A commenter asked if a person can be saved without believing in the Athanasian Creed.
We could also include the Nicaean Creed and the Definition (or Creed) of Chalcedon. The doctrines of the Trinity and of the hypostatic union (two natures of Christ, human and divine) are covered in those three creeds.
Before we begin, here are the links to them + my (starter-kit) commentaries:
6. Two Natures in One Person: Definition or Creed of Chalcedon + Commentary
The Athanasian Creed ends with the assertion that if you do not faithfully believe it, you are not saved. Is this true?
Here is my reply to the questioner (edited):
[…]
I believe that the Athanasian Creed, the Nicaean Creed, and the Definition (or Creed) of Chalcedon reflect the theological truth of the deity of Christ and his being the Second Person of the Trinity. They teach his dual natures (human and divine), also called the hypostatic union. I believe those three creeds come from a thorough search of the Scriptures, like these two:
Referring to God the Father:
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8)
Referring to God the Son:
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Rev. 22:13)
And those are just two samples!
Here are more Scriptures that show his dual nature (God and human), that is, the hypostatic union:
7. Do I Really Know Jesus? Thirty Truths about His Life
Here are optional responses to those three creeds:
Bad: “I read those three creeds. I don’t understand them. I reject them!”
Better: “I read those three creeds. I don’t understand them. But I don’t reject them.”
Best: “I studied those three creeds. I have heard them taught. I see that they are rooted in Scripture. Therefore, I now affirm them.”
However, believing in those three creeds is not necessary for salvation. The poor sinner and most Christians would be doomed! Understanding the Trinity and the hypostatic union beyond repeating creeds in church is for mature believers. On the other hand, to reject them outright is dangerous, because this rejection will lower the deity of Christ.
However, Scripture is clear about salvation …..
To be saved, all one has to do is to obey the truths in these verses (NIV, all emphases added):
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. (1 John 4:15)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father [God] loves his child [the Son of God] as well. (1 John 5:1)
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. […] 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9-10, 13)
Allow me to combine these verses from different chapters in Acts:
19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, […] 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 3:19, 16:31)
I see nothing in those verses about understanding or believing in the three creeds to be saved.
To be saved: Just call on his name, and with saving faith believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. Repent of your sins and turn back to God. Profess your saving faith out loud. Declare him Lord, with your mouth. Believe in your heart that God resurrected him (= vindicated his Son’s entire life, ministry, and death). And then you shall be saved and born of God. Simple. Even a child can do this with his childlike faith.
Here is a time-tested acronym to explain faith:
F-A-I-T-H = Forsaking All, I Trust Him.
RELATED
What Is the Work of Salvation?
What Is the Source of Salvation?
How Do We Respond to God’s Salvation?
Begin a series on the Trinity, here:
The Trinity: What Are the Basics?
Begin a series on the hypostatic union (two natures of Christ, human and divine), here:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 