Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of the saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

Amen.

When I first gave my life to Christ I was left without instruction or direction for my faith to grow. I did not know exactly what it was that believers believed. As I have watched many young people come to the faith, I have wondered if they have the same lost thinking that I had. Do they wonder what it is to believe? Do they wonder how to center their mind on Christ? Do they feel confused by all the bickering between the many denominations, just to see them side together against a common attack?

It was not until I studied early Church doctrine and history that I realized that we all have a common foundation. The Creeds bind us together in unity. They bring forth our common beliefs and allow us to set aside our different denominational doctrines. That is why I have begun to search for a way to get back to the foundation. I believe that we all share a single belief that we can learn from; if we are willing to set everything else aside for a moment.

I am approaching this lesson through a three-fold method of touch-see-hear. This blog and the attached PDF serve as the “touch” portion, while the video that is linked here serves as the “see” and the Mini Messages with Bro James podcast covers the “hear” portion. You are free to choose which method you wish, or all three.

With that I leave you to explore the series of notes that I have put together below. Please feel free to download the PDF, watch-like-share the video, and listen to-share the podcast. As always, i ask that if you have any questions, ask them. Share this blog with others, and do not forget to subscribe to receive future posts. With love and prayers for all of you. God bless

Bro James

What is the Apostles’ Creed?

• The “Apostles’ Creed” was originally referred to as “The Roman Creed” from about AD 140.

• It was affirmed and expanded by the Church at the Council of Nicene in AD 325.

• It was not until Ambrose Archbishop of Milan wrote about the creed in a letter from the Council of Milan in AD 390 that the name “Apostles’ Creed” or “Statements of the Apostles” was used

“Let them give credit to the Creed of the Apostles, which the Roman Church has always kept and preserved undefiled”

• The Apostles’ Creed is the statement of beliefs shared by Christians from all types of denominations; with the exception of a few.

• The Nicene Creed is most accepted by Christian denominations around the world.

What is a “creed?”

• A creed (also known as a confession, symbol, or statement of faith) is a statement of the shared beliefs of (an often religious) community in the form of a fixed formula summarizing core tenets.

12 Articles of Faith

• It is commonly held by most churches that there are 12 articles of faith found in the Creed. They are as listed below.

1. I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

4. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died, and was buried.

5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

10. the forgiveness of sins,

11. the resurrection of the body,

12. and the life everlasting.

• Each article is often associated with a different Apostle.

1. 1. Peter

   2. John

   3. James son of Zebedee

   4. Andrew

   5. Phillip (a. descended to the dead), Thomas (b. rose again)

   6. Bartholomew

   7. Matthew

   8. James, son of Alphaeus

   9. Simon

   10. Jude

   11. & 12. Matthias

• We know that the Apostles did not write the Creed.

• Each of the articles can be connected to scripture.

1. I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

• • “All things were created through Him (God), and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.” -John 1:3

2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

• • “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son…” -John 3:16a

3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

• • “The angel replied to her: ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” -Luke 1:35

  • “to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” -Luke 1:27

4. Under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died, and was buried.

• • “So Pilate decided to grant their demand… he handed Jesus over to their will.” -Luke 23:24

5. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again.

• • “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to Scriptures,” –1 Corinthians 15:3-4

6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

• • “Then after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” -Mark 16:19

7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

• • “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead,..” -2 Timothy 4:1

8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,

• • “When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father – He will testify about Me.” -John 15:26

9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

• • “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” -Galatians 3:28

  • “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other…” –Hebrews 10:24-25

10. the forgiveness of sins,

• • “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ name.” -1 John 2:12

11. the resurrection of the body,

• • “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” -1 Thessalonians 4:16

12. and the life everlasting.

• • “…everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16b

Why is the Apostles’ Creed Important?

• The Apostles’ Creed is more than just a statement. It is a foundation of Christian beliefs that holds the Church together, having been built on the first true Christian Creed, “Jesus Christ… is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36)

• Jesus is the cornerstone from which the foundation of the Church was laid. The Creed is a part of that foundation. It is the basis for all Christian beliefs set into a single, 12 part, statement that helps to bring Christians from every denomination onto a common ground.

• It is used in our baptismal rites today.

  • “Do you believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord, and the Holy Spirit?”

  • “Have you accepted His death, burial, and resurrection as the only means for your salvation?”

If you would like a PDF copy of this post for future reference, just click the link below.

Apostles’ Creed

_{*All Scripture taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.}