The term "Apostles" refers to the group of men chosen and commissioned by Jesus Christ to be His primary messengers and witnesses. The word "apostle" comes from the Greek "apostolos," meaning "one who is sent out." The Apostles played a foundational role in the establishment of the early Christian Church, spreading the teachings of Jesus and laying down the doctrinal foundations that would guide the faith.

The Twelve Apostles

The original group of Apostles consisted of twelve men whom Jesus personally selected during His earthly ministry. These were Simon Peter, James the son of Zebedee, John the brother of James, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus (also known as Judas the son of James), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus (Matthew 10:2-4). After the betrayal and death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was chosen to replace him (Acts 1:26).

Role and Authority

The Apostles were given unique authority by Jesus to preach the Gospel, perform miracles, and establish churches. In Matthew 10:1 , it is recorded, "Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness." This authority was a testament to their divine commissioning and was essential for the spread of Christianity in the first century.

The Great Commission

Before His ascension, Jesus gave the Apostles the Great Commission, instructing them to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). This mandate underscored the global mission of the Apostles and the Church.

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

Although not one of the original twelve, Paul is recognized as an Apostle due to his dramatic conversion and direct commissioning by the risen Christ (Acts 9:15). Paul referred to himself as "an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God" (2 Corinthians 1:1) and played a crucial role in spreading the Gospel to the Gentile world. His epistles form a significant portion of the New Testament and provide theological insights and guidance for the Church.

Apostolic Teaching and Tradition

The teachings of the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, form the core of Christian doctrine. Acts 2:42 states, "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." The Apostolic tradition, preserved through Scripture and the early Church Fathers, continues to be a vital source of authority and instruction for Christians.

Apostolic Succession

The concept of apostolic succession is rooted in the belief that the authority and mission of the Apostles have been passed down through successive generations of church leaders. This succession is seen as a means of preserving the integrity and continuity of the Church's teaching and sacramental life.

Significance in the Early Church

The Apostles were instrumental in the formation and expansion of the early Church. They were central figures at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), where they addressed critical issues regarding Gentile converts and the requirements of the Mosaic Law. Their leadership and guidance were pivotal in navigating the challenges faced by the nascent Christian community.

Legacy

The legacy of the Apostles is evident in the enduring impact of their teachings and the establishment of the Church. Their lives and martyrdoms serve as powerful testimonies to their faith and commitment to Christ. The Apostles' Creed, a statement of Christian faith, reflects the foundational beliefs that they proclaimed and defended.APOSTLES' CREED; THE

kred.

The Oldest Creed:

The Apostles' Creed is the oldest creed, and lies at the basis of most others. Though not, as the long-current legend of its origin affirmed, the direct work of the Apostles, it has its roots in apostolic times, and embodies, with much fidelity, apostolic teaching. It will be seen immediately that it had an important place in the early church, when as yet no creed but itself existed. The oldest usage of the term "Rule of Faith" (regula fidei), now commonly given to the Scriptures, has reference to this creed. It was the creed that could be appealed to as held by the church in all its great branches, and so as forming the test of catholicity. It was as resting on this creed that the church could be called "catholic and apostolic." Of late the creed has been the subject of great controversy, and violent attempts have been made to thrust out some of its chief articles from the Christian faith. This is a special reason for considering the foundations on which these articles of faith rest.

I. Form of the Creed.

In the first place, what is the creed? Here, first of all, it is to be pointed out that the received form of the creed is not its oldest or original form. The creed exists in two forms-a shorter and a longer; the former, known as the Old Roman Form, going back certainly as early as the middle of the 2nd century (about 140 A.D.), the latter, the enlarged form, in its present shape, of much later date. Its final form was probably given to it in South Gaul not before the middle of the 5th century (in one or two clauses, as late as the 7th). It is desirable, at the outset, to put these two forms of the creed (in translation) clearly before the reader.

