A Study of The Apostles' Creed

A Study
of
The Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed
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 Catholic Church; the
Communion of saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The
Resurrection of the body, And the Life Everlasting.
Amen

Background Introduction
• “Creed” derived from the Latin “credo” meaning
“I believe.”
• Used to denote a summary or concise statement of
doctrine formulated and accepted by a church.
• Not meant to cover the whole field of Christian
faith, but to fortify believers against the teaching
of heretics.
• Designates the principles which and individual or
associated body so holds that they become the
guides of conduct.
• Some Christians reject formal creeds.

• Different conclusions often reached by those who
profess to ground their beliefs on the same
passages of the Word of God.
• Almost every heresy that has disturbed the unity
of the Church has been advocated by men who
appealed to Scripture in confirmation of the
doctrines they taught.
• Fatal errors when conclusions are drawn from
isolated passages and preconceived opinions.

• Necessary that Christian Churches set forth
in creeds and confessions the doctrines
which they believe the Scriptures affirm.
• Scripture as the “rule of faith.”
• Converts enabled to test their own positions
but, more importantly, to put to proof the
claims of those who profess to be teachers
of Christian doctrine.

• Apostles’ Creed is the oldest creed and forms the basis for
most other creeds.
• Named such, not because it was drawn up by the Apostles,
but because it is in accordance with the sum of Apostolic
teaching.
• General creed of the Christian Church from the middle of
the 2nd century (140 A.D.).
• Not only used as a test of Christian doctrine, but also used
by catechists in training and instructing candidates for
admission to the Church.

• Apostles’ Creed exists in two forms: Old
Roman Form (shorter 140 A.D.) and
Received Form (longer 450 A.D.).
• Formed the test of “catholicity.”
• Resting on this creed the Church could be
called “catholic and apostolic.”

Origin of the Creed
• The legend was that the creed took shape at the
dictation of the Twelve Apostles.
• This legend is not older then the 5th century.
• The real origin of the creed has been traced to
baptismal confessions where converts simply
stated , “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”
• New Testament evidence that it soon became
enlarged. (Romans 6:17; 1 Timothy 6:12-13; 2
Timothy 2:8 & 4:1)

Origin of the Creed
• As early as 107 A.D. the Apostolic Father Ignatius
(69-155) drafted a widely used creedal statement
against the Gnostic sects that denied the physical
characteristics of Christ’s person and work:
“Be deaf, therefore, whenever anyone speaks to you
apart from Jesus Christ, who is of the stock of
David, who is of Mary, who was truly born, ate
and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius
Pilate, was truly crucified and died in the sight of
beings of heaven, of earth and the underworld,
who was also truly raised from the dead.”

Origin of the Creed
• About 50 years later, a summary emerged that
expanded on that of Ignatius:
“I believe in the Father, the Ruler of the Universe,
and in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, in the Holy
Spirit, the Paraclete, in the Holy Church, and in
the Forgiveness of Sins.”
• Here we begin to see the form of our present
Apostles’ Creed emerging.
• Needed because the Apostles were no longer
living and the Church was beset with errors.

Apostolic Fathers
• Clement (32-101) of Rome, was purported to have
been Peter’s successor in Rome. He was banished
from Rome during the reign of Emperor Trajan
and was sent to work in a stone quarry. He was
martyred by being tied to an anchor and thrown
into the Black Sea.
• Ignatius (35-108) of Antioch, who had been
appointed as Elder by Peter became a martyr in
Rome defending the faith.

Apostolic Fathers
•

Polycarp (69-155) of Smyrna, a disciple of John, was brought to trial
and was asked by the proconsul to renounce his beliefs. He
responded, “How could I blaspheme my King and Savior?” “Hear my
frank confession,” he told the official: “I am a Christian. If you are
willing to learn what Christianity is, set a time at which you can hear
me.” Refusing his offer, the official offered one last warning, but
Polycarp answered, “You threaten me with a fire that burns but for an
hour and goes out after a short time, for you do not know the fire of
the coming judgment and of eternal punishment for the godless. Why
do you wait? Bring on what you will.” When his body failed to be
consumed by the poorly-lit flames, the executioner drove a dagger into
the saint’s heart.

Apostolic Fathers
• Irenaeus (130-202) of Lyons was a disciple of Polycarp
and an elder in southern France.
• He was above all a pastor.
• Irenaeus was not particularly interested in philosophical
speculation but rather in leading his flock in Christian life
and faith.
• He saw himself as a shepherd leading his flock just as
Christ was the Great Shepherd leading creation to its final
goal.
• In 180 A.D. he wrote his creed, based on the Apostles
Creed, to aid his people in dealing with the Gnostics.

Apostolic Fathers
• Tertullian (160-225) of Carthage was converted to
Christianity in Rome when he was 40 years old.
• Trained as a lawyer and all of his writings bears the stamp
of a legal mind.
• Prolific author and Christian apologist against heresy.
• First Christian theologian to write in Latin and may be
considered the founder of Western theology.
• Most famous for coining the term Trinity (Latin: Trinitus)
and giving the first exposition of the formula which
appeared in his work “Three Persons, One Substance.”

