The Apostles' Creed in Modern English (From the Book of Common Prayer)

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe 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; 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.

*The word “Catholic” in the Apostles’ Creed does NOT refer to the Roman Catholic church but to Christ’s true Church (Big “C”) in the universal sense of all believers.

------Why Is This Creed Important? While not actually written by the apostles (that we know of), the Apostles Creed is the oldest known creed of the Church. It provides a synopsis of faithful, Christian belief. It dates back to 140 AD (at least) and provides a type of format for future creeds. If you memorize a creed, this is a good one to memorize.

Rich Mullins wrote a song called “Creed” that is essentially the Apostles Creed set to music. It was later popularized by Third Day. The song is a good way to memorize. However, both Mullins and Third day use a latter version of the Apostles Creed which includes the phrase “he descended into Hell” in reference to Jesus death and burial. While this is not inherently problematic theologically, there is no clear biblical evidence that Jesus descended into Hell after the crucifiction before the resurrection. Acts 2:24 and Ephesians 4:9 seem to allude to it, but they don’t say it clearly. I recommend older versions of the creed that limit the creed to what we KNOW for sure Scripture affirms. With that in mind, Creed is a great song and worth singing.