1. Old Roman Form:

First, the Old Roman Form is given from the Greek of Marcellus, of Ancyra, 341 A.D. It runs thus: "I believe in God the Father Almighty. And in Jesus Christ His only (begotten) Son our Lord, who was born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary; crucified under Pontius Pilate, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost; the holy Church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; (the life everlasting)."

The last clause is omitted in the Latin form preserved by Rufinus, 390 A.D.

2. The Received Form:

The Received Form of the creed reads thus: "I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of Heaven and Earth; and in Jesus Christ His only (begotten) Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen." Such is the form of the creed. Something must now be said of its origin and history.

II. Origin of the Creed.

The legend was that the creed took shape at the dictation of the Twelve Apostles, each of whom contributed a special article. Thus, Peter, it was alleged, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, commenced, "I believe in God the Father Almighty"; Andrew (or according to others, John) continued, "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord"; James the elder went on, "Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost," etc. This legend is not older than the 5th or 6th centuries, and is absurd on the face of it.

1. Baptismal Confession:

The real origin of the creed has now been traced with great exactness. The original germ of it is to be sought for in the baptismal confession made by converts in the reception of that rite. The primitive confession may have contained no more than "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God," but we have evidence within the New Testament itself that it soon became enlarged. Paul speaks of the "form of teaching" delivered to converts (Romans 6:17), and reminds Timothy of "the good (beautiful) confession" he had made in sight of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12). Similar language is used of Christ's confession before Pilate (1 Timothy 6:13). We may perhaps conjecture from the epistles that Timothy's confession contained references to God as the author of life, to Jesus Christ and His descent from David, to His witness before Pontius Pilate, to His being raised from the dead, to His coming again to judge the quick and the dead (1 Timothy 6:13 2 Timothy 2:8; 2 Timothy 4:1). Early Christian writers, as Ignatius (110 A.D.), and Aristides the apologist (circa 125 A.D.), show traces of other clauses.

2. "Rule of Faith":

In any case, the fact is certain that before the middle of the 2nd century the confession at baptism had crystallized into tolerably settled shape in all the greater churches. We have accounts given us of its contents (besides the Old Roman Form) in Irenaeus, Tertullian, Novatian, Origen, etc.; and they show substantial unity with a certain freedom of form in expression. But the form in the Roman church came gradually to be the recognized type. After the middle of the century, the confession rose to new importance as the result of the Gnostic controversies, and assumed more of the character of a formal creed. It came to be known as the "Rule of Truth," or "Rule of Faith," and was employed to check the license of interpretation of Scripture of these fantastic heretical speculators. The creed had originated independently of Scripture-in the early oral teaching and preaching of the apostles; hence its value as a witness to the common faith. But it was not used to supersede Scripture; it was held to corroborate Scripture, where men by their allegorical and other perversions sought to wrest Scripture from its real sense. It was employed as a check on those who sought to allegorize away the Christian faith.

III. History of the Creed.

1. The Roman Creed:

The Old Roman Form of the creed was, as said above, certainly in use by the middle of the 2nd century, in Rome; probably a considerable time before. We have it in both its Greek and Latin forms (the Greek being probably the original). The Latin form is given by Rufinus about 390 A.D. who compares it with the creed of his own church of Aquileia-a very old church. The Greek form is preserved by Marcellus, of Ancyra,in the 4th century. The old shorter form of the creed long maintained itself. We find it in England, e.g. up to nearly the time of the Norman Conquest (in 8th or 9th century manuscripts in British Museum).

2. The Received Creed:

The Received Form of the creed has a much more obscure history. The additional clauses came in at different times, though in themselves some of them are very old. The addition to the first article, e.g. "Maker of heaven and earth," first appears in this form in Gaul about 650 A.D., though similar forms are found in much older creeds. Another addition, "He descended into hell," meets us first in Rufinus as part of the creed of Aquileia, but is probably also old in that church. It is known that the creed had assumed nearly its present shape (perhaps without the above clauses, and that on the communion of saints) by the time of Faustus of Reiz, about 460 A.D. Thence it spread, and had reached Ireland apparently before the end of the 7th century. In England it appears a century later, about 850 A.D. (from the court of Charlemagne?), and from the beginning of the 10th century it largely superseded the older from. The same applies to other countries, so that the Gallican form is now the one in common use. Two significant changes may be noted in the form given to it. In England, whose form we follow, the Reformers substituted for "the resurrection of the flesh" the words, "the resurrection of the body," and in Germany the Lutherans change the word "catholic" to "Christian," in "the holy catholic Church."

