THE APOSTLES’ CREED (CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.)

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.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From there 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.

AN EXPLANATION OF THE APOSTLES’ CREED

From as early as the second century, Christians used statements of faith, like the Apostles’ Creed, to publicly declare their faith in Christ.  Usually these statements were made prior to their public declaration of the faith at baptism.

We also see many creeds in the Bible (Deut. 6:4; Rom 10:9; Phil. 2:6-11; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 4:2; 1 Cor 15:3-4).

Although these earliest statements were found primarily in Rome, the Apostles’ Creed has become a useful tool to teach believers throughout the world and throughout the centuries.