I Believe

One of the most foundational summaries of the Christian faith is embodied in the Apostles’ Creed. Have you ever wondered where it came from? What are the truths that have endured the test of time?

This summer we will take an eight-week journey to dig deeper into what we believe as followers of Christ.

Pastor Brian Dennert (and resident theologian) authored a post on our Faith Church blog that gives an introduction to the Apostles’ Creed. Whether you read it before, during or after the sermon series, I Believe, in understanding the Creed we can live as better followers of Christ.

Origins of the Creed

Some have said that the Apostles’ Creed was effectively written by the 12 apostles 10 days after the Ascension of Jesus (presumably after Matthias replaced Judas, see Acts 1:12-26), with each apostle contributing a line to the Creed. That is a great story, but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence to substantiate it. While it might not have been written by the apostles, its content traces itself back to their teaching, with forms of this Creed dating all the way back to the second century. Irenaeus and others (such as the church leader Tertullian) pointed out that these truths come from the teaching of the Apostles — thus, the name Apostles’ Creed.

In some ways, the exact origin of the Apostles’ Creed is mysterious, especially compared to other creeds and confessions. It does not seem to have been written by a particular person or a council. Rather than arising as a response to some false teaching spreading in churches, this Creed came about from the life and worship of the Western church. This use of the Creed in worship shows that it seems to have been a guide for what a Christian believed.

An excerpt from “Intro to the Apostles’ Creed”

By Brian Dennert

Campus Pastor | Beecher

Today’s Implications of the Apostles’ Creed

The Creed has great value for us today. It features key beliefs about the Christian faith and even points

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

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, And born of the Virgin Mary, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He suffered the agony of hell for me. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, 87The holy Christian Church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.

out that Christianity is not a philosophical set of beliefs that one simply affirms, but at its root, is the story of what God has done in creating the world and sending His Son. The Creed goes from the beginning to the end of the world and God’s plan, with the ultimate hope in the resurrection of the body and eternal life. The Christian faith thus is not a set of truths to know or a set of practices to obey, but rather a story to enter into which causes us to believe certain things and live a certain way.

In addition, when we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we pledge our allegiance to this truth by saying “I believe.” We exercise faith, believing in God’s faithfulness as shown through His activity on Earth; there is knowledge, but also trust. In confessing these truths, we point to both the simplicity and the complexity of the Christian faith. What I mean is that there are simple truths we can memorize, but these truths also invite us to think more deeply about what they mean.

While creating boundaries that separate Christianity from other belief systems, the Apostles’ Creed should be viewed as having more of a unifying than dividing function. I say that because in reciting the Creed, we realize that we believe the same thing as countless men and women have believed throughout the past 2,000 years - we are not alone. Not only do we have unity across history, we also have unity across the world, as people across the world believe these same truths. We may speak different languages and have different ways of conducting our worship services, but we believe the same thing.

For the full blog article, visit

If you’d like more information about the Creed, explore Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 23-58.