The Apostles’ Creed: What Do You Believe - Though it is not found in the Bible, nor was it penned by the Apostles themselves, the Apostle’s Creed is one of the earliest doctrinal summaries of the Christian faith. Reflecting the teachings of Scripture, the Creed has served to teach and form Christians for nearly 2000 years across church traditions. Each week, when we proclaim the faith, we join a choir of voices across time and space who have proclaimed the same. In this series, we will consider the central claims of the creed and discover the depths of these claims in the Bible. 

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Week 1: “I believe in God…” - Romans 10:5-9: A fundamental assertion of Christianity is the necessity of faith––belief. God has established promises and accomplished a great work on our behalf. Our reception of these promises and the benefits of that work are ours if we would just believe.  

 

Week 2: “The Father almighty…” - Acts 17:16-23: We are fundamentally worshipping creatures. If we do not worship the one true God, we will seek other gods to fill the void––gods of our own making. However, God has not left us subject to such deception, for He is not an “unknown god” but rather makes Himself known. 

 

Week 3: “Maker of heaven and earth…” - Acts 17:24-28: The questions of purpose, meaning, and existence are ultimately questions summarized in Pilate's question to Jesus: What is truth? Philosophy, epistemology, science, and more all assume there is an intelligence that lies behind all that can be known––there is a maker of all things.  

 

Week 4: “I believe in Jesus Christ…our Lord” - Philippians 2:5-11: Both the life and death of Jesus are part of the work and part of what He accomplishes for us. The deity and Lordship of Christ make His condescension, and His willingness to take on our vulnerability is proof of His uniqueness and power.  

      

Week 5: “He descended…and rose again” - 1 Corinthians 15:1-14: In one of the more controversial statements of the Creed, Jesus is said to have descended into hell. It is worth noting that the earliest versions of the Creed do not include that statement. John Calvin, however, argues that the statement ought to be left, as he believes it speaks of a particular aspect of Christ’s work (some argue that it is better translated as “death” and serves only to emphasize that Christ was buried). Calvin argued that while Jesus' burial emphasizes his physical torment, the "descent into hell" is an expression of the spiritual torment that Christ underwent for us. Thus, the resurrection proves to be both a promise of physical restoration, but also spiritual as well. 

 

Week 6: “He ascended…and is seated” - Act 2:29-36: An underemphasized aspect of Christ’s work is His ascension. The ascension applies His work on a cosmic scale. And it does so as a result of Jesus being exalted and deat at the right hand of God––a place of authority and rule.

 

Week 7: “I believe in the Holy Spirit…and the church.” - John 14:15-17; 15:26 17:1a, 9-10, 20-23 - The work of the Holy Spirit is to apply the benefits of Christ’s work to His people––the church. In this first week on the Spirit, we will consider the unity––a unity with Christ and one another––that is accomplished by the work of the Spirit. 

Week 8: Forgiveness, Resurrection, and Eternity - Rom. 8:9-17: The Spirit of Christ leads us to repentance––the turning away from sin. In our repentance, we find forgiveness. But also, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives within us. Through the power of the Spirit, we too shall experience the power of resurrection, for “We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him,” including everlasting life.