The Apostles' Creed

A creed is a statement designed to show in summary form what one believes. Therefore a Christian creed must reflect doctrine taught in Scriptures. Creeds do not contain all doctrine of Scriptures, but usually emphasize major points and additional points necessary to refute false beliefs of their time. Creeds coming after the Apostles' Creed, which is one of [if not] the earliest creed of the church, often expand on certain points due to new opposition. For example, The Nicene Creed of the 4th century spends more time emphasizing the Deity of Christ as a direct rebuttal to the Arians [a growing heresy of that time] who denied that Jesus was fully God. While it's unlikely that the apostles, themselves, composed this creed it definitely reflects their beliefs, wherein it also reflects the clear teach of Scriptures. In its earliest forms it is thought to have been written in the late first century or, at latest, second century. It's long time use by the church has shown it to reflect the basic doctrines of the church since its beginning. Some Protestant churches have discarded this creed, as they view it tainted by continued use of the Roman Catholic Church. A church's continued use of this creed, even while involved in error, in no way detracts from the creed's content. If the content is Biblical — and it is — then it is a valid expression of Christian belief. [Actually, the Protestant churches who continue to use this creed, yet deny the literal virgin birth, or have discarded God creating in favor of evolution, are just as much in error... yet the truth of the creed still stands.] A number of early forms of this creed exist, showing some of its revisions and expansions. While the Apostles' Creed commonly used today grew directly out of western (Roman) forms, I've also included eastern editions to show common content... Asia Minor/Egypt [known as Epistula Apostolorum] (c. 150) In the Father, the Ruler of the Universe, And in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, In the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, In the Holy Church, And in the Forgiveness of Sins. Hippolytus [western, in interrogatory form] (c. 215) Do you believe in God the Father All Governing? Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Who was begotten by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died and was buried and rose the third day living from the dead, and ascended into the heavens, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, and in the resurrection of the body? Creed of Caesarea (c. 325) We believe in one God, the Father All Governing, Creator of everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God from God, Light from Light, Life from Life, the only-begotten Son, the first born of all creation, begotten of the Father before all time, by whom also everything came into being, who for our salvation became incarnate and lived among men. He suffered, and rose the third day, and ascended to the Father, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We believe also in one Holy Spirit.

Old Roman Creeds (c. 340+ A.D.) I believe in God almighty [the Father almighty, invisible (in one version c. 404 A.D.)] And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried And the third day rose from the dead Who ascended into heaven And sits at the right hand of the Father Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit The holy church The remission of sins The resurrection of the flesh The life everlasting. (Not in one version.) The Apostles' Creed (c. 6th Century) I believe in God the Father almighty, I also believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell, rose again the third day, ascended into heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Father, thence he is to come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the flesh and life eternal. The Apostles' Creed (two versions as used today, based directly on common form c. 700 A.D.) I believe in God, the Father Almighty,  the Creator of heaven and earth,  and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,  born of the Virgin Mary,  suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven  and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,  whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,  the communion of saints,  the forgiveness of sins,  the resurrection of the body,  and life everlasting. Amen. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen   Along with being a quick summary of Christian belief, the Apostle's creed also refuted one of the earliest heresies confronting the church: Gnosticism. The Gnostics, together with a few other groups (some coming later) denied that God had come in the flesh. Some actually held that Jesus did not have a physical body. The Biblical book of 1 John actually begins with a clear statement showing that these beliefs were wrong... 1 John 4:1-3 (1) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (2) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, (3) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (NIV) Showing the need to be clear on these things, the Apostles' Creed clearly emphasized Jesus' humanity. The following is a quick look at what the Creed sought to teach in contrast to common false beliefs surrounding the early church. [It should be noted that many of these errors still exist today, especially in teachings of cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses.] I believe in God, the Father Almighty,  the Creator of heaven and earth,  and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Gnostics held that creation (i.e. the whole physical universe) was evil and that God did not make it. The creed clearly points to God's special creation as testified to throughout all of Scriptures; and not only in Genesis. Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,  born of the Virgin Mary, Gnostics believed that God had never taken a human nature or a human body. Some tried to divide Christ and Jesus [the man], claiming that Christ used Jesus or spoke through him. These even went so far as to say that Jesus did not receive Christ until the Holy Spirit descended upon him at his baptism and that the Spirit left him before the crucifixion. Others claimed there was never a physical man Jesus at all, but only an appearance of a man. The creed clearly affirms that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, specifically denying the Gnostic position that the Spirit had nothing to do with Jesus until his Baptism. Additionally the creed states that He was born, showing that He had a real physical body, not just an appearance, and further that He was born of a virgin noting that his life was special from the very beginning and not just from His baptism on.  suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried. There were, and are, many stories featuring gods who died and were resurrected. These myths [and that is what they are] always point to a nonspecific ancient time. The Creed points out that Jesus suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried at a real time and place in history. [Remember that dates were related to rulers in Biblical times, as our uniform calendar did not exist yet.] He descended into hell. Together with the line before it, the Creed emphasizes that Jesus was really dead. This was a physical death, with a dead body that was actually placed in a real tomb. He was not merely unconscious, and later revived. While Christians differ on what Jesus did, if anything, when His spirit left His body, the Creed merely points out that like all who die, His spirit left His body. The Creed's reference to His descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is only here to make it completely clear that the death of Jesus was not just fainting, or a coma, but death in every sense of the word. [Read, if you have opportunity, John Calvin's view of this line (as found in his Institutes of the Christian Religion) for an interesting perspective]. The third day He arose again from the dead. The creed emphasizes a bodily [physical] resurrection from the dead, which again refutes any who said Jesus never really died, as well as any who claim that He stayed dead in the normal manner of mankind. He ascended into heaven  and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,  whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. While some claimed Jesus to have only a fleeting contact with Christ, the Creed testifies clearly to the bodily resurrected person of Jesus, the Christ, having ascended into Heaven with a continued importance and role. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, Gnostics believed that the deep or important teachings of God where only for a select few [namely them]. This meant that "common" people could not find or understand the truth apart from special people who could show it [or reveal it] to them. The Creed reflected the teachings of Scripture that God, by His Spirit, imparts His gospel to everyone. [With this also comes the belief that the gospel was/is to be preached to the entire world]. The word "catholic," that is used here, is merely an old word meaning "universal". The Creed's claim to the church being universal directly assaulted the Gnostic belief that these teachings were for a select few.  the communion of saints,  the forgiveness of sins, Gnostics believed that man only needed more enlightenment or wisdom. To them, sin was not a problem, only ignorance. Of course, this denied any need for forgiveness. Two differing ways of living out these false beliefs came about. One believed that the body was the real problem, leading these individuals into a monastic type life, working to deny all pleasures to the body. The other believed that the body was completely separate from the soul, so you could do anything you wanted in the body [living only for pleasure] and it made no difference on the soul. To both of these groups, the Creed clearly pointed to the need of forgiveness from sin and the fellowship of believers [with each other and God].  the resurrection of the body,  and life everlasting. Amen. Again, Gnostics held that the physical world was the real problem. [So too cults of today like Christian Science]. If one could merely be free of the physical realm, everything would be all right. For this reason, Gnostics didn't want [or believe in] a resurrection. The Creed closes with the hope of the church, that the One who defeated death will raise us bodily, and make us new, to experience life forever untainted again by sin and death. In summary, the Creed — in a few short lines — encompasses many of the great truths of our Christian faith. I believe... do you? End note: If you are looking for a longer examination of the Apostles' Creed, from a different perspective — namely, better defining the basic beliefs that the church should hold dear — check out R.C. Sproul's Renewing Your Mind: Basic Christian Beliefs You Need to Know (Baker).