These forms were recognized and referred to by Paul and as such ended up canonized in the inspired Word of God. As we move forward in history, we will note that creeds evolve in response to doctrinal errors, and to counter cultural influences – words were carefully chosen to further define and defend core Christian belief. These creeds, developed long after the Scriptures were complete, were never understood to be the inspired Word of God. However, the deep and widespread concern for biblical accuracy expressed by the many believers involved in their formulation has led to rich distillations of Bible truth. These summaries are worthy of our faithful study and appreciation.
By the middle of the second century AD, a creedal formula arose that was used during baptisms. New converts were instructed in the essentials of Christianity and affirmed what has become known as the “Old Roman Creed” or “Old Roman Symbol” as a part of their baptismal ceremony. Remember, in that context, to be baptised as a Christian opened a person up to persecution. Therefore, a clear understanding and declaration of one’s beliefs was incumbent for the believer. Further, it countered the Gnostic denial of the physical reality of the life and death of Christ with straightforward declarations regarding His humanity and bodily resurrection.
An expanded version of this creed likely received its more well-known moniker in the fifth century. Known to us as the Apostles’ Creed, it was divided into twelve parts, with each section assigned to one of the apostles. While this is blatantly apocryphal, what can be recognized is the effort to distill the apostles’ doctrine into an easily memorized statement of faith. The shared affirmation of orthodoxy proved to be a basis of unity amongst churches. The resulting one hundred or so words have been memorized and repeated by brothers and sisters around the world in the intervening centuries as a recognized ground zero of Christian doctrine.
In sum, the Apostles’ Creed has served as a basis for catechesis, a means for instructing new believers in the essentials of the Christian faith. It has also served as a means of counter-catechesis, that is, as a means for correcting wrong views regarding Christian truth. Thirdly, it has served as a basis for orthodoxy – some call it a “rule of faith” – a standard by which teachings are measured to establish their veracity.
So what does a believer of the Apostles’ Creed declare?
“I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated 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 catholic [i.e. universal] church,[1]
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.”
A couple of initial observations can be noted:
- Although this creed is not explicitly Trinitarian, that doctrine is implicit in its construction. Later creeds resulted in increasingly precise definitions and affirmations of the distinctly Christian truth that God is One in Three Persons.
- The bulk of the creed has to do with the truths associated with the life and death of Christ. This is to be expected since these are the realities which ground Christianity.
Most of the Apostles’ Creed may appear quite basic and even inelegant. Some may even wonder why it is such a big deal historically, let alone questioning why it is still recited in churches today. Perhaps its genius is in its simplicity. It was not designed to say everything; just enough to distinguish and affirm the uniqueness of the Christian faith. The next article will consider the individual phrases of the creed in more detail as we seek to understand the implications of these words that are meant to be believed.
References:
Know the Creeds and Councils by Justin Holcomb
The Apostles' Creed by Gavin Ortlund on Truth Unites Youtube Channel
[1] The word ‘catholic’ should not be a stumbling block – it just means universal. This affirmation was made prior to the word being appropriated by and associated with the Roman Catholic church. The creed is stating that all believers across the Church age are a part of the Church.
