KEEP THE
SIMPLE

New Testament scholars think that some passages in the New Testament are written in such a way that they must be fixed confessions which the early Christians used to say or sing. When Paul and the other apostles proclaimed the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, they orally taught extensively about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When the apostles had left, the new believers could use confessions – which were so short that all could learn them by heart – as a help to remind oneself and each other of all they had learned about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Using the same confessions at different places, the believers at each place could also know that they were far from alone believing on Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ and the Son of God. He "was believed on in the world" as stated in the confession cited by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:16.

It is about the confession in 1 Tim 3:16 – which probably was proclaimed by singing in the time of the apostles – I have written a booklet. This confession has been of great help to me experiencing personally to belong to the worldwide body of Christ. It has also helped me to get a sense of nearness to believers in the time of the apostles and therefore to the immense impression of the life of the Son of God on this earth.

I further think using this and other confessions in the New Testament could be of great support to believers if separated from the rest of the body of Christ due to persecution, sickness or other circumstances. Especially I think such short confessions learned by heart may be of great use when prevented from reading the Bible or the New Testament.

The booklet may be ordered free of charge from the Syndoulos foundation.

Listen to the song 1 Tim 3:16