It is often argued that these verses are evidence of an established statement of beliefs of the very early church; however, it doesn't read anything like any other creed we read elsewhere. Obviously, the "creed" who start following the "that" which follows the [a], as a creed wouldn't include a description of what Paul say he was told by others.3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.
This creed contains scant amount of the theological declarations of what later was confirmed to be Christian orthodoxy. As a few examples, it doesn't include the following:
- 1. The name of Jesus isn't mentioned. Odd as the authors of the creed would have known him by that name.
2. There is no mention of Christ being a "God".
3. There is no mention of the "Holy Spirit"
4. The is no mention that the Christ ascended to heaven.
5. While it may be inferred from the reference to "Scriptures"; there is, none-the-less, no mention of a God of any variety.
6. No mention of the fact that Jesus was killed
7. No mention of a bodily resurrection