The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth.
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 to the place of the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into Heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Universal Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed is not found in the Bible. The Apostles’ Creed was not written by the Apostles. Rather, it was written in the Second Century AD, after the apostles had all died. It began as an affirmation for baptismal rights, and later emerged as a confession for the whole church – in response to false teachers.
It is called the Apostles’ Creed because it is supposed to be a record of what the Apostles taught – and how the early church believed they were led to continue the faith in succeeding generations. It is considered the most universal summary of Christian doctrine. However, there are two primary concerns with the Apostles’ Creed. First, in regard to the phrase “He descended into hell” We believe this is a concept that was understood differently than many do today. Second, in regard to “the holy Catholic Church,” this does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church as we know it today. The word catholic means “universal.” The true “catholic” church is all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
For this purpose, we translate the term catholic to universal, in keeping with the originalist intent – and true meaning of the creed. The Universal Church is all those who are born of the Holy Spirit, by faith in Jesus. It’s important to recognize that creeds do not save us, but rather the Apostle’s creed is a recognition of the doctrines that accompany saving faith. This may seem a subtle distinction, but it is an important one. We reject the idea that merely quoting the Apostles’ creed can save anyone, and encourage all people everywhere to come to Jesus Christ of whom the Apostle’s creed teaches – look to Him and live.
Here are the many biblical affirmations of the Apostles Creed.
Another reason that some are concerned with the Apostles Creed, is that it has been used by some to claim that Jesus suffered in Hell. But we need to study that from the Bible for clear understanding: some insight for that can be found here.