The Apostles' Creed

Like the "sinner's prayer," no one will find a copy of "the apostles' creed" in the Bible (#56 on Google's Theological Questions). Sadly, people search in vain for both of these in the Scriptures hey were invested by God hem in the Scriptures—only to be disappointed because they were invented by men—not taught by God. The numerous "sinner's prayers" contain many differences, depending on what human being put it together. It may be addressed to the Father or to Jesus; it may include repentance, or it may not. It definitely will not include baptism. Sources tell us that the teachings contained in The Apostles' Creed began to be formulated in Rome during the 3rd-4th centuries, and were completed in France during the 7th century. It was an attempt to list in concise fashion the teachings of the church. Below is the document in its entirety.

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 [none of the pronouns were capitalized GWS].

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic [universal, GWS] church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

It is the case that God is all-powerful (omnipotent) and that He created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:9). He is called "Almighty" a few dozen times. This much of the creed cannot be disputed. Jesus is God's only begotten Son (John 1:14), and He was born of a virgin named Mary (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:21-23). However, the angels who did not sin are also called sons of God (Job 38:7). Adam is also referred to as the son of God (Luke 3:38), as are all those who are saved (1 John 3:1-2). This is the problem with creeds. They often do not clarify what is meant, whereas when Scriptures are cited, each one can look for himself.

A better statement than the creed's would be that Jesus descended into Hades, which is the realm of the dead. On Pentecost, Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus from Hades (Acts 2:27). Jesus is in Heaven at the right hand of God (Acts 2:32-33). He will return to earth from there to judge all mankind (2 Thess. 1:6-9; 2 Cor. 5:10). The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead (Matt. 28:19). There is but one church over which Jesus is Head (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23). Christians do observe the Lord's Supper (Communion) (1 Cor. 11:23-26); we do believe in the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 6:12, 14-15). We also believe in the resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13-18) and life everlasting (John 5:26-29). But we don't need a creed for these things; we have the New Testament.