The Apostle's Church

I grew up in a church that disliked creeds. Creeds were considered an imposition on personal faith and priesthood of the believer. Good Baptists didn't recite creeds, liturgical prayers, or rote confessions. The prevailing paradigm: "The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it." In our weaker moments we sanctioned responsive readings. I grew up a true Protestant--questioning all tradition and religious authority apart from the Bible.


I don't believe that way so much anymore. As I began to look into the origin of the Apostle's Creed, I became more and more convinced there was something I was missing. Rather than being words that bind one to a church or denomination, the Creed reminds one of the foundation blocks of the early church.


Charter Members

• Apostles: Peter and Andrew, James and John sons of Zebedee/Clopas (Jesus' cousins), Philip, Nathaniel, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus, Simon "the Zealot", Matthias; Justus (runner-up; lost the toss to Matthias)
• Deacons: Stephen, Philip the Evangelist, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas
• Jesus' Family: James, Judas, Joses, Mary, sisters
• Jesus' Relatives: Salome/Mary, wife of Zebedee/Clopas (Mary's sister), John Mark and Barnabas (Jesus' nephews)
• Others disciples: Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Suzanna, Cleopas, bishop of Jerusalem, Ananias, who baptized Paul, and was bishop of Damascus, Prochorus, bishop of Nicomedia, Nicanor,  Timon, bishop of Bostra, Parmenas, bishop of Soli, Nicolaus, bishop of Samaria, Silas, bishop of Corinth, Silvanus, bishop of Thessalonica, Crisces (Crescens), bishop of Carchedon in Gaul, Epænetus, bishop of Carthage, Andronicus, bishop of Pannonia, Amplias, bishop of Odyssus, Urban, bishop of Macedonia, Stachys, bishop of Byzantium, Phygellus, bishop of Ephesus,  Hermogenes, Demas, who became a priest of idols, Apelles, bishop of Smyrna, Aristobulus, bishop of Britain, Narcissus, bishop of Athens, Herodion, bishop of Tarsus, Agabus the prophet, Rufus, bishop of Thebes, Asyncritus, bishop of Hyrcania, Phlegon, bishop of Marathon, Hermes, bishop of Dalmatia, Patrobulus, bishop of Puteoli, Hermas, bishop of Philippi, Linus, bishop of Rome, Caius, bishop of Ephesus, Philologus, bishop of Sinope, Olympus and Rhodion (martyred in Rome), Lucius, bishop of Laodicea in Syria, Jason, bishop of Tarsus, Sosipater, bishop of Iconium, Tertius, bishop of Iconium, Erastus, bishop of Panellas, Quartus, bishop of Berytus, Apollo, bishop of Cæsarea, Sosthenes, bishop of Colophonia, Tychicus, bishop of Colophonia, Epaphroditus, bishop of Andriace, Cæsar, bishop of Dyrrachium, Artemas, bishop of Lystra, Clement, bishop of Sardinia, Onesiphorus, bishop of Corone, Tychicus, bishop of Chalcedon, Carpus, bishop of Berytus in Thrace, Evodus, bishop of Antioch, Aristarchus, bishop of Apamea, Zenas, bishop of Diospolis, Aristarchus, Pudes, and Trophimus, who was martyred along with Paul. (according to Hippolytus of Rome)

Similar versions of the Apostle's Creed could be found around the Mediterranean within a century of Christ's ministry. Folk tradition attributes the twelve parts of the creed to the twelve apostles in Jerusalem. One thing is certain, first generation churches around the Mediterranean used creeds to keep in step with the first church established in Jerusalem by Peter, James, and John. The church was dispersed through persecution. As members of the first church left Jerusalem and began new churches, they took the Creed with them. Creeds were a confessional statement of agreement with the first church. Essentially, the Creed defined orthodox faith and served as a guard against heresy.


In the Council of Nicaea in 325, church leaders (overseers/bishops) from around the known world met and compared their various creeds.  Amazingly, the creeds in use in Italy, France, Africa, and Asia Minor were similar--suggesting a common source. As the church in Jerusalem sent forth Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, and others, and was eventually dispersed, one of two things happened. Either those who left took and imitated the practices of the Jerusalem church, or the apostles purposefully developed a "church starting kit" that included a faith statement for use in the new church.
What I have come to appreciate in the Apostle's Creed is it's nearness to the church immediately after Christ's ascension. I believe the Creed is very close to what Peter would have stated if I asked him to share his faith. The first church started with approximately 130 people who lived day-to-day with Jesus. The congregation included not only the Disciples, but the three Marys, Stephen, Barnabas, Timothy, John Mark, and others--a literal Hall of Fame group.


I find myself drawn to this first church and questions arise as I compare what can be seen in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches--those related to Jerusalem started in Antioch, Ephesus, Rome, Thessalonica, and churches around the Mediterranean Sea.


Rightly or wrongly, the church experienced a quantum shift in 1550s when faith in overseers and traditions passed to faith in the Bible as interpreted by the individual. I hope replacing a relational faith and practice with textual faith and practice wasn't a mistake.