The Apostles’ Creed: A Timeless Foundation (with a big gap)

The Apostles’ Creed stands as a testament to the enduring faith of generations. While it wasn’t penned by the original apostles themselves, its roots trace back to the 2nd century AD, making it one of the earliest and most foundational creeds in Christianity. This creed succinctly encapsulates essential truths that have resonated across denominational lines, uniting believers worldwide.

The Creed’s Core Tenets

Let’s dissect its powerful declarations:

1. God the Father Almighty: The creed opens with reverence for the Creator of heaven and earth. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty and omnipotence.
2. Jesus Christ, His Only Son: Here, we encounter the heart of the Christian message. Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, embodies divine love and redemption.
3. Suffering and Triumph: The creed acknowledges Jesus’ earthly journey—from suffering under Pontius Pilate to His crucifixion, death, and burial. But it doesn’t stop there. It proclaims His triumphant resurrection on the third day—a pivotal moment that changed the course of history.
4. Exaltation and Judgment: Jesus ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there, He will return to judge the living and the dead. This anticipation of His second coming infuses hope and accountability.
5. The Holy Spirit and the Church: The Holy Spirit, the life-giving breath of God, animates the Church—the mystical body of Christ. The communion of saints binds believers across time and space.
6. Forgiveness, Resurrection, and Eternal Life: The creed affirms forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the promise of everlasting life. It bridges the temporal and the eternal.

The Creed’s Silence on the Life of Jesus

While the creed focuses on pivotal moments—birth, suffering, death, and resurrection—it mentions nothing about Jesus’ earthly life. This is a huge gap. The life of Jesus and the teaching of Jesus require our focus if we want to live as his disciples.  Followers of Jesus (disciples) are learners engaged in a process of learning to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. That is learning to live as Jesus lived. The life that Jesus lived on this earth and the things he taught about life in the Kingdom are imminently practical even for us today.  

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

When Peter preached at Pentecost, he quoted Psalm 16:11, declaring that Christ revealed the way of life. Jesus Himself affirmed this truth: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In these words, we find the essence of His teachings and His very identity.

The Liberating Truth

Consider John 8:31–32: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus, as the embodiment of truth, liberates us from bondage—whether spiritual, emotional, or intellectual. His life, teachings, and sacrificial love illuminate the path to freedom.

As we ponder the Apostles’ Creed, let’s recognize that it serves as a foundational framework—a starting point. Beyond its concise statements lies a vast landscape of exploration. The gap becomes a place for us to explore. And at its core stands Jesus—the embodiment of truth, the revealer of life, and the key to our freedom.

When we are called to align ourselves with truth, Jesus is what we are called to align ourselves with. The incarnation of God in Christ forever establishes that truth statements must be wrapped in tangible presence. Jesus did not just come bringing a set of propositions – he was the proposition. At one point, Jesus said to His followers, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12 ESV).So, in this little blog, I will attempt to focus our attention on the life of Jesus; the things he taught and the way he lived. The life he lived and the things he taught are recorded in the gospels so that we could know, love, and become like him. That is the essence of discipleship. Starting with my next post, I intend to spend a while in John’s gospel. It is my favorite book in the Bible. It is chock full of practical lessons, yet it is an abridged version. John himself wrote, “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25 NLT).