem.” While Jesus was to die on a cross before the world, heavenly beings saw it as his exodus from this world to the next. What would a family come to think of death if the parents spoke of it as “our departure.”

 

            The term clearly implies that one will exist as much as ever and that death is but the door marked EXIT. This is the force of Paul’s use of the same imagery: “I have the desire to depart and be with Christ” (Philip. 1:23), and “The time of my departure has come” (2 Tim. 4:6). If death is only a departure (or a release as it could be rendered) then it isn’t death at all as the world understands that term. Death is not the end of life but its real beginning.

 

            While dying may be an ordeal, death itself is but a transition, like walking from one room into another. We “flyaway” as Ps. 90:10 likes to say it. We leave the body, depart from this world, and are at once at home with Christ (2 Cor. 5:8). That same verse refers to being “absent from the body.” If we are indeed absent from the body, we need not be all that concerned with what happens to it. We are not around any longer!

 

            This is why death is referred to as a beatitude: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Rev. 14: 13). One reason death is blessed is because it is the great transition that sets free the hidden powers of the soul.

 

            So, there is wonderfully good news in all this. When we talk about death we are really talking about life. – Leroy 

 

 

Between Us . . .

 

            James S. Woodroof’s The Church In Transition is still in print, and we highly recommend it to those interested in the changes taking place in Churches of Christ. That this hard-hitting, eminently biblical analysis of what is going on among us could be published is testimony to the fact that we are indeed a church in transition. $9 postpaid.

 

            Roy Key’s Fire And Sword is another title that looks at the underbelly of Churches of Christ. While Roy left us long years ago for the Disciples of Christ, he says that if it had happened today he would not have had to leave. A gripping, heartbreaking testimony. His “Letter to Mom and Dad,” who never understood why he had to leave, will wring your heart. $10 postpaid.

 

            Tom Olbricht’s Hearing God’ s Word: My Life with Scripture in Churches of Christ also deals with what is going on among us, but in a different way. It is both history and autobiography, the story of a preacher/professor and his Bible in the life of the church. It is also hermeneutical in that it deals with interpretation in story form. Surely one of our best books so far. $13 postpaid.

 

            The late Norvel Young’s Living Lights, Shining Stars reveals the author’s 10 secrets for becoming a shining star, and they are impressive. Norvel takes the reader into his confidence and lays bare his soul, revealing the tragedies and triumphs of his eventful life as minister and educator in Churches of Christ. $17 postpaid.

 

            Doug Foster of ACU was kind enough to tell me that he is using my The Stone-Campbell Movement in his classes, and that he hopes it does not soon go out of print. He uses it because it deals with the Movement as a whole, with chapters on all three churches, Disciples, Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ. And we tell the story of how the divisions came, contrary to the Plea of our pioneers. We’ll send you a copy postpaid for $25.

 

            Ouida and I recently visited with the Pecan Grove Church in Greenville, TX It is unique in that it practices mutual ministry and has a Love Feast each Lord’s day. In late April and early May we will be in Nashville for the board meeting of the DCHS. We will drive this time so we can visit longtime friends, some of whom are old and aged, in Mississippi and Alabama. In May we will return to Princeton Seminary in N.J. for my 50th class reunion. It is appropriate for Ouida to be part of it since she attended classes with me and took notes in shorthand. This gave me special status since I was the only student with a private secretary! On that same trip we will have a special service at the Fenton Church of Christ, Fenton, MO, May 16, and at Hartford Church of Christ, May 17-18. We welcome those in that area to join us. Call Berdell McCann, 618-254-6454 for info. I will spend all of June teaching a philosophy class at Richland College in Dallas, mostly foreign students, which is always a challenge. In July we will be in Nova Scotia to take part in the Maritime Christian Fellowship of Christian Churches/Churches of Christ at a camp in Truro. Call Victor McCullough, 902-895-8233, for info. We plan our next newsletter for June.