The Apostles' Creed

A creed is a statement designed to show in summary form what one believes. Therefore a Christian creed must reflect doctrine taught in Scriptures. Creeds do not contain all doctrine of Scriptures, but usually emphasize major beliefs and additional points necessary to refute false doctrines of their time. Creeds coming after the Apostles' Creed, which is one of (if not) the earliest creed of the church, often expand on certain points due to new opposition. For example, The Nicene Creed of the 4th century spends more time emphasizing the Deity of Christ as a direct rebuttal to the Arians (a growing heresy of that time) who denied that Jesus was fully God. While it's unlikely that the apostles directly composed this creed, it definitely reflects their beliefs wherein it also reflects the clear teaching of Scriptures. In its earliest forms it is thought to have been written in the late first century or, at the latest, in the second century. It's long time use by the church has shown it to reflect the basic doctrines of the church since its beginning. Some Protestant churches have discarded this creed, viewing it as being tainted by continued use in the Roman Catholic Church. A church's use of this creed, even while involved in error, in no way detracts from the creed's content. If the content is Biblical — and it is — then it is a valid expression of Christian belief. Protestant churches who continue to use this creed, yet deny the literal virgin birth, or have discarded God creating in favor of evolution, are just as much in error... yet the truth of the creed still stands. A number of early forms of this creed exist, showing some of its revisions and expansions. While the Apostles' Creed commonly used today grew directly out of Western forms, we've also included Eastern editions to show common content... Asia Minor/Egypt [known as Epistula Apostolorum] (c. 150 A.D.) In the Father, the Ruler of the Universe, And in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, In the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, In the Holy Church, And in the Forgiveness of Sins. Iranaeus [Against Heresies, book 3, chapter 4, section 1] (c. 180 A.D.) End Note 2 [They] believing in one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, by means of Christ Jesus, the Son of God; who, because of His surpassing love towards His creation, condescended to be born of the virgin, He Himself uniting man through Himself to God, and having suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rising again, and having been received up in splendour, shall come in glory, the Saviour of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged, Iranaeus [Against Heresies, book 1, chapter 4, section 1] (c. 180 A.D.) End Note 2 [We believe] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them;  and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, ... and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, ... and that He should execute just judgment towards all Hippolytus [western, in interrogatory form] (c. 215 A.D.) End Note 1 Do you believe in God the Father Almighty? Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Who was begotten by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died and was buried and rose the third day living from the dead, and ascended into the heavens, and sat down on the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, and in the resurrection of the body? Creed of Caesarea (c. 325 A.D.) We believe in one God, the Father All Governing, Creator of everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, God from God, Light from Light, Life from Life, the only-begotten Son, the first born of all creation, begotten of the Father before all time, by whom also everything came into being, who for our salvation became incarnate and lived among men. He suffered, and rose the third day, and ascended to the Father, and will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. We believe also in one Holy Spirit.

Old Roman Creeds (c. 340+ A.D.) I believe in God almighty [the Father almighty, invisible (in one version c. 404 A.D.)] And in Christ Jesus, his only Son, our Lord Who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary Who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried And the third day rose from the dead Who ascended into heaven And sits at the right hand of the Father Whence he cometh to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit The holy church The remission of sins The resurrection of the flesh The life everlasting. (Not in one version.) The Apostles' Creed (c. 6th Century A.D.) I believe in God the Father almighty, I also believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell, rose again the third day, ascended into heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Father, thence he is to come to judge the living 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 flesh and life eternal. The Apostles' Creed (two versions as used today, based directly on common form c. 700 A.D.) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall 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. 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   Along with being a quick summary of Christian belief, the Apostle's creed also refuted one of the earliest heresies confronting the church: Gnosticism. The Gnostics, together with a few other groups (some coming later) denied that God had come in the flesh. Some even held that Jesus did not have a physical body. The Biblical book of 1 John actually begins with a clear statement showing that these beliefs were wrong... 1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (2) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, (3) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (NIV) Showing the need to be clear on these things, the Apostles' Creed clearly emphasized Jesus' humanity. The following is a quick look at what the Creed sought to teach in contrast to common false beliefs surrounding the early church.End Note 3 (It should be noted that many of these errors still exist today, especially in teachings of cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses.) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Gnostics held that creation (i.e. the whole physical universe) was evil and that God did not make it. The creed clearly points to God's special creation as testified to throughout all of Scriptures; and not only in the book of Genesis. See the response attached to this article regarding a dispute over the first lines of this creed. Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, Gnostics believed that God had never taken a human nature or a human body. Some tried to divide Christ and Jesus (the man), claiming that Christ used Jesus or spoke through him. These even went so far as to say that Jesus did not receive Christ until the Holy Spirit descended upon him at his baptism and that the Spirit left him before the crucifixion. Others claimed there was never a physical man Jesus at all, but only an appearance of a man. The creed clearly affirms that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, specifically denying the Gnostic position that the Spirit had nothing to do with Jesus until his Baptism. Additionally the creed states that He was born, showing that He had a real physical body, not just an appearance, and further that He was born of a virgin noting that his life was special from the very beginning and not just from His baptism on. suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. There were, and are, many stories featuring gods who died and were resurrected. These myths [and that is what they are] always point to a nonspecific ancient time. The Creed points out that Jesus suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried at a real time and place in history. (Remember that dates were related to rulers in Biblical times, as our uniform calendar did not exist yet.) He descended into hell. Together with the line before it, the Creed emphasizes that Jesus was really dead. This was a physical death, with a dead body that was actually placed in a real tomb. He was not merely unconscious, and later revived. While Christians differ on what Jesus did, if anything, when His spirit left His body, the Creed merely points out that like all who die, His spirit left His body. The Creed's reference to Jesus' descent into Hades (or Hell, or Sheol) is only here to make it completely clear that His death was not just fainting, or a coma, but death in every sense of the word. (Read, if you have opportunity, John Calvin's view of this line, as found in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, for an interesting perspective). The third day He arose again from the dead. The creed emphasizes a bodily (physical) resurrection from the dead, which again refutes any who said Jesus never really died, as well as all who claim that He stayed dead in the normal manner of mankind. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. Jesus, the Messiah, is clearly portrayed by the Creed as being alive, continuing forever in His role as mediator between mankind and God.  Likewise He is portrayed as the one who will judge the world, a role only attributed to God throughout the Old Testament.  Therefore Jesus is shown to be man and God. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, Gnostics believed that the deep or important teachings of God where only for a select few (namely them). This meant that "common" people could not find or understand the truth apart from special people who could show it (or reveal it) to them. The Creed reflected the teachings of Scripture that God, by His Spirit, imparts His gospel to everyone who will believe (Jew, Gentile, rich, poor, weak, strong, male, female, etc.). With this comes the understanding that the gospel is to be preached to the entire world. The word "catholic," that is used here, is merely an old word meaning "universal". The Creed's claim, of the church being universal, directly assaulted the Gnostic belief that deep spiritual teachings were only for a select few. the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, Gnostics believed that man only needed more enlightenment or wisdom. To them, sin was not a problem, only ignorance. Of course, this denied any need for forgiveness. Two differing ways of living out these false beliefs came about. One believed that the body was the real problem, leading these individuals into a monastic type life, working to deny all pleasures to the body. The other believed that the body was completely separate from the soul, so you could do anything you wanted in the body (living only for pleasure) and it made no difference on the soul. To both of these groups, the Creed clearly pointed to the need of forgiveness from sin and the fellowship of believers (with each other and God). the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. Again, Gnostics held that the physical world was the real problem. (As do cults of today such as Christian Science). If one could merely be free of the physical realm, everything would be all right. For this reason, Gnostics didn't want (or believe in) a resurrection. The Creed closes with the hope of the church, that the One who defeated death will raise us bodily, and make us new, to experience life forever untainted again by sin and death. In summary, this Creed — in a few short lines — encompasses many of the great truths of our Christian faith. I believe... do you? End notes: 1. The actual passage from Hippolytus of Rome's work, concerning baptism, is as follows. He lived circa 170-236 A.D.: When each of them to be baptized has gone down into the water, the one baptizing shall lay hands on each of them, asking, "Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?" 13 And the one being baptized shall answer, "I believe." 14 He shall then baptize each of them once, laying his hand upon each of their heads. 15 Then he shall ask, "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died, and rose on the third day living from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, the one coming to judge the living and the dead?" 16 When each has answered, "I believe," he shall baptize a second time. 17 Then he shall ask, "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Church and the resurrection of the flesh?" 