Rite
I
I believe1
in God, the Father almighty,2
maker of heaven
and earth;3
And in
Jesus Christ his only Son4 our
Lord;5
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin
Mary,6
suffered under
Pontius Pilate,7
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.8
The third day he rose again from the dead.9
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the
right hand of God the Father almighty.10
From thence he shall come to judge the
quick and the dead.11
I
believe in the Holy Ghost,12
the holy catholic
Church,13
the communion of
saints,14
the forgiveness of
sins,15
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.16 Amen.
Endnotes
are found on the next page, and reference key passages in Scripture which
underlie each statement in the Creed.
Rite
I
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Adapted with additions from
A. McGrath, “I Believe”: Exploring the Apostles’
Creed (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1997).
1. Matthew 9.20-22, 27-30: Examples of faith during the
ministry of Jesus.
Hebrews 11.1-12.3:
A classic passage on what faith is, with examples.
James 2.14-24:
Faith without action in empty.
2. Psalm 105.8-11:
God is faithful; He keeps His promises.
Matthew 6.9-13:
Jesus teaches us to address God as Father.
Matthew 7.9-11:
God responds to our prayers as a father.
John 14.5-14:
Jesus teaches about His relationship with the Father.
Romans 8.13-17:
We become aware of our identity as God’s children by the Holy Ghost.
3. Genesis 1-2: The
Bible’s account of creation.
Psalms 8, 19, 104:
God as Creator.
Isaiah 40.21-31:
What God’s authorship of creation reveals.
Romans 1.20:
Paul’s explanation of why true atheism is not possible.
Revelation 4.11:
The worship due the Creator.
4. Mark 1.1-8: John
the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord.
Mark 2.1-12:
Jesus exercises His power to forgive sins and to heal.
John 1.14: The
significance of Jesus’ life on earth.
John 5.16-27:
Jesus’ understanding of His identity as God’s Son.
John 17.1-26: Jesus’
prayer to the Father on the night before He died.
Romans 1.3-4 Jesus is both divine and human.
5. Matthew 7.21-22:
What is means for us to call Jesus “Lord”.
Acts 2.14-39:
One crucified as a criminal can be Messiah and Lord.
Romans 10.9 and 1 Corinthians 12.3: What it means to say “Jesus is Lord.”
Philippians 2.5-11:
Jesus is sovereign.
6. Matthew 1.18-25:
The events leading up to Jesus’ birth, as told from Joseph’s viewpoint.
Luke 1.26-38:
The events leading up to Jesus’ birth, as told from Mary’s viewpoint.
Hebrews 4.14-16:
An implication of the humanity of Jesus.
7. Isaiah 52.13-53.12:
The death of the Messiah is prophesied.
Matthew 27.11-56:
The trial and execution of Jesus.
John 19.16: The
trial and execution of Jesus.
8. Luke 23.26-56:
Luke’s account of the death and burial of Jesus.
John 19.16-42:
John’s account of the death and burial of Jesus.
1 Pet. 3.18-22:
Jesus preached to “those in prison” during the time from His death to
resurrection.
9. Matthew 28.1-20 and John 20.1-23: Accounts of the appearances of Jesus after
His resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15.1-28:
The central importance of Jesus’ resurrection.
10. Acts 1.1-11: The
ascension of Jesus.
Acts 2.32-36: What Jesus’ ascension says about Him.
Colossians 3.1-3:
All Christians participate in the ascension of Jesus.
11. Matthew 25.31-46:
Jesus teaches about His coming again as judge.
Acts 10.42:
Judgment is an integral part of the message of the Gospel.
1 Thessalonians 4.13-5.11: The implications of Jesus’ return.
12. John 14.15-27: Jesus
teaches about the work of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2.1-21: The events of Pentecost; the descent of the
Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 14.1-25:
The gifts of the Holy Ghost.
13. 1 Corinthians 12.4-31:
The Church is the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 5.25-33:
The Church is Jesus’ bride.