THE APOSTLES' CREED.
1. I believe in God the
Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth:

CREEDS OF ST.
IRENAEUS (A.D. 180).
I believe in one God, the
Father Almighty, who
made heaven and earth;

CREEDS OF
TERTULLIAN (A.D. 200).
I believe in one God, the
Creator of the world, who
produced all out of
nothing ...

2. And in Jesus Christ His
only Son our Lord,

And in one Christ Jesus,
the Son of God [our Lord],

And in the Word His Son
[Jesus Christ],

3. Who was conceived by
the Holy Ghost, born of the
Virgin Mary,

Who was made flesh [of
the Virgin];

Who through the Spirit and
Power of God the Father
descended into the Virgin
Mary, was made flesh in
her womb, and born of her;

4. Suffered under Pontius
Pilate, was crucified, dead,
and buried,

And in His suffering [under
Pontius Pilate];

Was fixed on the cross
[under Pontius Pilate]; was
dead and buried;

5. He descended into hell;
the third day He rose again
from the dead,

And in His rising from the
dead;

Rose again the third day;

6. He ascended into
heaven, and sitteth on the
right hand of God the
Father Almighty;

And in His ascension in the
flesh;

Was taken into heaven, and
sat down at the right hand
of God;

7. From thence He
shall come to judge
the quick and the
dead.

And in His coming
from heaven ... that
He may execute just
judgment on all.

He will come to
judge
the wicked to
eternal
fire.

8. I believe in the
Holy Ghost;

And in the Holy
Ghost.

And in the Holy
Spirit sent by
Christ.

And that Christ
shall come from
heaven to raise up
all flesh ... and to
adjudge the impious
and unjust ... to
eternal fire, and to
give to the just and
holy immortality
and eternal glory.

And that Christ
will, after the
revival of both
body and soul with
the restoration of
the flesh, receive
His holy ones into
the enjoyment of
life eternal and the
promises of heaven.

9. The Holy
Catholic Church;
the Communion of
saints;
10. The
Forgiveness of sins;
11. The
Resurrection of the
body; 12. And the
Life Everlasting.

Council of Nicea
• Persecution turned to toleration after
Constantine’s reported conversion in 313 A.D.
• Led to the empire’s official adoption of
Christianity.
• “Christendom” became a confusion of popular
myth and biblical claims.
• Church faced an onslaught of heresies.
• In 325 A.D. the Council of Nicea convened.

Council of Nicea
• 300 Bishops assembled for this council.
• At issue was the Arian heresy, which denied the
eternal deity of Jesus Christ and the Trinity.
• Once the universal council agreed upon this
common confession the Nicene Creed became the
basis for instruction for new Christians and was
required at their baptism.
• Became the first universally accepted official
summary of the Christian faith.

The Nicene Creed
•
•

•

•

•

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of
all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the
Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all
things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was
incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was
crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the
third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into
heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with
glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds
from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is
worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one
baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed
• 1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth. 2. And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, 3.
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary, 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
dead, and buried, 5. He descended into hell; the third day
He rose again from the dead, 6. He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
7. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the
dead. 8. I believe in the Holy Ghost, 9. The Holy Catholic
Church; the Communion of saints; 10. The Forgiveness of
sins; 11. The Resurrection of the body, 12. And the Life
Everlasting.

”I Believe”
• The creed is an expression of personal belief.
• In repeating it we profess our own faith in what God has
revealed concerning Himself.
• Belief here means the assent of the mind and heart to the
doctrines expressed in the creed. (Rom 10:10)
• Faith differs from knowledge. There are some things that
we know to be true and there are others of which we say
that we believe them to be true.
• We believe because we are assured on sufficient and
competent authority that these things are so. (Rom 10:17)

”I Believe”
• We know that we live in a material universe, but our
knowledge does not extend to the manner in which the
universe came into being. That is a matter of belief. (Heb
11:3)
• We believe based on the authority of God. (1 John 5:9)
• Faith must precede everything else. It is the foundation on
which all Christian character is built. (Heb 11:6b)
• We must have and experience faith. (Heb 11:6a)
• It is important that we have a knowledge of Christian
doctrines and are ready to defend them. (1 Peter 3:15)

“God the Father Almighty, Maker
of Heaven and Earth”
• The existence of God is the basis of all religious belief.
• If there is no God, there is no moral obligation.
• If there is no Almighty Being to whom men owe existence,
to whom they must give account, worship is a vain show
and systems of religion are meaningless.
• Theologians have endeavored to establish by proof the
doctrine of Divine existence. (3 arguments for God)
• Even the heathen believed in and worshipped many gods.
• The doctrine of one living and true God was given to
ancient Israel. (Deut 6:4)

