TheApostles' Creed (Latin:Symbolum Apostolorum orSymbolum Apostolicum), sometimes titled theApostolic Creed or theSymbol of the Apostles, is aChristian creed or "symbol of faith".
The expression "Apostles' Creed" is first mentioned in a letter from theSynod of Milan dated AD 390, referring to a belief at the time that each of theTwelve Apostles contributed an article to the twelve articles of the creed.[3][4]
The ecclesiastical use of Latinsymbolum for'creed'—in the sense of "a distinctive mark of Christians", from the sense of Greekσύμβολον,'a sign or token used for identification'—first occurs around the middle of the 3rd century, in the correspondence ofSt. Cyprian andSt. Firmilian, the latter in particular speaking of thetrinitarian formula as the "Symbol of theTrinity", and recognizing it as an integral part of the rite ofbaptism.[5]The termSymbolum Apostolicum appears for the first time in a letter, probably written byAmbrose, from a Council inMilan toPope Siricius in about AD 390: "Let them give credit to the Symbol of the Apostles, which the Roman Church has always kept and preserved undefiled".[6][7] Ambrose's term is here referring to theOld Roman Creed, the immediate[8] predecessor of what is now known as the Apostles' Creed.[9][10] The narrative of this creed having been jointly created by the Apostles, with each of the twelve contributing one of twelve articles, was already current at that time.[7]
This illumination from a 13th-century manuscript shows the apostles writing the Creed, receiving inspiration from the Holy Spirit.
The earliest known formula is found withinTestamentum in Galilaea D[omini]. N[ostri]. I[esu]. Christi written between 150 and 180. This formula states: "[I believe] in the Father almighty, – and in Jesus Christ, our Savior; – and in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, in the holy Church, and in the remission of sins." As can be seen, it lacks the Christological part of the Old Roman Creed.[13]
While the individual statements of belief that are included in the Apostles' Creed – even those not found in theOld Roman Symbol – are found in various writings byIrenaeus,Tertullian,Novatian,Marcellus,Rufinus,Ambrose,Augustine,Nicetas, andEusebius Gallus,[14] the earliest appearance of what we know as the Apostles' Creed was in theDe singulis libris canonicis scarapsus ('Excerpt from Individual Canonical Books') ofSt. Pirminius (Migne,Patrologia Latina 89, 1029 ff.), written between 710 and 714.[15] Bettenson and Maunder state that it is first fromDicta Abbatis Pirminii de singulis libris canonicis scarapsus (idem quod excarpsus, excerpt), c. 750.[16]
The text of what is now known as the Apostles' Creed was most likely developed in southern Gaul around the midpoint of the 5th century.[17] A creed that is virtually identical to the current one is recorded byFaustus of Riez. It is possible that Faustus had the identical text, as the original text written by Faustus cannot be reconstructed with certainty. A version that is identical to the current one with the single exception ofinfera in place ofinferos is recorded in the late 5th century. However, the Old Roman Creed remained the standard liturgical text of the Roman Church throughout the 4th to 7th centuries. It was replaced by the "Gallic" version of the Apostles' Creed only in the later 8th century, underCharlemagne, who imposed it throughout his dominions.[18][7]
The phrasedescendit ad inferos ('he descended into hell') is not found in the Nicene Creed. It echoes Ephesians 4:9,[19] "κατέβη εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς" ('he descended into the lower earthly regions').[20] This phrase first appeared in one of the two versions of Rufinus (d. 411), theCreed of Aquileia, and then did not appear again in any version of the creed until AD 650.[21]Similarly, the references to thecommunion of saints is found neither in the Old Roman Symbol nor in the Nicene Creed.The reference to God as "creator of heaven and earth" likewise is not in the Nicene Creed of 325, but it is present in the extended version of the Nicene Creed (theNiceno-Constantinopolitan Creed) of 381.
TheEastern Orthodox Church does not use the Apostles' Creed, not because of an objection to any of its articles, but because of its omissions necessary for the definition ofNicene Christianity. The Orthodox delegates at theCouncil of Florence (1431–1449) explicitly challenged the western tradition that attributed the Apostles' Creed to the Twelve Apostles. This tradition was also shown to be historically untenable byLorenzo Valla.[22] The Roman Church does not state that text dates back to the Apostles themselves, the Roman catechism instead explaining that "the Apostles' Creed is so called because it is rightly considered to be a faithful summary of the apostles' faith."[23]
The following gives the original Latin text, with the traditional division into twelve articles,[24][25] alongside an English translation. Underlined passages are those not present in theOld Roman Symbol as recorded byTyrannius Rufinus.
There is also a received Greek text, which alongside the Latin is found in thePsalterium Græcum et Romanum, erroneously ascribed toPope Gregory the Great. It was first edited byArchbishop Ussher in 1647, based on a manuscript preserved in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.The Latin text agrees with the "Creed of Pirminius" edited byCharles Abel Heurtley (De Fide Symbolo, 1900, p. 71). Four other Greek translations with slight variations were discovered byCarl Paul Caspari, and published in 1879 (Alte und neue Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols, vol. 3, pp. 11 sqq.).[27]
The tradition of assigning each article to one of the apostles specifically can be traced to the 6th century. In Western sacral art,Credo Apostolorum refers to the figurative representation of the twelve apostles each alongside one of the articles. This artistic tradition extends from the high medieval to the Baroque period.
