The Creed
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
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 from the dead.
He ascended to 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.
Historical Background
The Apostles' Creed is among the oldest summaries of Christian faith, rooted in the baptismal formulas of the early Church (c. 2nd–4th century AD). Though not written by the Twelve Apostles themselves, it reflects the regula fidei (rule of faith) they handed down.
Early versions appear in documents such as the Interrogatory Creed of Hippolytus (c. AD 215) and the Old Roman Creed. The current form was largely standardized by the 8th century and has been used in Western Christianity for over a millennium.
The Creed is structured as a Trinitarian confession — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — mirroring the baptismal command of Matthew 28:19 (ESV): “...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
LXX parallel: εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος (Matthew 28:19)
Article-by-Article Reflection
God the Father Almighty, Creator
The opening confession grounds all else: there is a God, and He is Father. This is not merely an assertion of theistic belief — it is a relational claim. The word Almighty translates the Greek παντοκράτωρ (pantokrator), meaning “the One who holds all things.” The LXX uses this title frequently for the God of Israel (e.g., 2 Samuel 5:10; Amos 4:13). Creation is an act of love by a personal God, not an impersonal force.
Genesis 1:1 (ESV): "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
LXX: Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν.
Jesus Christ — Conceived, Born, Suffered, Crucified
The second article is the longest because salvation is accomplished by Christ. The Creed traces the arc of His earthly life: incarnation, suffering, death. Each phrase carries theological weight. “Conceived by the Holy Spirit” affirms the divine initiative. “Born of the virgin Mary” affirms true humanity. “Suffered under Pontius Pilate” anchors redemption in history. The cross is not mythology — it is datable, locatable, and real.
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV): "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities."
LXX: αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν
He descended to the dead
This phrase, sometimes rendered “descended into hell,” has been interpreted variously across the centuries. Most broadly, it affirms that Christ truly died — He entered the full experience of human mortality. Some traditions see in it an affirmation of Christ's proclamation to the dead (1 Peter 3:19), extending the reach of His redemption beyond the living.
Psalm 16:10 (ESV): "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption."
LXX: ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην
On the third day he rose again
The resurrection is the hinge on which all Christian faith turns. Without it, Paul writes, “your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But He is risen. The empty tomb is the declaration that death has been defeated, that the story did not end at Golgotha, and that resurrection is the destiny of all who are in Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV): "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
LXX: Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων
He ascended to heaven; seated at the right hand
The ascension is Christ's coronation. “Seated at the right hand of the Father” is the language of Psalm 110:1 (LXX: Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου), one of the most-quoted Old Testament texts in the New Testament. Jesus reigns now — not passively, but actively interceding for His people (Romans 8:34). The ascension also prepares the way for the Spirit (John 16:7).
Psalm 110:1 (ESV): "The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand..."
LXX: Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου.
He will come to judge the living and the dead
The Creed does not end with the ascension but looks forward. History is moving toward a consummation. The same Jesus who came in humility will come in glory. This judgment is not cause for terror for those in Christ — it is the hope that every injustice will be addressed, every wrong set right, and every tear wiped away (Revelation 21:4).
Acts 17:31 (ESV): "...because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed."
The Holy Spirit
The third article opens with the Holy Spirit — the divine presence who makes the Church alive. Paul writes that God's Spirit dwells among His people (1 Corinthians 3:16, LXX Greek: ἐν ὑμῖν κατοικεῖ). The Spirit is not an impersonal force but the personal presence of God sustaining, convicting, comforting, and empowering the community of faith.
John 14:16-17 (ESV): "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper... the Spirit of truth."
The holy catholic Church; communion of saints
“Catholic” here means universal — the whole Church across every time, place, culture, and generation. This is God's multifaceted family: multiethnic, intergenerational, united in Christ. The “communion of saints” affirms our solidarity with all who have trusted Christ — those living and those who have gone before us in faith.
Ephesians 2:19 (ESV): "...you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God."
LXX: οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ
The forgiveness of sins
This is the good news in a single phrase. Sin is real — the Creed does not minimize it. But forgiveness is more real. The God who created all things has, in Christ, provided the way for every wrong to be forgiven, every shame removed, every broken relationship with Him restored. This is not wishful thinking; it is the declaration of the cross and resurrection.
Colossians 1:14 (ESV): "...in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
LXX: τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν
Resurrection of the body; life everlasting
The Creed ends where Scripture's story ends: resurrection and eternal life. Christian hope is not the immortality of a disembodied soul — it is the resurrection of the whole person, body and soul, into a renewed creation. As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22). The final word is not death. It is life.
1 Corinthians 15:22 (ESV): "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
LXX: ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνῄσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάντες ζῳοποιηθήσονται.
The Ancient Faith, Still Alive Today
These words have been confessed by the Church for nearly two thousand years. They are not merely history — they are our story.