I believe in God the Father Almighty,

   Maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

   who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

   and born of the virgin Mary. 

   He 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 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 the life everlasting. Amen.

 This is Christian basics 101.  The Trinity Hymnal says “Although not written by the apostles, the Apostles’ Creed is a concise summary of their teachings.  It originated as a baptismal confession, probably in the second century, and developed into its present form by the sixth or seventh century.”

Accordingly, the concepts in this creed were central as the apostles testified to what they had seen, heard (Acts 1.8) and taught the new disciples (Matthew 28.18-20). This is the same information that Paul taught Timothy and instructed him to “entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2.2).  There is an historical awesomeness in the recognition that God has provided a 2,000 year trail of witnesses to reach us today.

For some the creed is a myth.  It says that Jesus, the Son of God, was also a man who was born of a virgin; was crucified and resurrected from the dead; through Him we have forgiveness of sins and can anticipate eternal life in a resurrected body; and judgment and hell are real.  But for those who believe, it is the glorious truth about an infinite creator God who cares for his people enough to break into time and history with miracles that provide salvation and ensure that his people understand the stakes involved with the most important decision of their lives – to repent and believe.