The precise division of the text and the sequence of attribution to the apostles has never been entirely fixed. For example,Pelbartus Ladislaus of Temesvár, writing in the late 15th century, divides article 5 in two but combines articles 11 and 12 into one, with the following attributions:
The Apostles' Creed is used in its direct form or in interrogative forms by Western Christian communities in several of theirliturgical rites, in particular those ofbaptism and theEucharist.
The Apostles' Creed, whose present form is similar to the baptismal creed used in Rome in the third and fourth centuries, actually developed from questions addressed to those seeking baptism.[29] The Catholic Church still today uses an interrogative form of it in the Rite of Baptism (for both children and adults). In the official English translation (ICEL, 1974) the minister of baptism asks:
Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? Do you 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?
To each question, the catechumen, or, in the case of an infant, the parents andsponsor(s) (godparent(s)) in his or her place, answers "I do." Then the celebrant says:
This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And all respond: Amen.
ThePresbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand uses the Apostles' Creed in its baptism rite in spite of the reservations of some of its members regarding the phrase "born of the virgin Mary".[30]
TheEpiscopal Church in the United States of America uses the Apostles' Creed as part of a Baptismal Covenant for those who are to receive the Rite of Baptism. The Apostles' Creed is recited by candidates, sponsors and congregation, each section of the Creed being an answer to the celebrant's question, "Do you believe in God the Father (God the Son, God the Holy Spirit)?"[31] It is also used in an interrogative form at theEaster Vigil in The Renewal of Baptismal Vows.[32]
TheChurch of England likewise asks the candidates, sponsors and congregation to recite the Apostles' Creed in answer to similar interrogations, in which it avoids using the wordGod of the Son and the Holy Spirit, asking instead: "Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?", and "Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?" Moreover, "where there are strong pastoral reasons", it allows use of an alternative formula in which the interrogations, while speaking of "God the Son" and "God the Holy Spirit", are more elaborate but are not based on the Apostles' Creed, and the response in each case is: "I believe and trust in him."[33] TheBook of Common Prayer may also be used, which in its rite of baptism has the minister recite the Apostles' Creed in interrogative form. Asking the godparents or, in the case "of such as are of Riper Years", the candidate: "Dost thou believe in God the Father ..." The response is: "All this I stedfastly believe."[34]
Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth? Do you 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; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He will come to judge the living and the dead? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting?
Following each question, the candidate answers: "Yes, I believe". If the candidates are unable to answer for themselves, the sponsors are to answer the questions.[35]
TheUnited Methodist Church in the United States uses the Apostles' Creed as part of their baptismal rites in the form of an interrogatory addressed to the candidate(s) for baptism and the whole congregation as a way of professing the faith within the context of the Church's sacramental act. For infants, it is the professing of the faith by the parents, sponsors, and congregation on behalf of the candidate(s); for confirmands, it is the professing of the faith before and among the congregation. For the congregation, it is a reaffirmation of their professed faith.
Do you believe in God? I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? 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; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? 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.[36]
Since the 2002 edition, the Apostles' Creed is included in theRoman Missal as an alternative, with the indication, "Instead of theNiceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, especially during Lent and Easter time, the baptismal Symbol of the Roman Church, known as the Apostles' Creed, may be used."[37] Previously the Nicene Creed was the only profession of faith that the Missal gave for use atMass, except in Masses for children; but in some countries use of the Apostles' Creed was already permitted.
The Apostles' Creed is used inAnglican services ofMatins andEvening Prayer (Evensong). It is invoked after the recitation or singing of theCanticles, and is the only part of the services in which the congregation traditionally turns to face the altar, if they are seated transversely in thequire.
The Episcopal Church (United States) uses the Apostles' Creed in Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.[38]
The International Consultation on English Texts (ICET), a first inter-church ecumenical group that undertook the writing of texts for use by English-speaking Christians in common, publishedPrayers We Have in Common (Fortress Press, 1970, 1971, 1975). Its version of the Apostles' Creed was adopted by several churches.[41][42]
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
TheEnglish Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), a successor body to the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET), published in 1988 a revised translation of the Apostles' Creed. It avoided the wordhis in relation to God and spoke of Jesus Christ as "God's only Son" instead of "his only Son". In the fourth line, it replaced the personal pronounhe with the relativewho, and changed the punctuation, so as no longer to present the Creed as a series of separate statements. In the same line it removed the wordsthe power of. It explained its rationale for making these changes and for preserving other controverted expressions in the 1988 publicationPraying Together, with which it presented its new version:[43]
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead. 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.
In 2008, the Catholic Church published a new English translation of the texts of theMass of theRoman Rite, the use of which came into force at the end of 2011. It included the following translation of the Apostles' Creed:[44][45]
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.
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,[a] 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 Catholick Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
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; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, 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.
