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The Apostles' Creed

Q: Why is it meaningful to say and believe the Apostles' Creed?

“Our narrative is that we believe in the God of the Bible. When the church recites this creed, distilled, pulled from, wrung out of the Word of God, we are saying: ‘We reject the modern narrative. We believe the historic narrative—the narrative that God has come into the world to save sinners, that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, and we believe and trust that he has made known to us the path of life.'” (Matt Chandler)

Q: What should it mean when we stand in church and say, “I believe in God”?

“Are we at this point just allying ourselves with Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and others against atheism and declaring that there is some God as distinct from none? No; we are doing far more than this. We are professing faith in the God of the Creed itself, the Christian God, the God of the Bible—the Sovereign Creator whose ‘Christian name,’ as Karl Barth put it, is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If this is not the God in whom we believe, we have no business saying the Creed at all.” (J.I. Packer)

Q: What does it mean to believe the Apostles' Creed?

"Do you believe? ‘I believe,’ says one, and he begins to repeat what they call the ‘Apostles’ Creed.’ Hold your tongue, sir! That matters not; the devil believes that, perhaps more intelligently than you do; he believes and trembles. That kind of believing saves no man. You may believe the most orthodox creed in Christendom, and perish. Do you trust—for that is the cream of the word “believe”—do you trust in Jesus? Do you lean your whole weight on him? Have you that faith which the Puritans used to call ‘recumberancy’ or ‘leaning’? This is the faith that saves—faith that falls back into the arms of Jesus, a faith that drops from its own hanging place into those mighty arms." (Charles Spurgeon)

The Apostles' Creed summarizes what Christians believe and concisely explains the core message of the Bible.

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What Is the Apostles' Creed?

Where Did the Apostles' Creed Come From?

Where did the Apostles’ Creed come from? Legend suggests that each of the twelve apostles of Jesus wrote one line of the Apostles’ Creed. Although the Apostles’ Creed is the oldest formal statement of Christian beliefs, it’s not actually that old.

The Apostles’ Creed originated as a Roman creed used as early as the second century. Later, a fourth century letter first referenced a version of that Roman creed as “The Apostles’ Creed.” The rendition of the creed we recite today first appeared in the year 753 AD in a handbook for pastors, written by a man named Pirminius from England.

What Is the Apostles' Creed?

The Apostles’ Creed summarizes the teaching of the Bible, and more specifically, the New Testament. The Creed concisely states the Bible’s teachings about God existing as three Persons in one being: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity). It also explains the life and work of God the Son, Jesus Christ...

APOSTLES' CREED

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Read the entirety of the Apostles’ Creed here.

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Apostles' Creed Phone Wallpaper

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What's the History of The Apostles' Creed?

The Rule of Faith

Early church father Irenaeus (130-202) in his book Against Heresies cited a possible precursor to the Apostles’ Creed called the “rule of faith.”

The Old Roman Creed

North African Latin church father Tertullian (160-220) quoted an “old Roman creed,” used in baptismal services, that is similar in wording to Irenaeus’ “rule of faith.”

Creed in Greek

Marcellus (285-374), bishop of Ancyra (in modern-day Turkey), recorded a creed in Greek similar to the Apostles’ Creed.

Creed of the Apostles

A letter from the Council of Milan speaks of the “creed of the apostles,” which could possibly refer to the Apostles’ Creed.

Addition of a Phrase

Rufinus (344-411), a monk who translated many early Greek writings of church fathers into Latin, added the phrase “he descended into hell,” which was the first appearance of this phrase in the Creed up to this point in church history. The phrase only appears again in a form of the Creed recorded in 650.

Earliest Form of the Apostles' Creed

The earliest appearance in written form of what we commonly call the Apostles’ Creed appeared in the writings of the monk Pirminius (670-763).

Popularity

Charlemagne, first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, began to use the Creed throughout his kingdom; over the following centuries the Creed continued to spread throughout western Christendom.

Hymn Inspired by the Creed

Martin Luther (1483-1549), father of the Protestant Reformation, composed a German hymn that paraphrased the Apostles’ Creed.

Catholics Affirm the Creed

The Catechism of the Council of Trent affirmed the use of the Apostles’ Creed in Roman Catholic churches.

Protestants Affirm the Creed

The Church of England (Anglicanism) officially adopted the Creed in its Book of Common Prayer.

Publishing

The Roman Catholic Church published an updated English version of the Creed.

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History of the Apostles' Creed

Article: 3 Min

What You Need to Know About the Apostles’ Creed

by Bibles.net

Article: 10 Min

Nine Things You Should Know About the Apostles’ Creed

by Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition

Video: 5 Min

What is the
Apostles’
Creed?

by Michael Bird at Zondervan

Quote

No Christian believes
less than everything
revealed in the
Apostles’ Creed.

