Series: Apostle’s Creed

The Apostles’ Creed, though not written by the apostles, is the oldest creed of the Christian church and is the basis for others that followed. Its most used form is:

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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, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I 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.

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In its oldest form, the Apostles’ Creed goes back to at least 140 A.D. Many of the early church leaders summed up their beliefs as they had an opportunity to stand for their faith—see, for example, 1 Timothy 6:12. These statements developed into a more standard form to express one’s confession of faith at the time of baptism. It is not Scripture, but it is a simple list of the great doctrines of the faith.

The word “catholic” means “relating to the church universal” and was the word used in the original version of the Creed. It does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the church, the body of Christ, as a universal fellowship. The phrase, “He descended into hell,” was not part of the creed in its earliest form.

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In 1 Peter 3:19, Peter talks about “this Jesus, who by the same spirit by which he is raised from the dead goes and preaches to the lost spirits in prison.” That text has been used as the principal proof text to say that Jesus, at some point after his death, generally believed to be between his death and his resurrection, went to hell. Some people say that he went into hell to experience the fullness of the magnitude of suffering—the full penalty for human sin—in order to give complete atonement for sin. That is regarded by some as a necessary element of Christ’s passion.

But most churches that believe in an actual descent of Jesus into hell do not see him going to hell for further suffering because Jesus declares on the cross, “It is finished.” Rather, he goes to hell to liberate those spirits who, from antiquity, have been held in prison. His task in hell then is one of triumph, liberating Old Testament saints. I personally think that the Bible is less than clear on that point because the lost spirits in prison could very well refer to lost people in this world. Peter doesn’t tell us who the lost spirits in prison are or where the prison is. People are making a lot of assumptions when they consider that this is a reference to hell and that Jesus went there between his death and his resurrection.

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**1. The Apostles' Creed: Foundation of Faith**

*Scripture: Romans 10:9-10*

*"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."*

**Sub-points:**

a. Confession of Jesus as Lord

b. Belief in the resurrection for justification

c. Salvation through faith and profession

**2. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity**

*Scripture: Matthew 28:19*

*"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."*

**Sub-points:**

a. The Father as the Creator

b. The Son as the Redeemer

c. The Holy Spirit as the Comforter

**3. Jesus Christ: True God and True Man**

*Scripture: John 1:14*

*"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."*

**Sub-points:**

a. Incarnation: The Word becoming flesh

b. Jesus as the Son of God and Son of Man

c. The embodiment of grace and truth

**4. Redemption through Christ's Sacrifice**

*Scripture: Hebrews 9:22*

*"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness."*

**Sub-points:**

a. The necessity of sacrifice for forgiveness

b. Christ's blood as the ultimate atonement

c. Redemption through the finished work on the cross

**5. Resurrection and Life Everlasting**

*Scripture: John 11:25-26*

*"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.'"*

**Sub-points:**

a. Jesus as the source of resurrection and life

b. Eternal life through faith in Christ

c. Victory over death through belief in Him

**6. The Communion of Saints and Hope in Christ's Return**

*Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17*

*"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever."*

**Sub-points:**

a. The unity of believers - both living and departed

b. Anticipation of Christ's second coming

c. Eternal fellowship with the Lord