In Luther's preface to his 'Small Catechism' which makes up part of theBook of Concord that contains the symbolical documents of the Lutheran Church, it is suggested to commit the Creed, along with theDecalogue andLord's Prayer to memory.[53]
The publicationEvangelical Lutheran Worship published by Augsburg Fortress, is the primary worship resource for theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, and theEvangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. It presents the official ELCA version, footnoting the phrase "he descended to the dead" to indicate an alternative reading: "or 'he descended into hell', another translation of this text in widespread use".
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead.* 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,[b] the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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TheChurch of Denmark started using the phrase, from thebaptismal vows "We renounce the devil and all his doings and all his beings" as the beginning of this creed, before the line "We believe in God etc." This is mostly due to the influence of the Danish pastorGrundtvig.
TheUnited Methodists in the USA commonly incorporate the Apostles' Creed into their worship services. The version which is most often used is located at No. 881 in theUnited Methodist Hymnal, one of their most popular hymnals and one with a heritage to brothersJohn Wesley andCharles Wesley, founders ofMethodism.[55][56] It is notable for omitting the line "he descended into hell", but is otherwise very similar to the Book of Common Prayer version. The 1989 Hymnal has both the traditional version and the 1988 ecumenical version,[57] which includes "he descended to the dead".
The Apostles' Creed as found inThe Methodist Hymnal of 1939 also omits the line "he descended..."[58]The Methodist Hymnal of 1966 has the same version of the creed, but with a note at the bottom of the page stating, "Traditional use of this creed includes these words: 'He descended into hell.'"[59]
However, when the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the United States in 1784, John Wesley sent the new American Church a Sunday Service which included the phrase "he descended into hell" in the text of the Apostles' Creed.[60]
TheUnited Methodist Hymnal of 1989 also contains (at #882) what it terms the "Ecumenical Version" of this creed which is the ecumenically accepted modern translation of the International Committee on English Texts (1975) as amended by the subsequent successor body, the English Language Liturgical Consultation (1987).[61] This form of the Apostles' Creed can be found incorporated into the Eucharistic and Baptismal Liturgies in the Hymnal and inThe United Methodist Book of Worship, and hence it is growing in popularity and use. The wordcatholic is intentionally left lowercase in the sense that the wordcatholic applies to the universal and ecumenical Christian church.
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 Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again 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.[62]
Musical settings of the Symbolum Apostolorum as amotet are rare. English composerRobert Wylkynson (d. ca. 1515) composed a thirteen-voicecanon,Jesus autem transiens, included in theEton Choirbook, which features the text of the Creed. The French composer Le Brung published one Latin setting in 1540, and the Spanish composerFernando de las Infantas published two in 1578.
In 1986Graham Kendrick published the popular "We believe in God the Father", closely based on the Apostles' Creed.
The song "Creed" onPetra's 1990 albumBeyond Belief is loosely based on the Apostles' Creed.[64]
GIA Publications published a hymn text in 1991 directly based on the Apostles' Creed, called "I Believe in God Almighty". It has been sung to hymn tunes from Wales, the Netherlands, and Ireland.[65]
Integrity Music under theHosanna! Music series, produced a live worship acoustic album in 1993,Be Magnified,[67] which featured Randy Rothwell as worship leader, had an upbeat enthusiastic hymn called "The Apostle’s Creed", written by Randy Rothwell Burbank.
Newsboys released "We Believe" in 2013 on their albumRestart. It was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Christian Song.
In 2014Hillsong released a version of the Apostles' Creed under the title "This I Believe (The Creed)" on their albumNo Other Name.
Keith & Kristyn Getty released an expression of the Apostles' Creed under the title "We Believe (Apostle's Creed)" on their 2016 albumFacing a Task Unfinished.
^In a suggested revision of 1923, this line has "of the Holy Ghost".[49] The Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1637) has "which was conceived of the holy Ghost".[50] This goes back to the1559Book of Common Prayer, which has "whiche was conceived of the holy Ghost".[51]
^Another alternative reading is "Christian church" instead ofcatholic to differentiate it from theCatholic Church.
^Orr, James."The Apostles' Creed".International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Reformed.Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. RetrievedMay 19, 2011.
^Trillhaas, Wolfgang, "Creeds, Lutheran Attitude Toward", in Bodensieck, Julius (ed.),The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, vol. A–E, Minneapolis: Augsburg, p. 629.
^Grudem, Wayne A (2004),Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Leicester,England; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan, p. 586.Cf.Rufinus,"Commentary on the Apostles' Creed",newadvent.org, retrievedOctober 1, 2016
^Dorothea Sattler. "Apostolisches Glaubensbekenntnis. I. Dogmen- und Theologiegeschichte". In: Walter Kasper (ed.).Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche. 3rd ed., vol. 1, Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1993, c. 878f.
^"Praying Together"(PDF). English Language Liturgical Consultation. 1988. p. 22.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. RetrievedJune 2, 2019.
^Order of Mass(PDF), International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc., 2010, p. 10,archived(PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022, retrievedJune 16, 2019
Deharbe, Joseph (1912)."First Article of the Apostle's Creed" .A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion. Translated by Rev. John Fander. Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss.
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