Apostles’ Creed

The Apostle’s Creed wasn’t a creed that apostles like Peter and Paul composed. Instead, it originated from an old Latin creed around the 4th or 5th century. Since the 8th century, it has been a part of Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational churches.

The first part of the creed speaks about the Father: “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The second part speaks of the Son, and the third speaks of the Holy Spirit and the church. Concerning the Son, it says,

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who 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 hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there, he will come to judge the living and the dead.

It has a few inaccuracies or differing opinions. The greatest is the phrase, “He descended to hell.” The early church added this phrase based on two passages.

“Why did he ascend? Because he descended to the lowest of the earth.” (Eph 4:9)

Although Paul’s phrase most likely meant, “lowest part = the earth” (similar to the NIV and ESV), the early church thought Jesus descended to hell with an Aristotelian framework of heaven as God’s place, earth as human’s realm, and under-earth as hell, the home of demons.

The other verse is:

“In whom/which, by going, he preached to the spirits in prison.” (1 Pet 3:19)

The early Christians thought that Jesus went in his spirit to hell and preached condemnation or deliverance to the spirits imprisoned there from the time of Noah (3:20).

But this verse, too, can refer to the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead (3:18).

“Going in the Holy Spirit (in whom), Jesus preached to the spirits now in prison.”

In other words, Jesus proclaimed a message (of deliverance and punishment) to the people of Noah’s time through the Holy Spirit speaking through Noah. They didn’t listen. As such, they were in prison.

Since the rest of the New Testament refer to Jesus’s burial without any reference to where he was for those two days before his resurrection, perhaps we shouldn’t rush to conclude that he went to hell, proclaimed a message to those spirits in prison, and came out of hell on the third day. Peter referred to Jesus ministering, through the Spirit, to the people from Noah’s time to make the point that just as Noah and his family were saved through water, his listeners were saved through water baptism, as it showed a clear conscience towards God. Noah’s water rescue formed an antitype – a preview – to how Jesus saved them through their baptism, the first step, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the ultimate and real step (1 Pet 3:20–21).

Historically, the Hebrew believers took the first step of listening to John the Baptizer and taking the water baptism while confessing their sins before acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah. Their water baptism set them on the right track to understanding Jesus’s resurrection and Lordship, which was Peter’s point.

The same Lord who preached in Noah’s time through the Spirit still preaches the good news. Those who believe receive everlasting fellowship with the Father.