The point at issue here is not which creeds are the best expression of Christian doctrine, but to illustrate that confessionalism is consistent with the scriptural government of the church. Creeds are also an outgrowth of the teaching ministry of the church. It is not as though a creed usurps the role of the Bible. The Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. But since many sects claim to uphold the authority of the Bible, a creed is extremely valuable because it reveals how a particular church understands the scriptures.
Creeds provide a means for the church to state the truth in a summary public form.
In this respect, confessions help fulfill the church's role as a witness to the world by proclaiming the truths of the gospel. In the present era of religious decline, creeds are especially valuable to the testimony of any denomination. Presbyterian denominations have generally adopted the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, or the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism. The confessional standards are objective standards. By this characteristic, they point to the objective nature of God's revelation in the Bible.