Apostles’ Creed is a statement of the main Western Christian beliefs. It contains three sections, dealing with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches use it today. Here is the basic Catholic form of the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven; sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence 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.
The Protestant form generally substitutes the word Maker for Creator and uses catholic or Christian instead of Catholic.
The earliest version of the Apostles’ Creed can be traced back to about the late A.D. 100’s. A legend arose stating that the creed was composed by the 12 apostles, but this has not been proven. It is more likely that the creed simply grew out of the life of the Christian church. The creed probably was derived from an earlier Roman Creed, which was a baptismal confession.
