Feb 24
11
Catechetical Sermon
The Apostles’ Creed: An Introduction And Overview
Pastor Joe Anady
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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 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 church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”
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Introduction
We’ve begun the practice of reciting the Apostles’ Creed together in the worship service immediately before we partake of the Lord’s Supper. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we say “I believe…” in a symbolic or sacramental way. And so it is good for us to say, “I believe…” verbally and with content before we come to the table. It is those who believe who are to come, and so those who come first say, “I believe…” This tradition is common amongst the Reformed and has been for a very long time. One benefit of reciting the creed is that it connects us with other true Christians living throughout the world today and throughout history. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word meaning, “I believe…” The first two words of the creed are, “I believe…” And so when we recite the Apostles’ Creed we are declaring that we believe what Christians have believed throughout the ages.
The Apostles’ Creed (and other creeds like it) are very brief declarations of belief in core Christian doctrines. Sometimes creeds are called symbols. Symbols, as you know, are small representations of something larger and more complex. And that is what creeds are. They are verbal symbols of the faith.
Is there more to say about the Christian faith than what the Apostles’ Creed says? Yes, of course. The Apostles’ Creed states the faith in a very brief way. The creed is short enough to memorize and recite in public worship. But it can also be expanded upon. In fact, I think it was meant to be expanded upon. For example, when the creed says, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…”, it is right for us to ask, who is God? What is his nature? What are his attributes? What is meant by Father? What is meant by “Almighty”? etc. Every word of this creed can be expanded upon in this way.
Of course, the answers to these questions are found in Scripture, which is our supreme authority in matters of faith and obedience. And the answers to these questions are stated more thoroughly in other documents, like our catechism and confession. Creeds state the core doctrines of the Christian religion in a very succinct way. Catechisms state (and) teach the doctrines more thoroughly. Confessions (like our confession – The Second London Confession) are rather long and detailed statements of faith.
You should know that The Apostles’ Creed is called the Apostles’ Creed, not because it was written by the Apostles of Jesus (though there is a tradition that says it originates with them), but because it is a faithful summary of their teaching. You should also know that this creed underwent some development in the first few centuries of the church. The version we have likely has its origins in an older and simpler creed, called The Old Roman Symbol. As the church encountered false teachings, the creed was likely altered slightly to help defend orthodoxy. The Apotles’ Creed we recite today is believed to have its origins in Gaul (modern-day France) in the fifth century AD.
Let us now briefly consider the Apostles Creed.
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Its Declaration: The Core Doctrines Of The Faith
Firstly, what does the Creed declare? The Creed declares belief in the core or central doctrines of the Christian faith. The first words are, “I believe”, and in the creed, we find statements about the Trinity, the virgin birth of Christ, his deity, his death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and eventual return. Also, the creed declares belief in the universal church, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body when Christ returns. These are core or foundational Christian beliefs. The Apostles’ Creed does not explain these doctrines or seek to prove them from Scripture – it declares belief in them. Any true Christian will be able to utter this creed sincerely and with a clear conscience. If a person cannot say what this creed says sincerely, then they are not a Christian.
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Its Shape: Trinitarian
Secondly, what is the shape or structure of the Apostles’ Creed? You will notice that the shape is Trinitarian. There are three parts to this creed, and each of the three parts is associated with one of the three persons of the Godhead. God is one. God is three. He is a tri-unity. And the creed is trinitarian. The first section begins, “I believe in God the Father…” The second section begins, “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord…” As you know, Jesus the Messiah is a true human being, but the Apostles Creed rightly identifies him as the person of the eternal Son of God and our Lord. The third section begins, I believe in the Holy Spirit. God is one. In him, there eternally subsist three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Every true Christian believes this, and so the Apostles’ Creed declares it to be true. More than this, the creed makes the Triune God its structure.
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Its Story: The History Of Redemption
Thirdly, we might ask, what story does the Apostles’ Creed tell? This might seem like a strange question at first, but I do believe that the Apostles’ Creed tells a story. It is the story of creation, fall, and redemption. The act of creation is attributed particularly to the Father. The accomplishment of our redemption is attributed particularly to the Son. And the application of the redemption that Christ has earned is attributed to the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, we are reminded of the consummation by words concerning Christ, “From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.” Truly, God is one, and all of his works are therefore one and undivided. But it is also right to attribute creation to the Father, redemption accomplished to the Son, and redemption applied to the Spirit, given the special role each person of the Trinity plays in these acts. The theological term for this is called appropriations. My point here is to say that the Apostles’ Creed manages to remind us of the story of creation, man’s fall into sin, redemption accomplished by Christ, redemption applied by the Spirit, and the consummation of all things at Christ’s return, in what it says. It’s marvelous to consider, I think.
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Its Focus: Christ
Fourthly, what is the focus of the Apostles’ Creed? Notice how the creed focuses attention on Christ. Jesus the Messiah, the eternal Son of God incarnate, is the central figure of the creed. Our faith in Christ is professed in the middle or heart of the creed. Also, most of the words are devoted to describing Christ and to his work of redemption. And this is right. The Scriptures also focus on Christ. The Christian faith centers on Christ. Other religions – the non-believing Jews, for example – can profess a belief in God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. But they will not profess belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God and our Lord. And so, it is not surprising that a Christian creed would have Christ at the center. It is Christ who reconciles sinners to God. Christ is the object of our faith. If we wish to be saved from our sins, we must trust, not in God in a generic sense, but in the person and work of Christ, for Christ is the only Savior that God has provided. To trust in God truly for our salvation means that we will trust specifically in Christ. And that is what the creed professes – faith in Christ,
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Its Usefulness: To Teach And Confess The Faith
Fifthly, what is the usefulness of the Apostles’ Creed?
