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We 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 went down to the dead; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; wherefrom He shall come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Apostolic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Introduction
I realize that many so-called Christians today are able to recite creeds containing biblically orthodox truth, even though they do not know the Lord personally.  I myself used to be one of those people.  For that reason, we evangelicals tend to diminish the value of sound doctrine and emphasize the relational aspects of the Christian walk.  And I'll be the first one to say that you can know all the right things about the Lord, but if you don't know the Lord Himself, you've missed the most important part. 

However, I don't necessarily think we should throw out the baby with the bath water either.  Creed is simply a derivative of the Latin word "credo", meaning “I believe”.  The early apostles and Church Fathers thought it was essential for every Christian to believe the basic tenets of the faith and be able to clearly state these eternal truths as well.  If it was important to them, then it's important to me as well.  As we raise our children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord, these are the foundational truths we have already begun to teach our children. 

Our beliefs must be based solely on the Word of God, not on traditions or the Church Fathers.  However, where the Church Fathers and tradition agree with the Word of God, they confirm our beliefs.  In each of the following sections, you will find the Scriptures upon which our beliefs are based.  And where the Church Fathers agree with the Scriptures, I have included quotes from them as well.

With the increase of false doctrine sweeping the world today, may the Lord help us to heed the inspired words of the apostle Paul to young Timothy: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim. 4:15,16).

Doctrines Taught in the Creed
The following links will take you to posts that explain each of the corresponding parts of the creed, based on Scripture and what the Church Fathers believed. The Church Fathers include those men who immediately followed the original apostles and often had direct contact with them, as well as others who lived during the early centuries after them.

We Believe in God, the Father Almighty

Creator of Heaven and Earth

Creator of Heaven and Earth: Angels

Creator of Heaven and Earth: Man

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 Went Down to the Dead, the Third Day He Rose Again from the Dead

He Ascended into Heaven; Sits at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty Wherefrom He Shall Come to Judge the Living and the Dead.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit

The Holy Apostolic Church

The Communion of Saints

The Forgiveness of Sins

The Resurrection of the Body

And Life Everlasting. Amen. 

Attention DTS Students:  DTS Students must click on each of the links above and read each of the posts at those links. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The Church Fathers writings are in the public domain and may be freely used and distributed.

Author's Note: You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

God the Father Almighty

We Believe in God, the Father Almighty.

Scriptures
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" (Deut. 6:4).

"There are three that give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one" (1 Jn. 5: 7).

“One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph.4: 6).

“Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (Jn.17: 3).

Aristides of Athens,  Apology to the Emperor Hadrian Caesar 1 & 4 (C. 140 AD):
"When I saw that the world and all that is in it is moved by a force, I understood that He who moves and maintains it is God; for whatever moves something is stronger than that which is moved, and whatever maintains something is stronger than that which is maintained. I call the One who constructed all things and maintains them God: He that is without beginning and eternal, immortal and lacking nothing, and who is above all passions and failings such as anger and forgetfulness and ignorance and the rest...Let us proceed, then, O King, to the elements themselves, so that we may demonstrate concerning them that they are not gods, but corruptible and changeable things, produced out of the non-existent by Him that is truly God, who is incorruptible and unchangeable and invisible."

Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 2, 13, 3 (C. 180 AD):
"Far removed is the Father of all from those things which operate among men, the affections and the passions. He is simple, not composed of parts, without structure, altogether like and equal to Himself alone. He is all mind, all spirit, all thought, all intelligence, all reason, all ear, all eye, all light, all fountain of every good; and this is the manner in which the religious and the pious are accustomed to speak of God."

Tertullian, Against Marcion 1, 18, 2 (Inter 207-212 AD):
"It is our definition that God must be known first from nature, and afterwards He is authenticated from instruction: by nature, from His works; by instruction, from His revelations."

Minucius Felix, The Octavius 18, 4 (Inter 218-235 AD):
"If upon entering some home you saw that everything there was well-tended, neat and decorative, you would believe that some master was in charge of it, and that he was himself much superior to those good things. So too in the home of this world, when you see providence, order, and law in the heavens and on earth, believe that there is a Lord and author of the universe, more beautiful than the stars themselves and…the whole world."

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 4, 5 (C. 350 AD):
"This Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is not circumscribed in any place, nor is He less than the heavens...He knows beforehand the things that shall be, and is mightier than all. He knows all, and does as He will. He is not subject to the consequences of events, neither to astrological geniture, nor to chance, nor to fate. He is in all things perfect, and possesses equally every absolute of virtue, neither diminishing nor decreasing, but remains ever the same and unchanging."

Back to Home page, or go to Next Phrase of Apostles' Creed.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's Note: Also see Who is God? and The Bodily Form of God the Father. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.