The Historic Baptist View of the Nicene Creed

Gavin Ortlund argues that Baptist have historically affirmed the Nicene Creed, and should do so today.

Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.

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00:00 - Introduction
03:33 - (1) Historic Baptists on the Nicene Creed
10:43 - (2) One Baptism For the Remission of Sins
15:12 - What About Baptismal Regeneration?
24:46 - Summing Up

[AWar]

Another thing to note with Acts 2:38 is that the preposition behind "for" is εις, which is the same preposition that appears in Matthew 3:11 when John the Baptist says, "I indeed baptize you with water unto (εις) repentance."

I'm not aware of anyone who says that the baptism of John was the instrumental cause of repentance. Clearly, he was baptizing people who were already repentant. So if εις doesn't mean that baptism caused repentance in Matthew 3:11, why is it insisted that baptism causes remission of sins in Acts 2:38?

[Golden_writes]

I believe it should be mandatory in all seminaries for all Protestant Pastors to study the history of the Church (without bias). Along with the studying of Scripture.

[jobeedrost]

Please make that series on the Apostles Creed, that would be awesome.

[Aaryq]

My brother in Christ, I agree with your father. I would love the Dr. Ortlund word-by-word breakdown of the Apostles' Creed series.

[mack]

Unfortunately, I have found many Baptists, including myself for a long time, have never heard of the Nicene Creed.

[gumbyshrimp]

“Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬ ‭

[SteveMcKinion]

Thanks for highlighting our efforts, Gavin.

[joshuareeves]

First, I along with everyone else on here agree that a series on the Apostles Creed would be amazing.

Second, you have no idea how ideal the timing of this video was. I am baptist, have been all my life, and I have only in the last couple years been exposed to tradition, creeds, classical theology, the church fathers, etc. In that endeavor a number of things have actually strengthened in my faith, however the question of baptismal efficacy I have found my world a bit turned upside down and I'm still struggling through it. You have been hugely helpful as I wrestle through it all, so thank you. My concerns have not been completely solved yet but I believe I am closer than I was before.

[andyontheinternet]

I discovered you channel today and can't stop watching. I looked you up, and saw we are both Covenant MDiv grads and Baptist. God bless you brother!

[leahcpratt]

I agree with your dad on the video series! I am SBC and teach a Christian History & Theology class at a non-denominational Christian high school. I utilize the Nicene Creed as our template for teaching a basic systematic theology. The students all memorize it throughout the semester, and it always brings great conversations, with every line - especially the one in question regarding baptism!

[BipolarDistortion]

Thanks Gavin! I really appreciate your videos.

[stephenkneller]

I have talked to several Baptist pastors who said that though they agreed with the Creed, they had to reject them because they were written by men. None of them liked my follow up question. I then asked them if they provided an exposition during church, a sermon. Given their rejected of man written theology or theological statements, there is no way they could then deliver any sermon. They would just smile, say that’s different, then excuse themselves and refuse to talk to me again. Like you said, sometimes some bring it upon themselves.

[HolyKhaaaaan]

I commend you for defending the Nicene Creed as a standard of faith among all Christians. The SBC even contemplating rejecting a historical Creed as a standard confession of faith risks turning Baptists into a fringe group like The Seventh-Day Adventists or the Jehovah's Witnesses.

That won't do. I want my brethren in the Protestant churches to share more of the Christian faith, not less. I applaud you for standing up for it and educating your brethren.

The question of baptismal regeneration ought to make us consider what the church 1700 years ago meant by the Creed rather than considering abandoning it.

[kvzacomics]

I love your channel. Thank you for conveying ideas in such a clear and biblical language.

[cassidyanderson]

I don’t understand how one can claim, in good faith, to be a Christian without affirming the Nicene Creed. In refusing to affirm it, they are separating themselves from the martyrs, confessors, and fathers, without whom the true faith doesn’t even exist.

[LandonRSmith-ldty]

Thank you so much for doing this video. Been wrestling with this one for a while!

[reverendjenkins]

Great video. I’m SBC and we follow the Orthodox Creed of 1679. Hopefully, the EC will approve of the NC.
God bless.

[snakefrumpkin]

Hey Gavin - are you planning on making a response to Trent’s video on this topic? Just watched it and I really think there needs to be some additional care to the topic.

[AndrewKendall]

The Nicene is the central statement used by our private school to pre-qualify new student-families in addition to affirming participation in a gospel-centered church. We're a school with Evangelicals, Baptists, Bible Fellowship, Anglicans, and Catholics and others.

[ScholasticLutherans]

When Lutherans say that a Cornelius situation is an exception, this is circumstantial. It is the exception because most Christians are baptized as infants. In the time of the Bible, most Christians are adult converts since it is the first generation of Christians. We do not mean it is a theological exception; it is an exception of circumstance. It is still the case today that adult converts are regenerated and converted prior to baptism and baptism acts as a sealing for them.