IV. Structure of the Creed.

1. Its Trinitarian Form:

The Apostles' Creed, it will be perceived, has no theological or metaphysical character. It is not only the oldest, but the simplest and least developed of all creeds. It is a simple enumeration, in order, of the great verities which the church was known to have held, and to have handed down from the beginning-which Scripture also taught. Originating from the baptismal confession, it naturally follows the Trinitarian order suggested by the customary formula for baptism. The first article declares belief in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. The second to the seventh articles declare belief in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, and in the great facts embraced in the gospel testimony regarding Him. The eighth article affirms belief in the Holy Ghost, to which are appended the additional clauses, declaring belief in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the flesh (body), and the life everlasting.

2. Creed of Apelles:

It will help to show the kind of heresies the church of that age had to contend with, and what the earnest struggles of the Fathers of the time (using the Apostles' Creed as a bulwark), if we append here the Creed of Apelles, a 2nd-century Gnostic, as reconstructed by Principal Lindsay (The Church and the Ministry, 222) from Hippolytus: "We believe, that Christ descended from the Power above, from the Good, and that He is the Son of the Good; that He was not born of a virgin, and that when He did appear He was not devoid of flesh. That He formed His Body by taking portions of it from the substance of the universe, i.e. hot and cold, moist and dry; That He received cosmical powers in the Body, and lived for the time He did in the world; That He was crucified by the Jews and died; That being raised again after three days He appeared to His disciples; That He showed them the prints of the nails and (the wound) in His side, being desirous of persuading them that He was no phantom, but was present in the flesh; That after He had shown them His flesh He restored it to the earth; That after He had once more loosed the chains of His Body He gave back heat to what is hot, cold to what is cold, moisture to what is moist, and dryness to what is dry; That in this condition He departed to the Good Father, leaving the Seed of Life in the world for those who through His disciples should believe in Him."

V. Modern Controversies.

It was mentioned that of late the Apostles' Creed has been the subject of many attacks and of keen controversies. In Germany, particularly, quite a fierce controversy broke out in 1892 over the refusal of a Lutheran pastor, named Schrempf, to use the creed in the administration of baptism. He did not believe in its articles about the virgin-birth of Christ, the resurrection of the flesh, etc. The offender was deposed, but a great battle ensued, giving rise to an enormous literature. The conflict has been overruled for good in leading to a more thorough examination than ever before of the history and meaning of the creed, but it has given precision also to the attacks made upon it. A leading part in this controversy was taken by Professor Harnack, of Berlin, whose objections may be regarded as representative. Professor Harnack, and those who think with him, criticize the creed from a twofold point of view:

(1) They deny that in all respects it represents true apostolical doctrine-this not only in its later arts., but even in such an article as that affirming the virgin-birth of Christ:

(2) They deny that the meaning we now put on many of the clauses of the creed is its true original meaning, i.e. we use the words, but with a different sense from the original framers.

Harnack's Criticism:

In considering these objections, it is always to be remembered that those who urge them do so from the standpoint of rejection of most that is usually considered essential to Christianity. There is in their view no incarnation, no real Godhead of Christ, no real miracle in His life (only faith-cures), no resurrection from Joseph's tomb. This no doubt takes the bottom from the Apostles' Creed, but it takes the bottom also out of apostolic Christianity. Where Harnack, for instance, objects that "Father" and "Son" in the first and second articles of the creed have no Trinitarian reference, but relate only, the former to God's relation to creation, the latter, to Christ's historical appearance, the reply can only be the whole evidence in the New Testament for a Trinitarian distinction and for the essential Divinity of Christ. When it is declared that the virgin-birth is no part of the early Christian tradition, one can only appeal to the evidence of the fact in the Gospels, and recall that no section of the Christian church, except a heretical branch of the Ebionites, and some of the Gnostic sects, is known to have rejected it. (SeeVIRGIN BIRTH.) For detailed replies to Harnack's criticisms, Dr. Swete's book on the Apostles' Creed may be consulted.

