The Apostles’ Creed

A mural of the Apostles’ Creed in a church in Gosfield, England

The Apostles’ Creed (Latin: Symbolum Apostolicum), also called the Credo, is a confession of faith used in worship, Mass, and baptism in the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England (Anglican Communion), and many Protestant churches. The term Creed refers to a concise statement summarizing the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. In Latin, it begins with Credo, meaning “I believe,” and the Apostles’ Creed likewise opens with this word. By reciting the Apostles’ Creed, believers profess their faith in the Triune God and the salvation work of God. The Creed affirms belief in God the Creator, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His suffering on the cross, His death, resurrection, and more.

The Apostles’ Creed developed gradually over several centuries, drawing from early baptismal confessions used as early as the 2nd century. Various phrases were added over time until it took the form used today. Unlike the Lord’s Prayer—recorded in Matthew chapter 6 and spoken directly by Jesus—the Apostles’ Creed does not appear in the Bible as a single, directly stated text.

The Origin of the Apostles’ Creed

Title

An engraving of Saint Peter, Hendrick Goltzius, 1589: There is a claim that the twelve articles of the Apostles’ Creed were each spoken by one of the twelve apostles, but there is no evidence to support this.

The term “Apostles’ Creed” (Symbolum Apostolicum) first appears in written sources from the late 4th century. In his commentary on the Creed, Tyrannius Rufinus claimed that the Apostles’ Creed was formed when the twelve apostles, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and before going out to preach the gospel, each contributed one statement of faith. Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, also supported this account. This legend—that each of the twelve articles of the Creed was authored by one of the apostles—became widely accepted by the 6th century and remained largely unquestioned throughout the Middle Ages. The Eastern Church, however, rejected this apostolic-origin tradition and continues to deny it officially. Although theologians have examined how the Creed reflects biblical teaching and apostolic faith, the scholarly consensus today is that the Apostles’ Creed developed gradually over several centuries as a liturgical confession within the Christian community. It does not have a single author, nor does it appear in the Bible as a fixed or direct text.

The Old Roman Creed

Before the Apostles’ Creed was formally established, many local churches used their own versions of faith confessions. Among these, the Apostles’ Creed was particularly shaped by the Old Roman Creed (Latin: Romanum, also known as the Roman Symbol), which was used in the Church of Rome around the year 200, primarily in baptismal rites. At a time when Christianity faced strong challenges from Gnostic teachings, catechumens—those preparing for baptism—professed their faith by responding to the bishop’s questions, such as “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” These answers expressed belief in the Triune God and in Jesus Christ. This dialogical, question-and-answer style confession became the baptismal creed of the Roman Church and eventually served as an important foundation for what later developed into the Apostles’ Creed.

Although the term “Apostles’ Creed” appears as early as the 4th century, it did not refer to the creed in its present form. The standardized version we know today took shape in the late 6th or early 7th century in the southwestern region of France, then part of the Frankish Kingdom. Interestingly, this form of the creed came to be used in Western churches outside of Rome before it was ever adopted within Rome itself. When Charlemagne (Latin: Carolus Magnus, reigned 768–814), King of the Franks and later Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, endorsed the Apostles’ Creed, its use gradually spread into the Roman Church as well. Eventually, Pope Innocent III (papacy: 1198–1216) officially recognized the Apostles’ Creed as the standard confession of faith for the Roman Catholic Church and for the Western Church more broadly. Since then, the Apostles’ Creed has remained central to Catholic baptismal rites and continues to be recited at every Sunday Mass.

The Content of the Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed consists of twelve articles of faith and follows a Trinitarian structure, divided into three main sections:

1. Confession of faith in God the Father
2. Confession of faith in Jesus Christ, the Son
3. Confession of faith in the Holy Spirit

Although the overall structure has remained consistent throughout history, the specific wording of the Creed can vary—sometimes slightly, sometimes considerably—depending on the denomination or translation.

