First of all, a creed should be apostolic in the sense that it is consistent with the New Testament teachings of the apostles. This is the traditional meaning of the term in Christian circles. However, Scudieri urges us to recognize the original meaning of the word apostle. Apostles are sent ones, missionaries sent out by the resurrected Christ to take the Gospel to all the nations of the earth. Creeds are to be both apostolic, biblically based, and apostolic, missionary in nature.
Creeds are defensive, maintaining sound teaching.
Creeds are also offensive, communicating the truth clearly to those who do not know it. Thinking in terms of the worship setting, creeds should both help worshipers keep their faith on an even keel doctrinally and equip them to share their faith with the lost world. Thinking in terms of Christian instruction, creeds should deliver biblically accurate Christian doctrine to students, as well as respond to the questions and doubts of the world which children, teens, and adults ponder as they study God's Word. New creeds which are geared to answer the questions of our day will help believers be more bold in their witnessing. Limiting ourselves to a few standard creeds, however, may hinder lay people's ability to enunciate their faith to their contemporaries.