I believe in God, the Father almighty,

          creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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,

          he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

          and he 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.

The Apostles’ Creed evolved into its present form by the seventh century, although much of the text originated the first century. It is the creed par excellence of Baptism, widely used when candidates declare their readiness for membership
in the Body of Christ and recited during the Great Vigil of Easter as a reminder of our baptismal covenant. It is frequently used in Protestant churches during Sunday worship, and forms an important part of the orders for daily Morning
and Evening Prayer in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

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,

          was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary

          and became truly human.

          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,

          who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,

          who 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.

Also known as the Nicene- Constantinopolitan Creed, this classic testimony of the faith was the consensus of ecumenical councils in Nicea, 325, and Constantinople, 381. The creed was a response to the “Arian” movement, which challenged
the church’s teaching that Christ was both fully human and fully divine. Arians emphasized the humanity of Christ, and therefore believed he was “subordinate” to the Father. But the faith proclaimed in Constantinople was in a Christ
who was both, and therefore “of one being” with the Father. This creed is recited in the Sunday worship of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, and many Lutheran and Reformed congregations also use the creed
when they celebrate Holy Communion.