Antioch Team

The Nicene Creed – Changes #6 he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures

This Week’s Focus on the Change by Fr. James Chelich

“he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures.”

The former translation read:

“He suffered, died, and was buried.  On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures.”

The punctuation of the former translation implies that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was in fulfillment of the Scriptures but not his suffering and death.  It is important to the Faith to express the truth that the whole of his suffering, death and resurrection was a fulfillment of what had been foretold in the Scriptures.  Here, from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, is the most famous passage:

See my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted… (Isaiah 52:13)

He suffered death in fulfillment of the Scriptures:

He was…a man of suffering…  Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted.  Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers…he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people.  (Isaiah 53:3-4, 7-8)

He rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures:

If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.  Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days.  (Isaiah 53:10-11)

Even more important to the Faith is to express the truth that Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection were redemptive.  They fulfilled the redemptive design that God set in motion long ago when man and woman first darkened their souls and embarked upon the blood-stained path that is human history.  The Scriptures reveal God’s redemptive design unfolding over time, leading to and culminating in the atoning Sacrifice of Jesus:

He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed…
Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear
…And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses. (Isaiah 53:5, 11, 12)

The New Roman Missal
The Nicene Creed
Part 1 – The Creed and “I believe…”
Part 2 – …consubstantial with the Father
Part 3 – Was incarnate of the Virgin Mary
Part 4 – of all things visible and invisible
Part 5 – the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages
Part 6 – he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures.
Part 7 – who has spoken through the Prophets.
Part 8 – I confess; I look forward to

The Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest)

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