Introduction
This past Sunday, my church held a unique service different from our typical Sunday service. This service was based on the 12 articles of the Apostles' Creed. The Apostles' Creed is a short statement of core Christian beliefs that has been used by the Church since ancient times. It summarizes foundational doctrines about God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life. The Creed is called the Apostles' Creed because it is traditionally believed to reflect the teachings of the apostles, though it was not directly written by them. It serves as a unifying confession of faith for Christians across denominations, guiding worship and teaching while connecting believers to the historic Church.
The service included scripture and 12 hymns associated with each article of the creed. You can watch the full service here. In this blog, I want to share the short sermonettes I gave for articles, 4, 7, 9, and 11.
Article Four – “…He descended to the dead.”
I think most people in our congregation are familiar with the statements from the Apostles’ Creed that say: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” But the last statement may be unfamiliar. “He descended to the dead.”
The
confusion stems from the fact this statement about Christ “descending to the
dead” or “descending to hell” is included in the traditional forms of the
Apostles’ Creed but not the ecumenical form many congregations have used. The ecumenical version was used in many
congregations (like ours) for the last century, but the traditional Apostles’
Creed has been used for most of the Christian Church’s history for 2000 years. Some creeds, including the oldest creeds that
were used in the 2nd and 3rd century, did not include the
phrase “He descended to the dead.” But the
overwhelming majority of Christians through the centuries included the phrase
“He descended to the dead (or hell)” as they recited the Apostles’ Creed. Well? Did Christ descend to the dead or not?
1 Peter 3:18-20 in the Bible says of Jesus: "He was put to
death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, He went
and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient
long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was
being built." The “imprisoned
spirits” were people who died before the time of Christ.
Ephesians
4:9 says,
"What does 'He ascended' mean except that He also descended to the lower,
earthly regions?" Where else could
Jesus have descended but hell (or the place of the dead)?
There is
an understanding in Scripture (and among early Christians) that Jesus descended
to the place of the dead (Hell or Sheol) and shared the Gospel with those who
died before He came so they too would have an opportunity to repent and believe
and be saved. Think of all the heroes of
the Old Testament era like Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David. These people never had a chance to hear
Jesus’ message of salvation. They died
before He came. But God, in His infinite
mercy and ultimate justice, would not leave anyone out of His plan to save the
world—even if they lived and died before Jesus’ time on earth. So, Jesus descended to the place of the dead
(AKA Sheol or Hades or Hell) and preached the Good News. And anyone who believed and accepted God’s
grace was saved.
The
points we can take away are these: First, God is just – God would never
condemn someone without them having a fair chance to be saved. Second, though
Christ was God, He was also human and really did experience everything it means
to be a human—including death and the reality of what can happen to sinners who
face judgment in hell.
Article Seven – “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (see Acts 1:9-11)
This really is an important statement to affirm. Christ was clear. He said He would come again. The angels were clear. Christ will come again. The Bible is clear. Christ will come again. It has been nearly 2,000 years since Christ ascended into Heaven. After so long, some might think Christ will not return as promised. But we affirm He will.
And Jesus
said no one knows when the second coming will happen, but that He will return
“like a thief in the night” and catch many by surprise. So, we should always be ready and live as if
His return is imminent.
You will
see Jesus face-to-face in your lifetime.
Either He will return for the whole world al at once in the second
coming or He will return for you individually when you die. And when He comes, what will He find when He
evaluates your life? Will He say of you,
“Well done, good and faithful servant?”
Or will He say, “Away from me, you have lived a wicked life and never
repented and turned to me as Lord.”
Remember,
none of us knows how long we have—whether it is years or days, or moments. Therefore, repent and turn to the Lord now
for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!
Article Nine – “I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints.” (see Colosians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, & Hebrews 12:1)
I get more
questions about this one statement in the Apostles Creed than any other. I get it.
It was the same question I raised when I first attended a Methodist Church as a
boy and recited The Apostles Creed.
I thought we were Methodist. Why do we
say we believe in the “catholic Church”?
The word catholic
means universal. We do not profess to believe in the “Roman Catholic
Church” (which is only one denomination of the WHOLE Christian Church). No, we
believe in a universal Church that transcends denominational lines and includes
every person around the world who follows Jesus Christ as Lord. This universal
(or Catholic) church includes Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians,
Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, people who attend non-denominational
churches, and people from every other Christian denomination. It even includes Roman Catholics and Orthodox
Christians if they truly follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is the universal (or catholic) Church. And I believe in the holy, catholic church.
The second
part of article nine is important too and related: “I believe in… the communion
of saints.” The communion of saints is the community of all believers—both
living and dead—who follow Christ. The communion of saints includes you
and me (if we are truly Christian) as well as all the Christians who lived over
the last 2000 years and are now living with Jesus in heaven. Even though
we cannot see those saints in Heaven, we join with them in praising God every
time we worship. They care about us and cheer us on as we seek to live
for God in this life (Hebrews 12:1).
Article Eleven – “I Believe In The Resurrection of the body." (See Job 19:25-27 & Romans 8:11)
That seems straightforward enough, but I think we don’t fully consider what it means. The idea of Heaven is common in popular religion in America. Even those who do not attend church may believe the idea that when a person dies, their spirit will go up to heaven. But Christians boldly proclaim, “I believe in the ressurection of the body.” Of the body… The teaching of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and therefore the belief of the Christian Church, is that our physical bodies will be resurrected. We will not be disembodied spirits floating around in heaven. No. We will live forever with Jesus with a perfected, healed, physical body. God created Adam and Eve as physical creatures with perfect bodies and we will ultimately have our broken, sinful bodies healed and restored to perfection.
Jesus is
our example. He was born as a baby and
lived on earth in a physical body. He
died after His physical body was crucified on a cross. And then He rose from the grave on the third
day. He was not a spirit or a
ghost. He ate breakfast with His
disciples. He told Thomas to touch His
physical hands and feel the actual nail scars.
If Christ rose to eternal life in a physical body, so too will we. So, we believe in the ressurection of the
body.”
The Full Apostles’ Creed
Now that we have
examine the meaning of these articles of the traditional Apostles’ Creed, read the whole creed as one and contemplate the meaning in these historic words. What new insight do you find in them?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He 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,
and is seated at the right hand of
the Father,
He will come 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.
Closing
Today, we have examined 4 articles of the Apostles' Creed, affirming the
foundational truths of the Christian faith. We have declared our belief in God the
Father, the Creator of all; in Jesus Christ, the Savior who conquered sin and
death; in the Holy Spirit, who empowers and guides us; and in the Holy Catholic
Church, the communion of saints, the ressurection of the body, and life
everlasting.
As we leave, let us carry these truths in our hearts and live them out in
our lives. May the faith we have affirmed today shape our actions, inspire our
worship, and deepen our love for God and one another.
Remember, this Creed is not just words we recite—it is the foundation upon
which we build our whole life. It guides
us to live boldly for Christ, trusting in His promises and sharing His love
with a world in need.
Now, as you go, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever. Amen.
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