This Good Book Guide aims to fill out the content of the short statements of this creed which are so familiar to us.
Part of the Good Book Guides series.
'I believe in God, the Father Almighty...'
The Apostles' Creed is recited by Christians throughout the world each Sunday. For many it is a dull routine, and for others, it is spoken with confusion or doubt, rather than with confidence and joy.
Do we really need creeds? Increasingly, people do not like the idea of pinning truth down. Others want to stick to the Bible alone, and think that creeds have no place in our worship.
But most churches have found it helpful to have a summary of Christian beliefs. Creeds summarise who we are, they teach us what is important and they help us avoid error. In modern business language, they are our 'identity documents'.
This Good Book Guide aims to fill out the content of the short statements of this creed which are so familiar to us. In ten studies, it shows how they are derived from the Bible - the teaching of the apostles - and what the significance of this momentous formula is for our daily lives. Saying the creed need never be dull, confused or joyless again...
Introduction
1. Believing in God - 'I believe in God' (Romans 1 v 18-25 and John 14 v 1-11)
2. The Triune God - 'the Father...his only Son...the Holy Spirit' (John 17 v 20-26)
3. The Sovereign God - 'the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth' (Psalm 33)
4. The identity of Jesus Christ - 'I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord' (Hebrews 1-2)
5. The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ - 'who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead' (Matthew 27 v 11-54)
6. The reign of Jesus Christ - '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' (1 Corinthians 15 v 1-34)
7. The life of the Spirit - 'I believe in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 8 v 1-17)
8. The community of the Spirit - 'the holy catholic church, the communion of saints' (Ephesians 1-4)
9. The work of the Spirit - 'the forgiveness of sins' (Matthew 9 v 1-13 and Titus 3 v 3-8)
10. The hope of the Spirit - 'the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting' (Romans 8 v 18-39)
Leaders' Guide
| Contributors | Tim Chester |
|---|---|
| Format | eBook |
| Language | English |
| No. of studies | 10 |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe 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, 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 format is very user-friendly and the content is rich and accessible."
- Justin Taylor, Gospel Coalition blogger and Vice-President of Editorial, Crossway
"God-centered, application-oriented, and driven by the text throughout, this resource is a gift to God’s church."
- Matt Smethurst, Gospel Coalition reviewer and Master of Divinity student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Here at Covenant Life Church, we have greatly benefitted from the small group resources from The Good Book Company. Many small groups in our family life ministry have used "Colossians: Confident Christianity" in their study of scripture. Additionally, our youth ministry has used "Romans 1-5: God and You" in their small groups. Both resources were very easy to use, helped the reader engage directly with the scriptures, and had a wonderful pastoral emphasis demonstrated in all the questions.
- Dave Brewer, Youth Pastor at Covenant Life Church, Maryland
