What is the Apostles’ Creed?
When I was growing up, we recited the Apostles’ Creed every Sunday. The First Presbyterian Church of Hampton, Virginia included both the Lord’s Prayer and Apostles’ Creed in every Sunday morning worship service. It was very familiar in one sense, but very distant in that I doubt I knew all that I was saying. We use this Creed on occasion at GCC, especially when the sermon text covers elements of the Creed.
The Apostles’ Creed is unique among the creeds in that it did not arise out of some doctrinal controversy in the early years of the Christian church. In the early years of Christianity, as heretical teaching would emerge in the church, church leaders would meet and write a carefully worded series of statements based on Scripture. These statements of belief, or creeds, helped draw important theological boundaries for Christians. In writing them and declaring them the universal belief of the church, heresies and heretics were renounced, and the health of the church was guarded.
The Apostles’ Creed, which in truth may not have been penned by the Apostles, appears to have emerged out of a different set of circumstances. Local church pastors and church leaders had to help prepare new Christian disciples for baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These new disciples often came out of a background of worshipping idols. It became clear that it was important to help new believers understand the very basic beliefs of the Christian faith before applying baptism to them, or admitting them to the Lord’s Table. These leaders wanted to insure that their baptism would not simply place Jesus on their idol shelf at home as one more god among many.
A series of important beliefs of the Christian Church began to emerge in these statements that served as an outline for a course for baptism. It was important that new believers understood these statements about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and embraced them as their own. What we know as the Apostles’ Creed is what emerged from this process. In a way, I grew up reciting the outline for a discipleship course of the early church!
The Apostles’ Creed can still be useful in our growth as disciples. One book which uses the Creed in just such a manner is Alistair McGrath’s I Believe. This is an excellent resource if you have a friend, or perhaps a teenager, who is asking key questions about our faith. The book is good for either new believers or those who are considering the faith.
A second use of the Creed is as an affirmation of the beliefs of the people of God in a corporate worship service. Assuming that we do indeed believe all the affirmations of the Creed, it is a useful reminder and encouragement to us.
A last use of the Creed is as a doctrinal test and guard. Ironically, I came back to my home church after my first year of seminary and discovered that the new pastor of my church did not believe in the miraculous conception of Jesus of Nazareth. Though he mumbled the Apostles’ Creed, it was clear he no longer believed one of its central tenants. This man had no business being a teacher in the church, as he did not believe something which defined a Christian for nearly 2,000 years. Non-believers may affirm what they wish about Jesus of Nazareth. That is to be expected and we seek to discuss and make our points with them, and they with us. Christians believe in his conception by the Holy Spirit of God, and His visible resurrection from the grave after death. That defines us.
There is nothing wrong with knowing where you are. We have attenders who do not believe in the tenants of the Creed. We welcome them and are thankful they attend our church. They have enough intellectual integrity to not seek ordination into the Christian ministry! They are with us to support their family members and to enjoy our community while they ponder the claims of the faith. The Apostles’ Creed is a good place to start.
Over the coming weeks, we will look at the major statements of the Creed. I hope it will get you thinking about your faith, and searching the Scriptures to see that these things are true!
In Him,
Don