(1) Should We Change The Nicene Creed In the LCMS ?

By: Rev. Jack Cascione
The LCMS Commission on worship is proposing that the Nicene Creed be changed
to read, "who for us human beings and our salvation" to replace the current "who for us men and our salvation."

Questions about the Nicene Creed (1)

The following are three written questions from theologian John Dorsch. Dorsch disagrees with me and is in favor of changing the Nicene Creed to read, "who for us human beings and our salvation," instead of what we currently confess, "who for us men and our salvation."

Dear Pastor Cascione:

I am trying to follow your argument but have a few questions.
1.  Could you identify for me who the "our" are in "who for us men and for our salvation"?  Does the "our" refer to men only, or men and women?

2.  Could you explain why appealing to the New Testament use of 'anthropos' (man) serves to explain the patristic use of such a common word in the Nicene Creed?  Have you done a similar study of the non-Christian Greek use of 'anthropos'?  Hint: the word is used by classical writers to mean:  a man, men (non-specific = men and women), a woman, or one (= Ger. man). See Lidell-Scott, p 141 (Great, btw) for numerous examples.

3.  Finally, you offered a lengthy list (see last issue of the newsletter) of the word's use in the New Testament and discovered that it did refer to men and women.  Why did you not also look at the LXX?  For instance, could you tell me how you would translate Gen 1:27 which reads, "kai epoihsen o qeoV tou anqrwpou kata eikona qeou epoihsen autou arsen kai qhlu epoihsen autou" V.(the writer is quoting the 3rd Century BC Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint which reads in your Bible, "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them."  Who does the "anthropou" (man) refer to?  Does the verse help explain whom the Holy Spirit meant?

By the way, the word "catholic" was not invented by the early church fathers, rather it was used by them to describe the universal Church. The word was used by, among others, Hippocrates (Int., 26) and was the title of a work by Zeno.


Dear Mr. Dorsch:

Thanks for the reply:

I am not a Greek scholar, but I think that "our" has a feminine ending because it modifies "salvation," which is a feminine noun.

Ultimately the "our" must mean everyone, just as the Bible intends "men" (anthropos) to mean everyone.  The question is, "Is "anthropos" concrete (man) or abstract (human being.)  My position is that the Bible uses the concrete use of anthropos to signify all humanity because Adam is concrete and not abstract.

The Wisconsin Synod has already answered the question by translating the Nicene Creed to read that Christ, "became fully human." Either we will agree with Wisconsin's position on the abstract nature of the Nicene Creed on this point, or we must say that "men" is concrete and Christ became a man.  We cannot have one abstract (human beings) and the other concrete (became fully man) in the same Creed.  Either both are abstract or both are concrete.

But what does the Bible say?

Romans 5:15 For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man (anthropos), Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (anthropos):

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men (anthropos), the man (anthropos) Christ Jesus;

All three of these verses are concrete and not abstract in reference to Christ.  I think we have to confess Biblical doctrine and not Greek philosophy.

All 508 cases of "anthropos" in the Bible refer to men or a man.  Not once is "anthropos" translated "a certain woman." People do not exist in the abstract like Greek philosophy likes to imagine.

I can't get to your other three questions right now, but I will answer later. Your first question was outstanding.
Part 2 of "Should We Change The Nicene Creed In the LCMS ?" can be found here

January 22, 2003