Statements Of Faith

THE APOSTLES' CREED a statement of faith from circa 3rd-4th cent AD	KEY BELIEFS
I BELIEVE in... God the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven & Earth & in Jesus Christ, his Only Son, Our LORD, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, died & was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from where he will come again to judge the living & the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting. Amen.	GOD THE FATHER Almighty Creator God GOD THE SON, LORD Jesus Christ Supernatural conception Natural birth by a virgin Physical suffering Crucifixion, death & burial Descent to Hell (lit Hades) Resurrection on the third day Ascension to heaven Co-equal with God the Father Coming again as Judge of the living & the dead GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT The Church universal The unity of all belivers Forgiveness of sins Physical resurrection Eternal life

THE APOSTLES' CREED

a statement of faith
from circa 3rd-4th cent AD

KEY BELIEFS

I BELIEVE in...
God the Father, Almighty,
Maker of Heaven & Earth
& in
Jesus Christ, his Only Son,
Our LORD, who was
conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
He was crucified,
died & was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again
from the dead,
he ascended into heaven and
sits at the right hand of
God the Father Almighty,
from where he will come again
to judge the living & the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy universal Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the dead
and the life everlasting. Amen.

GOD THE FATHER
Almighty Creator God

GOD THE SON,
LORD Jesus Christ
Supernatural conception
Natural birth by a virgin
Physical suffering
Crucifixion, death & burial
Descent to Hell (lit Hades)
Resurrection on the third day
Ascension to heaven
Co-equal with God the Father
Coming again as Judge
of the living & the dead

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Church universal
The unity of all belivers
Forgiveness of sins
Physical resurrection
Eternal life

As the Christian Church grew the theology of The Trinity being spelled out more clearly for new Christians and as a way of combatting various false teachings or heresies in the form of a CREEDor statement of what Christians believe (Latin credo = I believe). The earliest known creeds dating from c. 3rd-4th century AD is THE APOSTLES' CREED. A later Church Council held in 325 AD at Nicaea in Asia Minor (Turkey) spelled things out even more clearly in what has become known as THE NICENE CREED below:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made, Being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, And was made man; He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And he will come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life; Who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic (ie universal) and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins & we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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