What is the Apostle’s Creed and why do we say the Apostle’s Creed in the church today? A creed is a statement of faith used by individual Christians and churches to express what is believed.
Why the Creed is Important to Me
When you speak the Apostle’s Creed, you take a firm stand about what you believe and confess about God.
For much of my life, I went through the motions when we spoke creeds out loud in church. I spoke the words because that was the thing to do. As I’ve gotten older and more firm in my faith, I understand the meaning behind using a creed.
Creeds connect us as a Christian community. There is so much division in today’s world. Speaking a creed together unites us as a congregation, with other congregations around the world, and as a Church (capital C – meaning the whole community of believers in Jesus).
Creeds connect us to the ancient church and remind us that we part of something so much bigger than ourselves.
A creed is not a prayer, although speaking it can have deep meaning and connect you to God. Creeds are declarations. You are speaking, boldly and out loud, about your personal beliefs. Creeds are a witness statement.
The History of the Apostle’s Creed
The Apostle’s Creed is a statement of faith. In many mainline churches it is spoken in worship on a regular basis.
Who wrote the Apostle’s Creed?
The Apostle’s Creed is not in the Bible and was not written by the Apostles. The author of the creed is unknown.
It is believed the Apostle’s Creed was written around 150 A.D. and was used across the earliest church in gatherings all along the Mediterranean Sea, such as Jerusalem, Alexandria (North Africa), Rome, and even Spain.
What is the Difference Between The Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed?
There are three main creeds used in the Christian church today, including the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is the oldest and shortest of the three creeds. It is sometimes called the Baptism creed and is often used in worship services where there is no communion.
The Nicene Creed is a bit longer and was developed in response to controversies within the church. It includes more information about Jesus and his relationship with the Father and is often used during worship with the Lord’s Supper.
What Religion is the Apostle’s Creed?
The Apostle’s Creed is used in traditional Christian churches worldwide, including Protestant (Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, Anglican, Orthodox) and Catholic denominations.
Other churches may use this creed as their church’s faith statement, but it’s not used regularly as part of the worship service.
Where is the Apostle’s Creed in the Bible?
Often, people are curious about where they can find Apostle’s Creed Bible verses, but it’s important to know that the Apostle’s Creed and other creeds like the Nicene Creed are not in the Bible.
The creeds are statements of faith written by early Christian leaders to summarize the Bible’s teachings.
What is the Apostle’s Creed?
The Apostle’s Creed is the oldest known statement of faith. It summarizes the Apostles’ teachings used in the early church.
What are the Words to the Apostles Creed?
Here are the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
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 Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God
the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
What is the Meaning of the Apostle’s Creed? (An Explanation of the Creed)
Martin Luther wrote the Catechism to teach preachers (and heads of households) about the Bible and the basic teachings of the church. He wrote a simple explanation of each article (section) of the creed, which is as follows:
The First Article
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them; that He richly and daily provides me with food and clothing, home and family, property and goods, and all that I need to support this body and life; that He protects me from all danger, guards and keeps me from all evil; and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am in duty bound to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
The Second Article
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; Who was conceived by 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 rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary; and that He is my Lord, Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and death; in order that I might be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness; even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
The Third Article
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean?
What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; just as He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian Church He daily and richly forgives me and all believers all our sins; and at the last day He will raise up me and all the dead, and will grant me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.
–Martin Luther, Small Catechism
Why Do We Say the Apostle’s Creed?
Memorizing the Apostles’ Creed is not necessary, but it is a helpful practice. If someone asks you what you believe, you will have a clear and ready statement of your faith.
The creeds are a statement you make to other people, both Christians and non-Christians.
In my church growing up, before we said the Apostle’s Creed, the pastor would say, “Christian, what do you believe?” and then the congregation would respond with the creed. I always loved this because it reminded me weekly that I was not just saying the words but boldly declaring to the world that this is what I hold in my heart to be true.
Many churches have stopped saying the creeds because they feel that repeating them becomes meaningless. I disagree. The more we say them, the more deeply they become an important part of our lives. The creeds are also connected to the church across the centuries.
Does your church recite the Apostle’s Creed regularly? Share about it in the comments below.
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Such a powerful post. I made sure to include the Statement of faith on my blog so that I will never forget my creed.
I didn’t grow up reciting the Creed but now I feel I must because I will have a ready answer.