Colossians 1.18:
Jesus is the head of the Church!
14. Acts 4.32-37: An
insight into the life of the early Church.
Romans 12.3-11:
How Christians are to relate to one another.
Ephesians 4.11-16:
The purpose of leadership within the Church.
Hebrews 11.1-12.3:
A recognition of those who have gone before us.
15. Isaiah 59.1-15: Why
forgiveness is necessary.
Matthew 18.23-35:
When forgiveness is impossible.
2 Corinthians 5.18-21:
We are reconciled to God in Christ.
1 Peter 1.14-17:
Believers are called to a high standard.
16. John 11.21-27:
Jesus’ response to death.
1 Corinthians 15:
The implications of the resurrection of Jesus.
Revelation 21.1-22.6:
Something to look forward to!
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
I am
the Lord your God, who brought
you out of the
We
believe in one God,
the Father, the
Almighty,
maker of heaven and
earth,
of all that is, seen
and unseen.
1. Outline as for the Apostles’ Creed.
2. God makes all things “visible and invisible”.
a. This language is to refute the Gnostic teaching that there are “hidden” worlds “secret” knowledge.
i. The Gnostics taught that there was a lower god (a “demiurge”) who made the visible world of matter, and that matter is evil.
b. God creates all Creation, and matter is seen by Him to be “good” (Gen. 1).
c. Creation includes all possible worlds.
d. No part of Creation is to be rejected.
i. All things created by God are good, but are to be received in thanksgiving (1 Tim. 6.17).
e. The spiritual world is real, and created by God, even if we cannot see this part of Creation (e.g., angels, in most cases).
i. Faith is a way of knowing reality!
And
in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
1. The Son in unique. Our faith is in Jesus the Son.
a. The Name “Jesus” means “God saves” or “God is Savior”.
2. Faith in Jesus is in obedience to the command of both the Father (1 John 3.23) and the Son (John 14.1).]
a. The Father tells us that Jesus is His Son (Matt. 3.17, Mark 1.11; Luke 3.22).
3. Jesus is the Christ.
a. This Greek word means “Anointed” (Hebrew = Messiah)
i. As the Anointed, Jesus is the One sent by God to effect His plan of salvation.
ii. He fulfills God’s promises to the patriarchs and prophets.
4. Jesus affirms that He is the Messiah (Luke 4.18-21).
a. Jesus is acclaimed as Messiah by Peter, and tells Peter that he has been led to this statement by the will of the Father (Matt. 16.16, 17).
5. Jesus is Lord (as proclaimed by angels)(Luke 2.11).
a. Jesus is our Lord. This is the essence of the Christian faith.
i. We acclaim Jesus using the title reserved for God (Gen. 15.7; Exod. 6.2).
1. Jesus accepted this usage (John 13.13).
b. Every part of human life is under His dominion.
We
believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten
of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true
God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with
the Father.
1. Outline as for the Apostles’ Creed.
2. Jesus is eternal. There was never a time when He did not exist. He was with God “in the beginning” (John 1.1-2).
a. As God, Jesus is uncreated.
i. The Father participates in the Son, and the Son in the Father.
ii. Jesus = true God, and is in no way subordinate to the Father.
3. He is fully God, as described using words such as “God,” “Light,” and “true God”.
4. Jesus is begotten, not made. He is not a creature.
a. John 3.16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son ...”
5. He is begotten “of the Father”: He is an extension and expansion of the Father’s existence.
a. For this reason, Jesus is referred to as “of one Being with the Father”.
i.
The language “one Being” (Greek = homoousios)
was adopted at
6.
a. That there had been a time when He was not.
b. The language is Greek philosophical usage to make clear that Jesus and the Father are One.
i. This belief is made clearer by the additional language:
Through him all things were made.
who was
conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin
Mary,
1. Jesus becoming a human being involved the direct action of God (Luke 1.35).
a. The account is Matthew is told from Joseph’s perspective.
b. The account in Luke is told from Mary’s perspective.
i. Luke is thought to have received information directly from Mary. He states that his Gospel is based on eyewitness testimony (Luke 1.1-2).