One, the creed could be used as a tool to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach the faith, and to prepare people for baptism and membership within the church. Of course, to use the creed in this way would require us to expand upon just about every word and phrase to explain the meaning. We do not use the Apostles’ Creed in this way here at Emmaus. Instead, we use the Baptist Catechism. In a way, the Baptist Catechism expands upon the doctrines expressed in the Apotsles’ Creed, but not in a direct or obvious way.
Two, the creed can be used to succinctly confess the faith in a public worship service. And that is how we will use it. At some point before we come to partake of the Lord’s Supper, a minister will ask you the question, “Dear Christian, what do you believe?” And this will prompt the congregation to recite the Apoostes’ Creed (or another creed), as a faithful summary or symbol of the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
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Two Common Misunderstandings
As I begin to draw this little sermon to a conclusion, I’d like to address two portions of the Apostles’ Creed that are often misunderstood. The first common misunderstanding is rather easy to correct. When we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church…”, this is not a reference to Roman Catholicism. Catholic simply means universal. There are many local, visible churches like this one. God’s people are to assemble each Lord’s Day in local, visible churches. When we say, we believe in “the holy catholic church”, we are confessing belief in the one, perfectly unified, universal, and invisible church of Jesus Christ. Consider this: the Scriptures say that Christ loved the church and laid down his life for her (see Ephesians 5:25). Notice the word “church” is singular in that text. So, although there are many local churches, there is in reality only one church that Christ laid his life down for. Which one is it? It is Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church? No, the one church that Christ laid his life down for is the universal, invisible church of Christ. He laid his life down for his bride. That is to say, he laid down his life for all of the elect – all who have placed their faith in Jesus the Messiah, from Adam’s day on to the consummation. You can’t take a photo of that church. That church cannot assemble on earth. But it is that church – the church catholic or universal – that will assemble before the throne of God in the new heavens and earth. To follow the pattern of the creed, the catholic church is made up of all whom the Spirit of God has regenerated, drawn to faith, and united to Christ throughout time. The word “catholic” in the creed has nothing at all to do with Roman Catholicism. This creed was written, remember, long before Roman Catholicism became what it is today.
The second part of the Apostles’ Creed that is often misunderstood is the phrase, “he descended to hell.” This is about Jesus. The creed says, “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.”
It is common, even within the Reformed tradition, to interpret the phrase, “he descended to hell”, to mean that Jesus experienced the torments of hell on the cross when he died as a substitute for the sins of the elect. Hell descended on Jesus, according to this view. Really, it was John Calvin who popularized this view. And while I often agree with Calvin, I disagree with him here.
It is my view that the phrase, “he descended to hell”, means that when Jesus died his body was placed in the grave and his soul descended to Sheol or Hades, which, prior to the resurrection and ascension of Christ, was the common abode of the dead (see Ps. 16:10; Acts 2:27). More specifically, Jesus’ soul descended to Abraham’s bosom, which was a place of comfort within the spiritual realm of Sheol (see Luke 16:22). Christ descended into hell (which is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Sheol and the Greek word Hades), not to suffer there or to endure any punishment, but to proclaim victory and to set captives free (see Ephesians 4:8). After Christ rose from the dead, he ascended to heaven. Now, the way into heaven is opened up for all who have faith in Christ. (Matthew 27:51; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Revelation 20:4). Sheol (Hades or hell) is only a place of punishment now that Christ has ascended. In other words, Abraham’s bosom is no more, for Abraham and all who have the faith of Abraham have entered heaven, or will enter heaven when they die. For the sake of time, I will not attempt to prove this view from Scripture. I’ve recommended a resource to you where that is done. Let me conclude by simply pointing out that it is this view, and not the other one, that agrees with the progression of the creed itself. Hear it again. The creed declares that Christ “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead…” etc. If Christ’s descent into hell was a reference to the torments of hell coming upon him as he hung on the cross, then the phrase is strangely out of order in the creed. But if this is an answer to the question, where did Christ’s human soul go when he died and his human body was laid in the grave, then the placement is perfect. It is right to believe that Christ’s soul went to Sheol – to the spiritual place where Abraham and all who had the faith of Abraham were prior to Christ’s resurrection. Christ did not suffer there. He went to proclaim victory, to set captives free, and to usher them into heaven when he ascended, for Christ has opened up the way into the heavenly holy of holies. The Psalm is true. God did not “abandon [Christ’s] soul to Sheol, or let [his] holy one see corruption” (Psalm 16:10, ESV), for, on “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.”
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Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, I do hope and pray that this little sermon will help you to recite the Apotsles’ Creed with confidence and conviction. Christ did descend to hell (i.e. Sheol or Hades). And no, we are not pledging any sort of allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church – it should be clear to all that we view the Roman church to be a false church given her abandonment of the doctrine of justification through faith in Christ alone, among other things. Instead, when we recite the Apostles’ Creed we are confessing that we belong, not merely to this local church, but to the church catholic or universal, for we hold to “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). We have been reconciled to God the Father, by the Son, and through the Spirit. This gift of redemption and reconciliation comes to be ours as we trust in Jesus Christ, the son of God incarnate. He descended to the lowest parts of the earth for us. He was also exulted to the highest heaven for us. He is the Savior God has provided. He is the object of our faith, therefore. And this is what we confess to believe when we recite the creed.
Minister:
“Dear Christian, what is it that you believe?”
Congregation:
“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 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 church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”
