Apostles Creed
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:10 (ESV)
There are those among Christians who have boldly declared, “Deeds . . . not creeds.” They say that what we say matters less than what we do. It is very important that our actions do not conflict with what we confess. However, that doesn’t mean what we confess doesn’t matter. It did to the Apostle Paul, who wrote to the Roman Christians (as directed by the Holy Spirit), “With the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
We begin confessing the faith of our heart by saying, “I believe.” In Latin, the word is “credo,” from which we get the word, creed. When I lived in the state of Texas, people said, “I believe that I’ll go to the grocery store.” It wasn’t a statement of faith; it was an expression of purpose.
When we confess, “I believe” it doesn’t just mean that we think there is a God out there somewhere. We are speaking specifically of the God who reveals Himself to us in the Bible. We are saying that we trust in Him and accept His Word as true.
We don’t know for certain who first put the words on paper (well, leaves or animal skin). It was once suggested that on Pentecost each of the twelve disciples offered a phrase . . . but it doesn’t really work out to twelve statements.
It was an early baptismal creed. It was an expression of faith in the Triune God and what each confessor believed He had done for them.
We all believe in one true God,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Ever present Help in need,
praised by all the heav’nly host,
By whose mighty pow’r alone
All is made and wrought and done.
The Lutheran Hymnal 252:1