Apostles' Creed

The Apostles' Creed (Latin: Symbolum Apostolorum), sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol."
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 tradition, including the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, 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 one article.
Origin of the Creed
Many hypotheses exist about when and how the Apostles' Creed was created.
Many suppose it comes from "the Old Roman Symbol" of the 1st or 2nd century, and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed (325/381).
This creed seems to have been made as an argument against Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a heresy in the early days of the Church. Gnostics believed things that were very different than what the Catholic Church taught. The Apostles' Creed, and other creeds, were made to be like 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. This 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 like he did.
Because it was written very early in history, it does not talk about some issues that later Christian creeds, like the Nicene Creed, brought up. This makes it acceptable to many Arians and Unitarians.
For more information on the origin of the Apostles' Creed, see the detailed discussion in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
Text of the Creed
Latin text
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 inferos, 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 text
(Triglot Concordia, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 12)
English translations
The Roman Catholic Church
The English version in the Catechism of the Catholic Church keeps the tradition of dividing the 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.
The Church of England
In the Church of England there are currently 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.
The United Methodist Church
The United Methodists commonly include the Apostles' Creed in their worship services. Their version of the Creed is special because it does not have the line "he descended into hell." Except for this, it is 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 of the Apostles' Creed is included in the Hymnal to be used during the Eucharist and baptisms. Because of this, it is getting 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" when talking about God. The text is as follows:
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
Related creeds:
Nicene Creed
Doctrines:
Communion of Saints
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
Notes and References
Other websites
The prayer on roman-catholic-prayers.com
Christian creeds
Ancient Christianity