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The Apostle's Creed |
Apostles'
Creed, a brief summary statement of Christian belief
traditionally attributed to the 12 apostles. According to
legend, before setting out on their respective missions each
of the 12 apostles contributed one clause. Like most Christian
creeds, it contains three paragraphs (called articles), one
for each person of the Trinity. The first article begins,
"I believe in God the Father Almighty"; the second
begins, "I believe in Jesus Christ"; the third
begins, "I believe in the Holy Spirit." These three
assertions correspond to the three questions that were
addressed to candidates for baptism in the early church.
Until the 15th century, it was believed that the Apostles'
Creed was written by the apostles. It is now known that the
creed is not of apostolic origin, but the title itself
suggests that each clause of the creed can be traced to New
Testament references and that the creed originated very early.
Its immediate ancestor is the so-called Old Roman creed, which
is based on a Greek formula of faith dating to the early 2nd
century.
Today it is widely agreed that the Apostles' Creed developed
as the baptismal confession of faith. A similar, but not
identical, confession appears in the baptismal liturgy
contained in The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus (215?).
Similar but variant versions are also found in the writings of
the early Fathers of the Church, such as Irenaeus and
Tertullian, in which they are called "rules of
faith." A form identical with what is now called the
Apostles' Creed did not emerge until the early 8th century, in
the writings of St. Pirminius.
The Apostles' Creed continues to be used as the baptismal
profession of faith in most Western churches; Orthodox
churches prefer to use the later Nicene Creed. In Roman
Catholic practice, the Apostles' Creed is also recited in the
daily office, before the first and after the last service each
day. In most Protestant churches, it is used periodically at
Sunday worship. Lutherans use it regularly on Sunday morning,
at baptisms, confirmation, and study it as a central feature
of Catechism instruction. |
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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 into hell. 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 saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
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