The Biblical Worldview

History

The Apostles Creed, known in Latin as the Symbolum Apostolorum, had its origins in the period between the second and ninth centuries, with its earliest form being known as The Roman Creed during the period 150-200 AD.

According to tradition, this creed was written by the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. The earliest known written form of the creed is the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus which dates from about 215 AD. It was in question and answer form, and was probably used during the baptism of new believers.

The most common form in use today derives from Caesarius of Arles and his writings during the first half of the sixth century.

The Creed in English

Note: the creed can be expressed using either the pronoun "We" - as set out below - or the pronoun "I".

We believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator 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, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
And he is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
From where he will come to judge
The living and the dead.

We 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.

History

After the Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion in the early part of the fourth century, a conflict arose within the church around the question of the divinity of Christ. On one hand there was Arius, who rejected the historic teaching of the Church that Christ was truly God; on the other hand was Athanasius, who upheld the historic and Biblical position. The emperor called a Church Council together, which met at Nicea in 325 AD. Of the hundreds of bishops that met together from across the whole Roman empire, only a mere handful refused to accept the Creed that was formulated by the Council to embody the church's true teaching.

The heart of the issue at the time of the Council of Nicea (325AD) was whether Jesus was "like" God, or "the same as" God, and so the majority of this Creed focuses on the question of who Jesus really is, and is phrased in a way that answers all possible attacks on the full divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This Creed was revised slightly by a second Council meeting in Constantinople in 381 AD, and that form is essentially the Nicean Creed that we have today.

The Creed in English

Note: the creed can be expressed using either the pronoun "We" - as set out below - or the pronoun "I".

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
The only begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages.

God from God, Light from Light,
True God of True God;
Begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father.

Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
He came down from heaven,
And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
And became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried;
And rose again on the third day
In accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven,
And is seated on the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
To judge both the living and the dead
And his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord, the giver of life;
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son;
Who with the Father and the Son together
Is worshiped and glorified;
Who spake by the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And we look forward to the resurrection of the dead
And the life of the world to come.

Amen.