The Apostles' Creed: Amen

The Creed

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.

The Word

Luke 24:44-49 (CSB) He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”

The Belief

Taken from the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 1.2 The Old and New Testaments of Holy Scripture, let us examine the promises of God.

All of which are given by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB) All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Luke 16:29-31 (CSB) But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said. ‘But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

But there is one who returned from the dead, who breathed out the words of God by the power of the Holy Spirit from the sovereign grace and mercy of God our Father--that is, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ has returned from the dead. Will you repent of your sins? Will you trust and believe and live by the words of God? Will you obey the Son of God who is God for your life!

The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.

2 Peter 1:19 (CSB) We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

John 1:4–5 (CSB) In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts

But it is only dependent on God who wills us to understanding and maturity:

Hebrews 5:11–6:3 (CSB)
¹¹ We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand.

¹² Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.

¹³ Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.

¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

¹ Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,

² teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

³ And we will do this if God permits.

Everything that God has said in his word is true

2 Corinthians 1:20 (CSB) For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen” to the glory of God.