Friends in Christ,
The word creed derives from the Latin credo, meaning, “I believe.” The purpose of any form of the Creed is to provide a basic, succinct statement of the faith. Moreover, the Creeds are structured on the fundamental belief in the Trinity and the “work” of each of the three Persons: The Father and creation; the Son and redemption; and the Holy Spirit and sanctification (a big theological word that means the process of God’s continuing work in Christians through the power of the Holy Spirit).
Each Wednesday evening during Lent we will recite together a creed or statement of faith. This week we will recite the Apostle’s Creed. The origin of the Apostles' Creed is less clear than that of the Nicene Creed. The most common view is that it was originally developed in the first or second century and was influenced later by the Nicene Creed. The earliest historical evidence of the creed's existence is in a letter written by the Council of Milan in 390 A.D. Almost every denomination has a slightly different version of the Apostles' Creed. Note: the reference to "the holy catholic Church" refers to the universal church, not the denomination.
Here is the ecumenical version of the Apostle’s Creed:
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and 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.
What does this creed tell us about Jesus?
Blessings on the journey,
Pastor Monica