Why the Apostles’ Creed?
August 17, 2009
From time to time, people ask us why the Apostles’ Creed is our statement of faith. For some, it seems like an old and outdated set of statements. Others maybe grew up in a church where they recited the Apostles’ Creed every week and it became a stale ritual with little meaning. Still others have never even heard of the Apostles’ Creed and wonder where we got it from. Perhaps the most basic question is: how does the Apostles’ Creed really articulate what you believe? Let me offer a few personal thoughts.
- It’s biblical. The creed is a very brief summary of what the Bible teaches. It’s not based on our own thoughts, experience, or even empirical observation. Rather the creed highlights what Christians believe as a result of their reading and interpretation of the Bible.
- It’s Trinitarian. There are three primary sections to the creed, each one focusing on one member of the Trinity. The triune nature of God is the most mysterious quality of God, but perhaps the most foundational one. Moreover, as the creed says, we don’t simply believe that God exists, we believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. In other words, our belief isn’t just mental assent to something (“I believe that water is made of up two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule”). It expresses our trust in God—a relationship with a God who himself is relational.
- It’s Christo-centric. It’s no coincidence that the largest portion of the creed is about Jesus Christ. He is the focus of our faith; he makes it possible for us to have a personal relationship with God.
- It’s historical. The creed does not articulate a philosophical system or set of abstract values. It highlights something that happened in history, even going so far as to record the name of the Roman governor who oversaw Jesus’ trial. Our faith is grounded in a set of historical events, beginning with God’s creation of the world, ending with the return of Christ, and centered upon Christ’s historical death and resurrection.
- It’s personal. When I express the creed, I am saying that I am part of this story. Because of my trust in God and what he did through Christ, God is not just the Father, he is my Father. Christ is not just the Lord, he is my Lord. It’s not that God just forgives sins, he forgives my sins and I become part of his people—the Church.
- It’s hopeful. Ultimately, the creed reminds me that Christ rose from grave and defeated death. He will return one day, and I will experience the same kind of resurrection he did. My dying and decaying body will be renewed and remade and I will experience eternal life with him. In a world of bad news, this is indeed good news.
- It’s bigger than me. I didn’t come up with the creed myself. If I did, it would probably be a bit different. I might emphasize different things about my beliefs or change a word here and there. But by affirming the creed, I place myself, and we place ourselves into a grand tradition of people all over the world, from many different cultures, for almost two thousand years, who have affirmed the central tenets of this creed. It says that “we belong to a redemptive story that is much bigger than us.”
I don’t expect everyone to agree with every word of the creed, or recite it regularly. But for Christians, it can be a helpful practice to remind ourselves of what we generally believe. And for those who are curious about God, the Bible, or Christianity, probably more than any other set of statements, it summarizes the heart of the Christian faith.
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Well said Norton, I think this gives great clarity to why something so historic is essential for us to recover in the 21st century. To me, the most compelling argument is that it places us within a rich history of authority and connection as a unified church around the essentials, predating all the categories and schisms that have developed over the centuries. well done.