I believe in the Holy Spirit

The inclusion of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles’ Creed carries profound theological significance for establishing trinitarian balance and connecting pneumatology (study of Holy Spirit) to the church’s concrete life and mission.

This section of the creed about the Holy Spirit was written to fix specific misunderstandings. At the time, a group called the Macedonians argued that the Spirit wasn't equal to God, but was more like an angel.

To stop this idea from spreading, the early church leaders made it a mandatory part of their official statement of faith. They wanted to be crystal clear that the Spirit is fully divine, just like the Father and the Son.

Within just 200 to 300 years after Christ’s accesension back into heaven, it appears that Holy Spirit was put on the back burner, forgotten, or barely mentioned.

Author James Sawyer puts it like this in his book “Resurrecting the Trinity: A pleas to recover the wonder and meaning of the Triune God.

We find among the early church fathers a tacit admission that the Holy Spirit was not central in the church’s theological understanding, which focused instead on the relationship between the Father and the Son. In fact, in the Nicene Creed (325) we find opening statements about God the Father, then a larger focus on the person of Christ and his eternal relationship to the Father, and only a single assertion at the end concerning the Spirit.. The person and work of the Holy Spirit was so much overshadowed by the focus on the Father and the Son that the church fathers referred to the Holy Spirit as the “modesty of God.”.. The Holy Spirit was in those early centuries understood to be working behind the scenes, facilitating relationships while deflecting attention away from himself and toward Christ.

The Creeds should be taken serious with careful thought. In our roots as a church and part of the Weselyan denomination we can use a cool tool that has been around for a long time called the Weselyan Quadrilateral. It sounds way fancy but give me just a few moments to explain it because I think we can use this tool for not only unpacking the Apostle’s Creed but for other older text written by church fathers. It can give us a lens to look at things and help us discern where God might be speaking to us

Scripture (The Bible): The primary and ultimate standard for Christian doctrine, containing all that is necessary for salvation.

Tradition: The historical teachings, practices, and witness of the Christian Church over centuries, providing context and continuity.

Reason: The ability to think logically, interpret scripture, and understand the faith in a coherent way, using discernment and cogent thought.

Experience: An individual's personal and communal journey with God, allowing for the appropriation and understanding of faith in real life. 

We can use this tool the Wesleyan Quadrilateral when looking at the Apostle’s Creed and specifically that we believe in the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Creed is not just a rule, but is a rule that is ruled. It is ruled by scripture.

We have not been shy about talking about Holy Spirit here. In fact, we have done teaching series specifically on Holy Spirit. 2025 “In pursuit of the spirit.” 2022 “God in us”. 2020 “Holy Spirit.”

We all come into this space, into this moment in time, right now, with different perscpectives on Holy Spirit. I think there is a good arguement that most of our perscpectives are based on some sort of experience we have had. Some have been weird, and some have been life changing. For some, we can’t go back to life that is not filled and guided by the work of Holy Spirit. Which is why some of you are here today.

The phrase forms a connecting thread linking the final articles of the creed, anchoring the Spirit’s work to ecclesiology(study of the church), communion, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life—not as abstract doctrines but as lived realities.

Building a Firm Foundation: A 12-Week Study on the Apostles’ Creed Week 11: And I Believe in the Holy Spirit I Believe a Holy Catholic Church the Communion of Saints

“The [disciples] did not know, for they had experienced the God who was above them; they had known the God who was among them; but at Pentecost they were to receive the God who would be within them.”—

(https://www.christianitytoday.com/2000/07/obituary-presbyterian-bell-67-dies/)