The Apostles’ Creed in Latin

Symbolum Apostolicum

1.  Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae. 2.  Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum, 3. qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, 4. passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, 5.  descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, 6.  ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, 7.  inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos. 8.  Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, 9.  sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, 10. remissionem peccatorum, 11.  carnis resurrectionem, 12.  vitam aeternam. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (Roman Catholic version)

English

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; on 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 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 life everlasting. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (Anglican Communion version)

Common Worship (From the Book of Common Prayer, 1662, modern spelling)

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; the Forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body; and the Life everlasting. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (Traditional Protestant Version)

English

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church (Some modern Protestants say: “holy universal Church”); the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed

A painting depicting the proclamation of the Nicene Creed shows people holding a scroll bearing part of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, which was formally adopted in AD 381.

In addition to the Apostles’ Creed, the creed most widely used in Christianity today is what is commonly called the Nicene Creed or Nicene Confession, formally known as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (or the Creed of Constantinople). Unlike Korea, where the Apostles’ Creed is more frequently recited in church services, the Nicene Creed is the standard creed used in many Christian traditions around the world.

In the Catholic Church, the Liturgy of the Word in the Order of Mass states: “Instead of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, the baptismal symbol of the Roman Church—that is, the Apostles’ Creed—may be used.” This indicates that the Nicene Creed is regarded as the primary or normative creed, while the Apostles’ Creed may be used as a permitted substitute, especially on certain liturgical occasions. Although the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed share a similar structure and content, the Nicene Creed provides more detailed theological explanations.

The Nicene Creed

Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Nicene Creed was adopted at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 to refute Arianism, a doctrine that denied the divinity of Christ. It was later expanded at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381. However, as Arianism declined by the 6th century, the need for such a theologically elaborate creed also diminished, and simpler creeds were increasingly preferred. At the same time, a significant issue emerged during the Latin translation of the Nicene Creed—known as the “Filioque” controversy.

The Latin word Filioque, meaning “and the Son.” In Greek, the Creed stated: “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father” (τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον), but the Latin version rendered it as: “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son” (qui ex Patre Filioque procedit). This difference in wording led to a significant theological rift between the Eastern (Greek-speaking) and Western (Latin-speaking) churches. The “Filioque” clause became one of the major doctrinal disputes that eventually contributed to the East–West Schism.

Until the 6th century, the Apostles’ Creed was primarily used as a baptismal confession. It was originally intended as a teaching tool to distinguish Christianity from Judaism and from various heresies. However, due to its simplicity and the lack of textual variation between Eastern and Western churches, the Apostles’ Creed gradually emerged as the primary profession of faith in the Catholic Church.

Controversies

CREDO (Apostles’ Creed), Emmanuel Frémiet, 19th-century sculpture

The Eastern Orthodox Church does not officially recognize the Apostles’ Creed. Instead, it accepts the Nicene Creed—formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325—as the most authoritative profession of faith. In Protestantism, debates over the Apostles’ Creed have continued since the Reformation, leading to divergent views among denominations. Jehovah’s Witnesses and some Baptist churches reject the Apostles’ Creed. The primary reasons for this rejection are its uncertain origin and the perception that it represents a remnant of Roman Catholic tradition.
In the Apostles’ Creed, the phrase “I believe in the holy catholic Church” has been a point of debate. While the term catholic (from the Greek katholikos) literally means “universal,” some argue that, in practice, it refers to the Roman Catholic Church, which played a central role in shaping the Creed. Therefore, some Protestants contend that this phrase is incompatible with Protestant theology. Another difference arises in the line often translated as “the communion of saints.” In Protestant churches, this is generally understood as “fellowship among believers.” In Catholic doctrine, however, the same phrase refers to the communion of all saints, including both the living and the dead, signifying spiritual union.

See also

• Council of Nicaea
• Trinity
• Arianism
• Teachings of Men