The ancient baptismal creed of the Western Church, summarizing belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Tagged: Creeds and Confessions Early Church
The Text
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and 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;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into 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 Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Historical Context
The Apostles' Creed developed in Rome between the 2nd and 4th centuries as a baptismal confession, growing out of the Old Roman Symbol that candidates affirmed when they were baptized. Its present form is first recorded in full in the early 8th century. The legend that each of the twelve apostles contributed one article is not historical, but the creed's content reflects early Christian teaching, and it became the standard baptismal creed of the Western Church.
Use and Practice
The creed is recited at baptism and is used in daily prayer, in the Rosary, and in Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and many other Western services. Roman Catholics pray it as an alternative to the Nicene Creed at Mass and at the start of the Rosary.
References
- Creeds of Christendom, Vol. II (CCEL) Free / open access
- StudyLight — creeds and dictionaries Free / open access
Related Prayers and Creeds
- Nicene Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) — The prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, shared by Christians of every tradition.
- Prayers of the Rosary — The set of prayers prayed on the beads of the Rosary, including the Fatima Prayer and the Hail Holy Queen.
Related Across the Site
- Athanasian Creed Prayer or Creed — A Latin creed, traditionally ascribed to Athanasius, that states the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation in precise detail.
- Augsburg Confession Prayer or Creed — The primary Lutheran confession of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.
- Belgic Confession Prayer or Creed — A 37-article Reformed confession written in 1561 by Guido de Brès for the churches of the Low Countries.
- Chalcedonian Definition Prayer or Creed — The Council of Chalcedon's 451 definition that Christ is one person in two natures, fully God and fully human.
- Heidelberg Catechism Prayer or Creed — A Reformed catechism of 129 questions and answers, published in 1563 and organized around guilt, grace, and gratitude.
- London Baptist Confession Prayer or Creed — The confession of Particular Baptist churches, first published in 1677 and formally adopted in London in 1689.
- Nicene Creed Prayer or Creed — The creed of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), the central doctrinal confession shared by most Christians.
- Westminster Confession and Catechisms Prayer or Creed — The Presbyterian standards produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s: a confession of faith and a Larger and Shorter Catechism.