We have now come to the conclusion of the Athanasian Creed. It ends, as we shall see, much as it began. Lines 1 – 2 declare: Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic faith. Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally.

And now we find that it ends thus:

Lesson from the Creed

This is the catholic [1] faith:
one cannot be saved without believing it firmly and faithfully.

Athanasian Creed, line 44

So the Creed both begins and ends with a dire warning: “You cannot be saved if you don’t believe this.”

And what has come between is the historical definitions of the Trinity, and the Person and work of Christ, with an eye towards guarding the faith against all of the various heresies that had arisen up to then.

But here’s a helpful hint: Neither heretics nor the devil who employs them as useful idiots to pervert the faith are very original. Thus, the Athanasian Creed is still incredibly useful at diagnosing and contending against all heretical ideas that arise. At this point they’re all recycled and derivative. They’re just reboots.

Explanation from Scripture

There are those in some quarters who raise objections to the clauses that threaten damnation to those who don’t “fully and faithfully” hold what the Creed teaches. They would argue that this amounts to being saved by theological knowledge instead of by grace through faith. What about young or unlearned Christians who are yet ignorant of these matters?

But the point of the Creed isn’t to exclude those who lack the knowledge of the intricacies of the Trinity, or the two natures of Christ. Rather, it is to guard and defend against heresy in the Church.

The concern here is, knowing what Christians have always believed and taught about these matters; someone takes it upon themselves to judge, reject, and despise these doctrines—and especially, if they begin to persuade others to disbelieve them. This is simply not what a saved person does.

The warnings of the Athanasian Creed thus put future generations of heretics in the same boat with the ancient heretics St. Paul spoke of who had rejected true doctrine, and so concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck (1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭19 NKJV‬‬).

The New Testament is replete with dire warnings against perverting the faith, and how those who continue in this will indeed be eternally damned.

For example, in Galatians 1:8, Paul writes: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed (NKJV‬‬). It is an undeniable fact that any teaching which perverts or denies either the Triunity of God; or the humanity or divinity of Christ, will yield another gospel. What happens to someone who taints the Gospel? They’re accursed—they are damned.

Likewise, in John 3:18, we read: He who believes in [Jesus Christ] is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (NKJV‬‬). Now, saving faith receives Christ as He is—not according to our whimsy or vain imagination. Thus, a “faith” that denies that Jesus is true God; or one that denies He is true Man; is no saving faith. Thus, whoever persists in it is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Likewise, Scripture is very clear about how Christians are to deal with heretics. Jude 3 exhorts us to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (NKJV). Thus, when anyone departs from this tried and true faith, we must contend earnestly against their claims with the true faith. The Athanasian Creed helps equip us to do just that.

Finally, in 2 John 9-11, the Apostle tells us: Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds (NKJV). The doctrine of Christ here is the doctrine of His true humanity and divinity (2 John 7-8; cf. 1 John 4:2-3; John 1:1-4, 14). John says if someone comes to us teaching what is contrary to Christ’s divinity and humanity, we are not to entertain them, lest we be guilty of sharing in his evil deeds.

Therefore, the warnings that bookend the Creed are in line with the New Testament witness on salvation. To reject the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as God, co-eternal and equal in glory and majesty; or to reject either the deity or humanity of Christ; is to disbelieve the Gospel and reject Christ Himself. And that does end in damnation.

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[1] Again, catholic (lowercase-c), simply means “universal.” This is C.S. Lewis’ “mere Christianity”: what Christians everywhere have always believed.