2. The same Creator God who made all things by His power gave flesh to His Son.
a. Jesus’ conception as a man did not involve human agency, except in the concurring, dependent cause of Mary’s assent, her “yes” to God.
3. Jesus received His human nature from Mary alone.
a. His conception being virginal betokens:
i. God’s direct action.
ii. That his humanity derived from Mary alone.
4. Jesus is both God, from all eternity, and human, from His human mother.
For
us and for our salvation
he came down
from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate
from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
1. Outline as for the Apostles’ Creed.
2. God became a human being. He “... emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil 2.7).
a. God became human in order to save us.
i. Jesus has granted us perfect freedom (Gal. 5.1).
b. His sacrifice on the Cross atoned for our sins.
3. In Jesus the boundary between Creator and creation is broken.
a. The eternal Word “through whom all things were made” (John 1.3) became flesh (John 1.14) and then returned to God (John 13.1).
b. For “a little while [the Son] became lower than the angels” (Heb. 2.9).
4. We realize salvation as a community by living as people discerning and doing God’s will (Eph. 4.1-5.20; Phil. 2.1-13; Col. 2.20-3.17).
a. Ultimate salvation involves union with God in heaven.
b. Salvation changes us both as individuals and as members of a community, of the Church.
His
divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by
which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through
these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of
passion, and become partakers of the divine nature (2. Pet.
1.3-4). Salvation happens now!
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He
descended into hell.
1. The Creed jumps straight from Jesus’ birth to His suffering and death.
a. The focus is not on His years on ministry on earth, but on the sacrifice He made for us.
2. Jesus died at a specific time in history. It is not symbolic.
Those who handed down the Creed showed great wisdom in emphasizing the actual date at which these things happened, so that there might be no chance of any uncertainty or vagueness upsetting the stability of the tradition. (St. Rufinus, ca. A.D. 309.)
3. Jesus suffered an agonizing death, betrayed by a close friend. After His arrest He was:
a. Beaten, mocked, scourged, stripped naked, falsely accused, falsely judged, crowned with thorns.
b. Then His closest friends and associates abandoned and denied Him.
c. Then He suffered a horrible death on the cross.
4. Jesus was crucified, the punishment reserved for the worst criminal and slaves.
5. Jesus died. He laid down His life willingly (John 10.18).
a. In death He tasted the bitterness of death of all humans. He endured divine wrath. He died for us.
b. Jesus conquered death by enduring it.
6. Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19.38-42).
7. His descent into hell (the “dead”) emphasizes that He really did die.
a. All Creation is subject to Jesus. He experienced all aspects of Creation, and asserted His authority over even those who had removed themselves from God (1 Peter 3.18-22).
For
our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death
and was buried.
1. Outline as for the Apostles’ Creed.
2. The Nicene Creed does not mention the descent into hell or “to the dead” (Rite II).
a. The three-tiered cosmology of the ancient world (“in heaven and on earth, and under the earth”) had begun to evolve by the fourth century. Therefore, the explicit mention of the place of the dead was omitted.
3. Regardless of cosmology, Jesus Himself declared that His works dominate the metahistorical sphere of the dead:
a. “... the dead are raised up” (Mt. 11.5; Lk. 7.22).
4. St. Peter writes that Jesus “... went and preached to the spirits in prison” (1 Pet. 3.19).
5.
6. Jesus’ passage into the abode of the dead was an epiphany of His victory over death to those who had died already!
a. Rev. 1.18: “[I am] the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
The
third day he rose again from the dead.
1. The resurrection was not a “mystical” event, or symbolic only.
a. Jesus is not just raised in the hearts of His disciples.
&nb