What Is The Apostles’ Creed?

By James Quansah

You have probably heard church leaders or fellow Christians talk about the Apostles’ Creed. However, many Christians do not know what the Apostles’ Creed is, what it teaches, or how it originated. In fact, some believers, particularly those with limited access to theological education in Africa, may never have heard of it.

The truth is that the expression “Apostles’ Creed” does not appear anywhere in the Bible. An uninformed Christian might therefore assume that the creed was composed by the foundational apostles of Jesus Christ, particularly the twelve apostles. However, there is no historical evidence that Peter, John, Paul, or any of the other apostles personally wrote the creed.

If the apostles had composed such a formal statement of faith, one might reasonably expect to find some account of its composition in the New Testament. Nevertheless, although the creed is not found in the Bible as a formal document, its central teachings reflect important doctrines of the Christian faith as presented in the New Testament.

This article explores the meaning of the word creed, examines the historical background of the Apostles’ Creed, and presents its traditional wording for the benefit of contemporary Christians who may not have encountered it before.

Meaning of Creed

In his book The Church of Our Fathers, Roland H. Bainton explains that the word creed comes from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe.”

A creed is therefore a formal statement or declaration of religious beliefs. In Christianity, creeds summarise fundamental doctrines that believers accept and confess as expressions of their faith in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the teachings of Christianity.

What Is the Apostles’ Creed?

The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest and most widely recognised statements of Christian faith. It summarises fundamental Christian beliefs concerning God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life.

The creed traditionally begins with the Latin words Credo in Deum, meaning “I believe in God.”

Its traditional English wording is as follows:

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,

Born of the Virgin Mary,

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

Was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell;

The third day He rose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,

And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;

The holy Catholic Church;

The communion of saints;

The forgiveness of sins;

The resurrection of the body;

And the life everlasting.

Amen.

The word Catholic in the creed means universal. It refers to the universal Church of Jesus Christ rather than exclusively to the Roman Catholic denomination.

The early Christians used statements of faith as part of their preparation for baptism. Candidates for baptism were expected to confess their faith in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as an expression of their commitment to the Christian faith.

The Apostles’ Creed is associated with this early Christian practice. However, as already explained, it was not personally composed by the twelve apostles or the apostle Paul.

Historical Background of the Apostles’ Creed

Historically, the Apostles’ Creed developed gradually over several centuries. Its roots can be traced to early Christian baptismal confessions of faith, particularly those used by Christians in Rome.

One of its earliest identifiable forms is known as the Old Roman Creed, which was already in use by the second century AD. This early confession contained fundamental beliefs about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

As Christianity spread across different parts of the Roman Empire and beyond, Christian communities developed and used various forms of baptismal confessions. Over time, additional statements were incorporated into the creed, resulting in the expanded form that became widely recognised as the Apostles’ Creed.

By around the eighth century, a form substantially similar to the one commonly used today had become established in Western Christianity.

Although the creed was not written by the original apostles, its name reflects the belief that it faithfully summarises the essential teachings handed down from the apostles. Its historical development demonstrates how early Christians sought to preserve, communicate, and publicly confess the fundamental doctrines of their faith.

Conclusion

The Apostles’ Creed is not a biblical passage or a document personally written by the twelve apostles. Rather, it is an ancient Christian confession of faith that developed from the baptismal practices and doctrinal traditions of the early Church.

Its importance lies in its summary of fundamental Christian beliefs and its historical role in expressing the faith shared by generations of Christians.