Albert Mohler Jr.

Quote

The Apostles’ Creed
is an expression
of certainty
to encourage belief
in an era when believers
may prefer mystery or
ignorance.

Michele Morin at The Gospel Coalition

Video: 2 Min

Is the Apostles' Creed relevant?

by Albert Mohler Jr. at Southern Seminary

What Does the Apostles' Creed Say?

Quote

Why Is It Meaningful to Say and Believe the Apostles' Creed?

Our narrative is that we believe in the God of the Bible. When the church recites this creed, distilled, pulled from, wrung out of the Word of God, we are saying: ‘We reject the modern narrative. We believe the historic narrative—the narrative that God has come into the world to save sinners, that Jesus Christ has died for our sins, and we believe and trust that he has made known to us the path of life.'

by Matt Chandler
Source

Verse

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4 NLT

I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.

Video: 4 Min

The Apostles’ Creed Read Aloud

Hear the Apostles’ Creed read aloud by many voices, and join your voice
—whatever it looks or sounds like—with these voices as they confess our faith.

by Calvin Worship Institute

Hymns

We Believe (Apostles' Creed)

by Keith & Kristyn Getty

70’s | 80’s | 90’s

Creed

by Rich Mullins

Praise & Worship

This I Believe

by Shane & Shane

Video: 4 Min

The Story Behind
the song "This I Believe"

The Apostles Creed is one of the most
unifying statements of Christian belief.
Here’s how it became the inspiration for
a popular worship song.

by Ben Fielding and John Dickson at Hillsong Worship

Bible Reader

James 2

Is It Enough to Say “I Believe”?

Book Excerpt

The God I Believe In

Chapter 2, from Affirming the Apostles' Creed

What should it mean when we stand in church and say, “I believe in God”? Are we at this point just allying ourselves with Jews, Moslems, Hindus, and others against atheism and declaring that there is some God as distinct from none? No; we are doing far more than this. We are professing faith in the God of the Creed itself, the Christian God, the God of the Bible—the Sovereign Creator whose “Christian name,” as Karl Barth put it, is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If this is not the God in whom we believe, we have no business saying the Creed at all.

Article: 15 Min

I Believe in God

by Derek Thomas at First Presbyterian Church Jackson, Mississippi

Video: 3 Min

Do We Have "No Creed But the Bible"?

by Albert Mohler Jr. at Southern Seminary

Article Series

Apostles' Creed Article Series

If you want to know how each line of the Apostles' Creed is rooted in the Bible, consider reading these rich articles from Pastor Ligon Duncan.

by Ligon Duncan at First Presbyterian Church

Quote

What Does It Mean to Believe the Apostles' Creed?

Do you believe? “I believe,” says one, and he begins to repeat what they call the “Apostles’ Creed.” Hold your tongue, sir! That matters not; the devil believes that, perhaps more intelligently than you do; he believes and trembles. That kind of believing saves no man. You may believe the most orthodox creed in Christendom, and perish. Do you trust—for that is the cream of the word “believe”—do you trust in Jesus? Do you lean your whole weight on him? Have you that faith which the Puritans used to call “recumberancy” or “leaning”? This is the faith that saves—faith that falls back into the arms of Jesus, a faith that drops from its own hanging place into those mighty arms.

by Charles Spurgeon
Source

Books

What We Believe: Understanding and Confessing the Apostles’ Creed

by R.C. Sproul | Theology

Difficulty: Easy

GET THE BOOK

The Apostles' Creed

What Is the Apostles' Creed?

Apostles' Creed Phone Wallpaper

What's the History of The Apostles' Creed?

The Rule of Faith

The Old Roman Creed

Creed in Greek

Creed of the Apostles

Addition of a Phrase

Earliest Form of the Apostles' Creed

Popularity

Hymn Inspired by the Creed

Catholics Affirm the Creed

Protestants Affirm the Creed

Publishing

What You Need to Know About the Apostles’ Creed

Nine Things You Should Know About the Apostles’ Creed

Why Is It Meaningful to Say and Believe the Apostles' Creed?

1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4 NLT

We Believe (Apostles' Creed)

Creed

This I Believe

James 2

The God I Believe In

Chapter 2, from Affirming the Apostles' Creed

I Believe in God

Apostles' Creed Article Series

What Does It Mean to Believe the Apostles' Creed?

What We Believe: Understanding and Confessing the Apostles’ Creed

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS

and you will be saved.

Acts 16:31 ESV

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