Our Creeds

APOSTLES’ CREED

(Ecumenical Version)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth:

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again 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 the life everlasting. Amen.

*universal

NICENE CREED

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

METHODIST SOCIAL CREED

1. We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God’s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts for personal gain.

2. We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its care, preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind.

3. We joyfully receive for ourselves and others, the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage and the family.

4. We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, the dying, and those with handicaps; to improvement in the quality of life, and to the rights and dignity of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities.

5. We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the good of themselves and others; in the rights of property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and the cultivation of a simple lifestyle; and in the elimination of economic and social distress.

6. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to freedom for all people, and to the rule of justice and law among nations.

7. We believe in the present and final triumph of God in human affairs, and affirm that the world is our parish.

Affirmations of faith have been recorded since the New Testament church when Thomas confessed before the risen Christ, “My Lord and my God”. Christian creeds (credo – I believe) are usually Trinitarian, affirming God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They were devised as concise statements of doctrine, often as a hedge against heresy, and continue to be recited especially at the time of baptism and communion. The first two creeds below are the most universally received statements of faith in Christian churches. The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest such documents, although it did not come to its present form until the 8th century. It is more commonly recited in the West (Roman Catholic and Protestant churches). The Nicene Creed originated from the Council of Nicea in 321 AD, although it was given final form at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. It is the mostly widely used Christian creed. The Methodist Social Creed is included because it reflects the particular Wesleyan emphasis on personal and social holiness. A fairly modern Trinitarian statement of faith, it also affirms God’s compassion for the world and our human response. —The People Called Methodists: The Heritage, Life and Mission of The Methodist Church in Singapore

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