The Apostles' Creed is the oldest of any Christian creeds, having been authored sometime after all of the original Apostles had entered into eternal life. It is considered to be a profession of Christian faith for all who believe (1) in the Father (2), the Son (3) and the Holy Spirit (4). While the Creed itself is not listed in the Holy Bible (5), many verses mirror various Scriptures of both the Old Testament (6) and the New Testament (7).

Offered below is a common version of The Apostles' Creed. For other versions utilized by various religious denominations, consider exploring their respective tenets of faith and doctrines.

Footnotes and Exernal References appear below. For a printer friendly version of this page, please click on the PDF offered in the lower sidebar.

Modifications are welcome at goodnews@downriverdisciples.com.

THE APOSTLES' CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

the Creator of heaven and earth,

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,

where He shall 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 life everlasting.

Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

  (1) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/discipleship

  (2) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/god-of-the-bible

  (3) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/jesus-christ

  (4) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/the-holy-spirit

  (5) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/the-good-news

  (6) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/old-testament

  (7) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/new-testament

  (8) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/hell

  (9) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/crucifixion-of-christ

(10) https://www.downriverdisciples.com/resurrection-of-jesus

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

For an article covering whether Christ descended into Hell (8) between His Crucifixion (9) and His Resurrection (10), explore https://www.gotquestions.org/did-Jesus-go-to-hell.html.

The word “catholic” means “relating to the church universal” and was the word used in the original version of the Creed. It does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the church, the body of Christ, as a universal fellowship. The phrase, “He descended into hell,” was not part of the creed in its earliest form (Source: https://billygraham.org/answer/what-is-the-apostles-creed/).

For a sound article addressing the difference between the "universal" church and the "local" church, explore https://www.gotquestions.org/universal-local-church.html.