LITERATURE.

A list of the voluminous pamphlet literature produced by the German controversy on the Apostles' Creed may be seen in Nippold's Die theologische Einzelschule, II, 232-33. The most important contributions are those of Harnack (Das apostolische Glaubensbekenntniss, also English Translation); Kattenbusch, and Cremer. Compare also Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, I, 14-23; II, 45-55. Special works are: Pearson, Exposition of the Creed (1659); Kattenbusch, Das apostolische Symbolum, 2 volumes (1894-1900); Zahn, Das apostolische Syrnbolum (1893); English translation (1899); H. B. Swete, The Apostles' Creed and Primitive Christianity (1894); A. C. McGiffert, The Apostles' Creed, Its Origin, Its Purpose, and Its Historical Interpretation (1902).

James Orr

2581. Kananaios -- Cananaean, Aramaic for Zealot, surname of one ...
... Cananaean, Aramaic for Zealot, surname of one of the twelve apostles. Part of Speech:
Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Kananaios Phonetic Spelling: (kan-an-ee ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2581.htm - 7k

406. Andreas -- "manly," Andrew, one of the twelve apostles of ...
... 405, 406. Andreas. 407 . "manly," Andrew, one of the twelve apostles of Christ.
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Andreas Phonetic Spelling: ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/406.htm - 6k

4539. Salome -- Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John
... Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: Salome Phonetic Spelling: (sal-o'-may) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4539.htm - 6k

2199. Zebedaios -- Zebedee, the father of the apostles James and ...
... Zebedee, the father of the apostles James and John. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Zebedaios Phonetic Spelling: (dzeb-ed-ah'-yos) Short ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2199.htm - 6k

918. Bartholomaios -- "son of Tolmai," Bartholomew, one of the ...
... 917, 918. Bartholomaios. 919 . "son of Tolmai," Bartholomew, one of the twelve
apostles. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Bartholomaios ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/918.htm - 7k

2381. Thomas -- "the twin," Thomas, one of the twelve apostles
... 2380, 2381. Thomas. 2382 . "the twin," Thomas, one of the twelve apostles.
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Thomas Phonetic Spelling: (tho- ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2381.htm - 6k

4074. Petros -- "a stone" or "a boulder," Peter, one of the twelve ...
... 4073, 4074. Petros. 4075 . "a stone" or "a boulder," Peter, one of the twelve
apostles. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Petros Phonetic ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4074.htm - 7k

3102b. Maththaios -- Matthew, one of the twelve apostles
... 3102a, 3102b. Maththaios. 3103 . Matthew, one of the twelve apostles.
Transliteration: Maththaios Short Definition: Matthew. Word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3102b.htm - 5k

2280b. Thaddaios -- Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles
... 2280a, 2280b. Thaddaios. 2281 . Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles.
Transliteration: Thaddaios Short Definition: Thaddaeus. Word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2280b.htm - 5k

2280. Thaddaios -- Thaddaeus.
... Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Thaddaios Phonetic Spelling: (thad-dah'-yos) Short
Definition: Thaddaeus Definition: Thaddaeus, one of the twelve apostles. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2280.htm - 5k

constitutions of the holy apostles
constitutions of the holy apostles. <. ... Title Page. Introductory Notice to
Constitutions of the Holy Apostles. constitutions of the holy apostles. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/constitutions of the holy apostles/

The Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles. <. The Acts of the Apostles Ellen Gould White. Table
of Contents. Title Page. Lesson 1 God's Purpose for His Church. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the acts of the apostles/

Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles
Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles. <. Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles
John Dick. Table of Contents. Title Page. PREFACE. LECTURES. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. <. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles
Various. Table of Contents. Title Page. Introductory ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the teaching of the twelve apostles/

A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles
A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles. <. A Commentary on Acts of the Apostles
JW McGarvey. Table of Contents. Title Page. Introduction. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/

The Acts of the Apostles
... The Acts of the Apostles. The contents of this book is naturally divided into
two parts; in each of which the main topic is the establishment ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the acts of the apostles.htm

The Obscure Apostles
... THE OBSCURE APOSTLES. 'These twelve Jesus sent forth.'"Matthew 10:5. And half of
'these twelve' are never heard of as doing any work for Christ. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the obscure apostles.htm

The Apostles' Creed.
... A HISTORY OF THE CREEDS OF CHRISTENDOM 7. The Apostles' Creed. Literature. I. See
the Gen. Lit. on the OEcum. ... II. Special treatises on the Apostles' Creed: ...
/.../ 7 the apostles creed.htm

Apostles To-Day?
... Eighth Chapter. THE APOSTOLATE. XXXII. Apostles To-Day? "Am I not an apostle?
am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxii apostles to-day.htm

The Lord Seen by the Apostles.
... Chapter XX. The Lord Seen by the Apostles. ... To the apostles at Jerusalem, excepting
Thomas, who was absent (John 20:19),"Sunday, April 9.6. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the lord seen by the.htm

Apostles'
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia APOSTLES' CREED; THE. kred. The Oldest Creed: The Apostles'
Creed is the oldest creed, and lies at the basis of most others. ...
/a/apostles'.htm - 20k

Apostles (79 Occurrences)
... ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. ... Only slightly different is the title in 31, 61, and many
other cursives (Praxeis ton Apostolon, "Acts of the Apostles"). ...
/a/apostles.htm - 62k

Super-apostles (2 Occurrences)
Super-apostles. Superadded, Super-apostles. Superficial .
Multi-Version Concordance Super-apostles (2 Occurrences). ...
/s/super-apostles.htm - 7k

Gamaliel (7 Occurrences)
... When the apostles were brought before the council, charged with preaching the
resurrection of Jesus, as a zealous Pharisee Gamaliel councelled moderation and ...
/g/gamaliel.htm - 13k

Zealot (4 Occurrences)
... SIMON THE CANAANITE; SIMON THE CANANAEAN; SIMON THE ZEALOT. (Simon Kananaios;
kanna'i, "the Jealous (or Zealous) One"): One of the Twelve Apostles. ...
/z/zealot.htm - 12k

Nathanael (6 Occurrences)
... Ezra 10:22. (3) An ancestor of Judith (Judith 8:1). (4) One of the Twelve
Apostles. See next article. NATHANAEL (2). (nethan'el, "God ...
/n/nathanael.htm - 13k

Jumping (14 Occurrences)
... Paul defines the two as (1) "my kinsmen," (2) "my fellow-prisoners," (3) "who are
of note among the apostles," and (4) "who also have been in Christ before me ...
/j/jumping.htm - 12k

Thaddaeus (2 Occurrences)
... Breast, the name of one of the apostles (Mark 3:18), called "Lebbaeus" in Matthew
10:3, and in Luke 6:16, "Judas the brother of James;" while John (14:22 ...
/t/thaddaeus.htm - 11k

Related (45 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Mark 6:30 And the apostles are gathered together to Jesus. ... (DBY). Luke 9:10
The Apostles, on their return, related to Jesus all they had done. ...
/r/related.htm - 19k

Andronicus (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Man-conquering, a Jewish Christian, the kinsman and
fellowprisoner of Paul (Romans 16:7); "of note among the apostles.". Int. ...
/a/andronicus.htm - 8k

What are false apostles? | GotQuestions.org

Who were the twelve (12) disciples / apostles of Jesus Christ? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Apostles' Creed? | GotQuestions.org

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