Apostles' Creed

The **Apostles' Creed** (Latin: _Symbolum Apostolorum_), sometimes titled **Symbol of the Apostles**, is a creed or "symbol, " an early statement of Christian beliefs.

It is commonly used by many Christian denominations during religious ceremonies and as a summary of Christian beliefs. It is most commonly used during ceremonies at churches of Western Christianity, including the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholicism, as well as in Lutheranism, the Anglican Communion, and Western Orthodoxy. It is also used by evangelical Protestant denominations such as Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, and many Baptists.

The Creed is named the Apostles' Creed because it is made of twelve articles. People believed that after Pentecost, God inspired each of Jesus' Twelve Apostles to write an article.

## Origin of the Creed

Many hypotheses exist about when and how the Apostles' Creed was created. Many suppose it came from the Old Roman Symbol of the 1st or the 2nd century and that it was influenced later by the Nicene Creed (325/381).

This creed seems to have been made as an argument against Gnosticism. That was a heresy in the early days of the Church. Gnostics believed things that were very different from the Catholic Church. The Apostles' Creed and other creeds were made to show examples of Catholic teachings and to defend Catholic beliefs. This can be seen in almost every phrase. For example, the creed states that Christ was born, suffered, and died on the cross. That seems to be an argument against Gnostic beliefs, which said that Christ only seemed to become a man and that he did not truly suffer and die but only seemed do so.

Because it was written very early in history, Apostles' Creed does not talk about some issues that later Christian creeds like the Nicene Creed brought up. That makes the Apostles' Creed acceptable to many Arians and Unitarians.

For more information on the origin of the Apostles' Creed, see the detailed discussion in the _Catholic Encyclopedia_.

### Latin

_Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. Et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad ínferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen._

### Greek

(_Triglot Concordia_, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 12)

### Roman Catholic Church

The English version in the _Catechism of the Catholic Church_ keeps the tradition of dividing the Apostles' Creed into twelve articles:

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

- And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

- He 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.
- On the third day he rose again from the dead.

- 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 saints,

- the forgiveness of sins,

- the resurrection of the body,

- and the life everlasting.
- Amen.

### Church of England

The Church of England currently has two authorized forms of the creed. One is in the _Book of Common Prayer_ (1662). The other is in _Common Worship_ (2000).

|-

***Book of Common Prayer***
- 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 Catholick Church;
- The Communion of Saints;
- The Forgiveness of sins;
- The Resurrection of the body,
- And the life everlasting.
- Amen.

***Common Worship***

- 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 into hell.
- 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 catholic Church,
- the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and the life everlasting.
- Amen.

### United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church commonly includes the Apostles' Creed in its worship services. Its version of the Creed is special because it does not have the line "he descended into hell." It is otherwise very similar to the version in the _Book of Common Prayer_.

- 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, dead, and buried;
- the third day he rose from the dead;
- he ascended into heaven,
- and sitteth at 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 Spirit,
- the holy catholic church,
- the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and the life everlasting. Amen.

The _United Methodist Hymnal_ also contains (at #882) what it calls the "Ecumenical Version" of the Creed. This version is identical to the one in the Episcopal Church's current _Book of Common Prayer_. This form is included in the _United Methodist_ _Hymnal_ to be used during the Eucharist and baptisms. That has caused it to become more popular.

### Ecumenical version of the English Language Liturgical Consultation

The English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC) is an international group whose goal is to provide texts that can be used and accepted by people of any Christian denomination. In 1988, it created a translation of the Apostles' Creed. One major change in this version is that it does not use the word "his" in talking about God. The text is as follows:http://www.renewingworship.org/resources/ELLC/texts/apostles_creed.html

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

- I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 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 catholic Church,
    - the communion of saints,
    - the forgiveness of sins,
    - the resurrection of the body,
    - and the life everlasting. Amen.

## Related pages

- Nicene Creed

## Other websites

- The prayer on roman-catholic-prayers.com