18 Then each being baptized shall answer, "I believe." And thus let him baptize the third time. (The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome, chapter 21, verses 12-18) 2. In context, Iranaeus shows that these points are a summary of the faith as held by all believers. Every Christian around the world, whether in his local church or a "barbarian" who came to faith by someone preaching (but not yet having written Scriptures), all will believe these things as they are the essence of the faith passed down by the Apostles and, indeed, as are recorded in the Apostolic writings of Scripture. For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches? To which course many nations of those barbarians who believe in Christ do assent, having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit, without paper or ink, and, carefully preserving the ancient tradition, believing in one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, by means of Christ Jesus, the Son of God; who, because of His surpassing love towards His creation, condescended to be born of the virgin, He Himself uniting man through Himself to God, and having suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rising again, and having been received up in splendour, shall come in glory, the Saviour of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged, and sending into eternal fire those who transform the truth, and despise His Father and His advent. Those who, in the absence of written documents, have believed this faith, are barbarians, so far as regards our language; but as regards doctrine, manner, and tenor of life, they are, because of faith, very wise indeed; and they do please God, ordering their conversation in all righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. If any one were to preach to these men the inventions of the heretics, speaking to them in their own language, they would at once stop their ears, and flee as far off as possible, not enduring even to listen to the blasphemous address. Thus, by means of that ancient tradition of the apostles, they do not suffer their mind to conceive anything of the [doctrines suggested by the] portentous language of these teachers, among whom neither Church nor doctrine has ever been established. (Iranaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 4, End of Section 1, Section 2; Iranaeus died in 202 A.D., wrote Against Heresies circa 180 A.D.) The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father "to gather all things in one," and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, "every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess" to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send "spiritual wickednesses," and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory. As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. (Iranaeus, Against Heresies, Book 1, Chapter 10 "Unity of the Faith of the Church Throughout the Whole World.", Section 1 and start of Section 2; Iranaeus died in 202 A.D., wrote Against Heresies circa 180 A.D.) 3. If you are looking for a longer examination of the Apostles' Creed, from a different perspective — namely, better defining the basic beliefs that the church should hold dear — check out R.C. Sproul's Renewing Your Mind: Basic Christian Beliefs You Need to Know (Baker). (c) 2005/11 by Brent MacDonald/LTM - Version 2b

Do you really believe that God the Father is creator of heaven and earth? This question did not come from an evolutionist who denies that God created, it came from a believer who believes the wording to be heresy. The following included excerpt from the letter I received and my response. Good history but you ignore a salient point: it [the Apostle's Creed] is heresy. No where [sic] that I know of in the Bible does it say the "God the Father" is the creator of heaven and earth. However, the Bible does specifically and clearly state (Colossians, Revelations, etc) that not only did Jesus create everything, including heaven and earth, but that He holds it all together. [Excerpt from email received June 7, 2010 from PFW. Square parenthesis ours for clarification.] I will defend this first line of the Apostle's Creed, not because I must but because I believe it expresses the truth of Scriptures. Any summary of belief does not have to use the exact wording of Scriptures, or even a word found in Scriptures, rather the words must convey the idea(s) underlying what Scriptures teaches. It is on this basis that we can claim God to be Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Triune, because the concept behind each word is present in Scriptures, though the exact phraseology is not. I believe the error [calling the Father creator] was the start of de-emphasizing the divinity of Jesus so works and tradition could be brought in for salvation. [Square parenthesis ours for clarification] I think it's a red-herring that you would claim this to be some form of deemphasizing the divinity of Christ, a means of encouraging works and tradition for salvation. The largest body of professed Christians on this planet, the Roman Catholic Church (http://www.liontracks.org/roarlion/xrcatho.htm), unequivocally holds to the divinity of Jesus Christ and yet thoroughly espouses a works and tradition based theology of salvation. This line in the Apostle's Creed certainly was not the start of de-emphasizing the divinity of Jesus; there were individuals, cults, and movements, around for hundreds of year before that had done so outright. With this line appearing in the creed around the seventh or eighth centuries, consider that the Arian heresy (named after the Alexandrian priest Arius, circa 250-336 A.D.) had long since denied that the Son was eternal and one with God. The council of Nicaea, under Athanasius, specifically reaffirmed the coeternity and coequality of the Father and the Son in 325 A.D. It is probable that the early form of the Apostle's Creed dating to 325 A.D. was specifically formulated to help refute Arianism. In opposition to Arian-type heretics, hosts of Bible believing Christians, all holding to salvation through Christ by faith and not works, have held to the statement that God the Father is maker (creator) of heaven and heaven. Examples include virtually every Protestant Reformer, and preachers such as Charles Spurgeon. They, of course, unwaveringly, held to the deity of Christ. The statement from the creed, correct or incorrect, can be used, distorted, or ignored for whatever purpose a person desires. But I would defend that this creedal statement is accurate and I hold to sola scriptura, sola gratia, sola fides, and trust completely in the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is a proper understanding of Scriptures to claim that the entire Triune God created - meaning Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This does not diminish the Deity of Christ; it properly affirms His relationship within the Godhead. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." God (singular) refers to Himself at creation as being "us", a plurality of one. Using passages throughout the totality of God's word, it can be shown that each person of the Trinity was involved in creating. The Holy Spirit, of course, was directly present and referenced in the same Genesis account: Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The New Testament, the completion of God's progressive revelation, which certainly makes clearer many Old Testament passages and shadows, clearly shows Jesus (the Son) as being Creator too. John 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. Colossians 1:15-16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Hebrews 1:1-3 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. God the Father made the world through the Son. The Greek preposition in Hebrews 1:2 being even more clearly "through" than the one translated as "by" in some of the other passages. The "by" is obviously a synonym though. This means that it's completely proper to call the Father creator along with calling the Son creator. As such one is the primary cause and the other the secondary, yet wording such as this hardly encompasses the unity within the Godhead. On the basis of Hebrews 1:1-3 alone, the wording of the first line of the Apostle's Creed is vindicated - God the Father created. The "how" is unquestionably through the Son. The Triune God has revealed himself as a God of order; even within His own person there is a structure of authority. Having an authority structure in no way makes one inferior to the other but assures perfect unity in purpose and action. The following statements help in understanding the relationships within the Trinity. What the Father wills, He does. What the Father wills, the Son wills and He does. What the Father and Son will, the Spirit wills and does. Jesus was made His part very clear. He was never acting on His own; rather He was imitating the Father, fully and perfectly doing His father's will. John 5:19-20 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. John 8:42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Hebrews 10:7 Then I said, 'Here I am - it is written about me in the scroll - I have come to do your will, O God.'" Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." (also Matthew 26:39) John 4:34 "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. The apostle Paul speaks of God (by implication of the context, God the Father) as Creator and the one who is accomplishing His purpose through the Son. Even if the general reference to "God" was the entirety of the Triune God, it still makes it valid to refer to the Father as being Creator, no less or more than the Son. Ephesians 3:8-11 Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ("God" in context of Ephesians 1:17) While not necessary to this discussion regarding the Father and Son being Creator, the following verses illustrate the earlier statement on how the Holy Spirit interacts within the authority structure of the Trinity. The Spirit is sent by the Father: John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (NIV) Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (NIV) Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (NIV) The Spirit is sent by the Son: John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (NIV) John 20:21-22 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. " (NIV) Notice what the Spirit is called: Galatians 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." (NIV) Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. (NIV) Philippians 1:19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. (NIV) The Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son: John 15:26 "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. (NIV) John 16:15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. (NIV) Acts 2:33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. (NIV) While some verses, or passages, seem to say that only the Father sends, or only the Son sends, and others both, all are correct. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son. This makes it correct to say that the Son is the sender of the Holy Spirit and also correct to say that the Father is the sender of the Holy Spirit. Likewise, it is no less correct to call the Father creator of all and the Son creator of all. Holding one wording up against the other, when both are correct, misses the point of the unity between the Father and the Son in the Godhead. In regards to the Holy Spirit, a thousand years ago, one of the greatest arguments fought within the church was "whose Spirit?" The western church rightly claimed that the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the Father and the Son, while the Eastern Church got hung up on wording (specifically the last half of John 15:26) and said that the Holy Spirit only proceeds from the Father. Although there were other underlying factors, both and right and wrong on each side, this was the professed primary cause of the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. By Scriptures, on this one issue, I would have to agree with the Roman Catholic Church of that day and it's adherence to the confession of faith expressed by the Council of Toledo (589 A.D.): the Spirit proceeds from the Father "and the Son". While not an exact quotation from Scriptures, it certainly summarizes what the Bible teaches. As with the Apostle's creed, I can confidently proclaim "I believe in God the Father Maker of Heaven and Jesus". Could the creed have added another section regarding Jesus, also proclaiming Him as Creator? Certainly. But, as with all summaries of belief (instant or formulated), someone ends up determining how much detail to give. The only way you can be assured of not missing anything is to quote Genesis to Revelation. For the Son, the Apostle's Creed chose to focus on Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, and His coming again to judge. As a summary it could have also said more about His being sent by the Father. There's always ways to make a summary longer, but most of these early creeds were trying to make a memorable statement encompassing the basics. Many later creeds and confessions of faith added a whole lot more detail, but become so long that people do not, or can not, memorize them. Wherein it doesn't distort, I'd rather have someone learn and know some of the truth than none of it - in fact, we do the same when we have people memorize a single verse of Scriptures apart from its context. More Reading: Understanding God's Authority Structures Is All Tradition Bad?