The most common creed in Christendom is the so-called “Apostles' creed”. This creed dates from around AD 600, although patterned after similar statements dating from AD 200. It is called “The Apostles' Creed” not because the apostles wrote it (although some assert that they did), but because it is supposed to sum up the apostles' doctrine.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and 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, dead and buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church; the communion of the saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

The problems with creeds...

There are problems with such a creed. Because of these problems, churches of Christ generally do not recite or confess the “Apostles' creed” (nor any other creed) as such, but simply use the scriptures directly. Jesus and his apostles themselves state the Christian faith, and we consider that the scriptures are sufficient (2Tm 3:16-17).

1 Double Meaning

Firstly, there is the problem of double meaning (ambiguity). Take for example the two following words as used in the “Apostles' creed”...

• Descent into Hell. It is one thing for two people to recite together the words, "He descended into hell", but they may not each be interpreting the word "hell" in the same way. Some (correctly) take this as not meaning eternal hell, but hades, the place where the spirit goes at death until the resurrection (see Acts 2:27). Others believe (incorrectly) that Christ entered into the hell called gehenna (eg Mtt 18:9), the eternal abode of the wicked (note also Eph 4:9-10 kjv).
• Holy Catholic Church. Some, when confessing the creed would treat the word "catholic" as properly referring to the universal or undenominational world-wide church (1Co 12:12-14), whilst others would incorrectly believe it to mean the Roman Catholic Church.

Sometimes confused meanings will creep into a creed over time as word usage and meaning changes. Other instances might be deliberately written into a creed so that two parties in disagreement can inject their own different meanings yet enjoy a common form of words. Whatever the reason, where a creed is ambiguous, it fails to produce the intended expression of a common faith.

2 Half Truth

Secondly, there is the problem of inadequacy or a lack of complete truth. For example...

• Forgiveness of sins. The “Apostles' creed” mentions "the forgiveness of sins" but says nothing of what one must do to receive forgiveness. Thus a later and longer creed (the so-called Nicean creed) replaces the vague "We believe in the forgiveness of sins" with the more specific: "We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins" (note Acts 2:38, Eph 4:5).
• The Holy Spirit. The creed says, "I believe in the Holy Spirit" but fails to clarify whether the Holy Spirit is one of three who are God, or merely an impersonal divine force (note Jhn 14:16-17,23-24, and Jhn 15:26).

Attempts to fill in these inadequacies only create a growing confusion of creeds and more and more division, because the more detailed and specific a document becomes, the fewer will be those who will accept and confess it. Thus, in order to be widely held, it is necessary for a creed to be inadequate. This is a dilemma in writing creeds.

  More Problems with Creeds