The Apostle's Creed - Part 2

The Apostle's Creed - Part 2

God the Son, more commonly known as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, forms the subject of the second part of the Apostle's Creed. This is the largest section of the Creed, which makes perfect sense as we know more about Christ since He came down for our salvation. As the title of the Creed indicates, it has its origins in the direct teachings of the Apostles to their disciples and the various churches that they established and taught throughout the known world. The Apostles compiled their teachings in a simple manner to convey the truth as it pertains to Jesus Christ.

Apostle's Creed - Part 2

"And in Jesus Christ, His only 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 again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven: sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead."

Of the twelve articles of the Apostles Creed, six pertain to Christ. They briefly describe the natures of Christ, His divinity including His position in the Most Holy Trinity, His salvific acts, His placement in history, and His role in the judgment of mankind upon our death and at the time of the Second Coming.

"And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord"

This article of the Creed teaches us several important truths about the divine nature of Christ. First, it teaches us that Christ is truly divine, being of the same substance as the Father. This is understood through the principle that like can only come from like. Being of the same substance—in Module Two you will learn about "consubstantiality"—we can know that Christ, like the Father, is eternal, omnipotent, Creator and Lord. Even though Sacred Scripture calls us sons and daughters of God the Father, Jesus Christ is called the only Son of the Father due to Him being of the same divine nature; we are sons and daughters by adoption.

"Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary"

This article pertains to the other nature of Jesus Christ—His human nature. He has two natures, fully God and fully Man, united in the one Person of Jesus Christ. This is one of the most complex doctrines of Christianity; nearly 60% of the Church's ecumenical councils addressed this topic alone, so it can be more difficult to understand than it appears at face value. We will expand on this concept in depth in the second and third modules using different approaches to help you understand this teaching.

This process, as stated in the article of the Creed, is what we call the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God Incarnate. We say that He was conceived by the Holy Ghost because it is an act of goodness and love, both of which are attributed to God the Holy Ghost.

With Christ being God Incarnate and born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, she gains the title "Mother of God" simply because she is the mother of Jesus Christ, who is God. We will examine more thoroughly in Module Two how she remained a virgin even though she gave birth.

"Suffered under Pontius Pilate: was crucified, dead, and buried"

This article teaches us about the reason that Christ became Incarnate and took on human nature. He assumed our nature while retaining His Divine nature in order to redeem the world. He sacrificed Himself, fulfilling biblical prophecies that foretold of His coming and allowing us to come to the Father through the Son. This also demonstrates that He truly has a human nature—one that allowed Him to suffer and die for our redemption.

"He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead"

This refers to what is commonly called "The Harrowing of Hell." After Christ died on the Cross and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, He descended to what was commonly referred to as the Bosom of Abraham. This was understood to be the place where the souls of the righteous dwelt—those who had died awaiting the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus, fulfilling the promise of the Messiah, came and brought them to Heaven with Him.

Three days later, He rose from the dead. This is important to note because He rose by His own power—the power of God. This differs from other resurrections seen throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testament. Other people have been resurrected by others through the power of God, but Christ, being God, resurrected Himself; no one else raised Him.

"He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty"

This moment refers to the Ascension of Christ, which took place 40 days after Pascha (called Easter in many English-speaking nations, Pascha elsewhere) and 10 days prior to the event of Pentecost. The term "Ascension" is important to distinguish from "assumption." Moses, Enoch, and Elijah were all assumed in the Old Testament, and as Sacred Tradition holds, the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed as well. The principal difference between assumption and ascension is that the person ascending does so under their own power, while those assumed were taken up by the power of God.

Christ's position at the right hand of God the Father denotes the immense honor placed on Jesus Christ, both for being the Son of God and for being the Redeemer of mankind.

"From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead"

This article pertains to the right of office that belongs to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. As He sits at the right hand of the Father Almighty, He will dispense judgment upon each person at their death and at the Second Coming. From this judgment, they will either be punished or rewarded for the sake of justice. The righteous will be glorified for the glory of Jesus Christ, God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost. Their actions in following Christ's teachings, believing and doing as commanded, and through the infusion of God's grace, they are made righteous. The wicked will be punished not only for their actions against God, but also for their actions against their fellow man.