• The doctrine of the Trinity, though not expressly stated in
the Apostles’ Creed, is implied in the clauses which refer
to each of the Persons who compose it.
• There is one God, but in the Godhead there are three
Persons, whose names indicate the relation in which each
stands to the others.
• Each of the Persons is complete and perfect God.
• While there are three Persons in the Godhead, the same in
substance, equal in power and glory, these three are one.
• Hebrew word for God is a plural noun. (Gen 1:1 & 1:26)

• The first Person in the Godhead is the Father.
• The relationship between Father and Son cannot be
explained. (Job 11:7, Deut 29:29)
• God is our Father, but He was “the Father” before He
called man into existence. From all eternity He was Father.
• It is the Son’s existence that constitutes Him Father and
that existence was in eternity. (John 10:30)
• All men are declared to be His offspring, and those who
have received the Spirit of adoption cry, “Abba, Father”,
and are taught to pray “Our Father.”

• The term “Almighty,” which occurs twice in the Creed,
represents two words, the one denoting absolute dominion,
the other infinite power in operation.
• When we say that God the Father is Almighty we affirm
that His power is unlimited.
• Even those things that seem to resist and defy His
authority are under His government, even man’s wrath. (Ps
76:10)
• He so governs the universe that all things work together,
and work together for good to them that love Him. (Rom
8:28)

• “Maker” is used in the sense of Creator, implying that
heaven and earth were called into existence out of nothing
by the word of Divine power. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
acted together. (Gen 1:2, Ps 33:6-9; 148:5, John 1:1-3, Heb
1:2;11:3, Col 1:15)
• God is not “in” space or time; space and time are
dimensions of the created order, and God is not bound by
them as we are.
• All things created point to God as their origin and source.
(Rom 1:20)

“And In Jesus Christ His Only Son
Our Lord”
• The first article of the Apostles’ Creed has numerous
supporters.
• Jews and Christians are together in affirming their belief in
God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
• Not so with the second article which expresses doctrines
so hotly disputed that Simeon’s prophecy was fulfilled.
(Luke 2: 34-35)
• Some disputes included: His nature and relationship to the
Father; He was not God; He was only an angel; He was a
mere man specially endowed with the Holy Spirit.
• The Gnostics were the leaders in these heretical views.

Our Lord”
• Date back to the time of Simon Magus. (Acts 8:9-25)
• Paul’s letter to Timothy indicate others. (2 Tim 2:17; 1:15)

Our Lord”
• Jesus is the personal name of our Lord.
• Proper names among the Hebrews had a deeper meaning
and a closer connection with character and condition than
elsewhere.
• The name of Jesus is God’s disclosure of His infinite love
and of His purposes for man’s salvation. He is Jesus the
Savior. (Matt 1:21, Is 9:6, Acts 4:12)
• It is important therefore to bear in mind that Jesus is a
name not only given to Him by God, but a name itself
Divine; not only the name by which, as that of a Mediator,
we worship God, but the name under which, as that of God
Himself, we worship Him. (Phil 2:9-11)

Our Lord”
• In ancient times there were no such titles as surnames.
• Greek history: Plato, Aristotle, Socrates etc.
• Jewish history: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, Moses were
not known by any other names than these.
• In later times, titles descriptive of the office or work of
individuals were attached to their original names i.e. John
the Baptist, Matthew the Publican, and of our Lord
Himself, Jesus the Christ.
• Christ is not a proper name but an official title. Jesus was
the Christ – the Anointed.

Our Lord”
• The cardinal Apostolic teaching was that the Messiah had
come to the world.
• To accept Jesus as the Christ was to accept Him as the
Savior and Deliverer. (John 1:41;4:29, Matt 16:16-17, Acts
18:28)
• It was the acknowledgement by the common people that
Jesus was the Messiah that angered the Jewish leaders.
(John 9:22)
• The name Christ denotes the offices which Jesus executes
as our Redeemer. (Prophet, Priest, and King)
• The twofold name, Jesus Christ, is rarely found in the
Gospels but in the Epistles it is the name used most often.

Our Lord”
• The Old Testament Scriptures foretold that Christ should
be the Son of God. (Psalm 2:7, Is 9:6)
• The New Testament Scriptures bears the same testimony.
(John 1:1;14, Heb 1:1-3)
• When Jesus came the Jews recognized the Messiah as the
Son of God. (John 1:49;11:27)
• We cannot understand fully the sense in which our Lord is
the Son of God but Jesus is His only-begotten Son in a
higher, special, and perfect sense.

Our Lord”
• The name “Lord” is the translation of a Greek word, which
signifies ruling or governing.
• As Lord, the government is upon His shoulders, His
dominion is universal, and His Kingdom everlasting.
(Matt 28:18;11:27, John 3:35, Phil 2:9-11)
• The Creed sets forth the truth that there is a special sense
in which Jesus is the Lord of believers, “our Lord.”
• Scripture recognizes that there are two great armies.
• When we say “our Lord” we are declaring that we
renounce any other masters.

”I Believe”
• The creed is an expression of personal belief.

A Study of The Apostles' Creed