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The Apostles' Creed |
| Article I |
Article II |
Article III |
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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I 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 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.
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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.
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What does this mean?
[Robert E. Smith translation, 1994]
I believe that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own intelligence or power. But the Holy Spirit called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with her gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as she calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy the whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true faith. In this Church, she generously forgives each day every sin committed by me and by every believer. On the last day, she will raise me and all the dead from the grave. She will give eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is true!
Prayer
Holy Spirit, gather us, all peoples together. Knit us into the resurrected body of Christ, inspired to continue his saving work on earth, in whose name we pray, Amen.
Commentary by Pastor David G. Mullen
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Relationship with the Holy God is to be personal, of course, but is never private. The Faith is a creation of the Spirit, nurtured and cherished and passed along down through the centuries in, with, by, and through the “one holy catholic church.” This emphasizes the teaching function of the church. There is a “deposit of truth”—foundational doctrines that define the boundaries of the Faith. So the faith is for us, personal, but never private. We humble ourselves before the immense work of the Spirit in the Church. If we do not personally agree with everything the Church teaches, we can pray for the grace to understand it more deeply. Thank God for the one holy catholic church! It keeps us safe in the faith and guides us and all generations along the right pathways, forming on earth the body of Jesus Christ the risen one.