The Apostles Creed is an early statement of Christian belief, probably from the first or second century. It appears to have been written as a response to Gnosticism. The Apostles' Creed is widely used by a number of Protestant denominations for both services and theological education, most visibly by Lutheran churches and member churches of the Anglican Communion. Christianity is an Abrahamic religion based on the life, teachings, death by crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament. ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. ... (1st century - 2nd century - 3rd century - other centuries) Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. ... A creed is a statement of belief—usually religious belief—or faith. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Note that this kind of denomination is not that of a coin or banknote. ... Theology is literally reasonable discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. ...

English version (ELLC)

Below is the text of the creed as translated by the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) and the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC):

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.* **

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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.

*or "He descended to the dead." See The Harrowing of Hell for a discussion of the meaning of this part of the creed.

** In most Methodist denominations, including The United Methodist Church, this line is omitted.

The term God is used to designate a Supreme Being; however, there are countless definitions of God. ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... Jesus, also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure in Christianity. ... Christ, from the Greek in english known as Χριστός, or Khristós, means anointed, and is equivalent to the Hebrew term Messiah. ... A lord is one who has power and authority. ... The Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, is the name used in the Bible referring to the processed Triune God. ... The term Virgin Mary has several different meanings: For the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary, see Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... Pontius Pilate (Latin Pontius Pilatus) was the governor of the small Roman province of Judea from AD 26 until around 36 AD, although Tacitus believed him to be the procurator of that province. ... Religious depictions of the crucifixion of Jesus typically show him supported by nails through the palms. ... Medieval illustration of the Mouth of Hell Hell (according to many religious beliefs about the afterlife) is a place of torment and pain. ... The heavens are the sky, the celestial sphere, or outer space. ... The Holy Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, is the name used in the Bible referring to the processed Triune God. ... The Communion of Saints is a Christian doctrine held by the majority of major Christian churches. ... This article is about the religious meaning of the word Resurrection. For other meanings see Resurrection (disambiguation). ... The Harrowing of Hell is the traditional English name for an event affirmed in the Apostles Creed, which says simply that Jesus descended into Hell (or Hades). ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The United Methodist Church is the largest Methodist denomination, and the second-largest Protestant one, in the United States. ...

Latin version

The Latin version is Ecclesiastical Latin, sometimes called Church Latin, is the Latin language as used in documents of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae.

Et in Iesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum: qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis, inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.

Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen.

Catholic plural version

At Masses with children, the Apostles' Creed may be used:

We believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he arose again

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge to living and the dead.

We 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.

Theological issues

It does not address some of the Christological issues associated with the later Nicene Creed and other Christian Creeds. In particular, it was acceptable to many Arians and Unitarians. Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus Christ was and is. ... The Nicene Creed, or the Icon/Symbol of the Faith, is a Christian statement of faith accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches. ... A creed is a statement of belief—usually religious belief—or faith. ... Arianism was a Christological view held by followers of Arius in the early Christian Church, claiming that Jesus Christ and God the Father were not always contemporary, seeing the Son as a divine being, created by the Father (and consequently inferior to Him) at some point in time, before which... Historic Unitarianism believed in the oneness of God as opposed to traditional Christian belief in the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). ...

See also

• Nicene Creed