and born of the Virgin Mary. (1 Timothy 2:5; John 1:14; 14:6; 1 Peter 1:18-19), Jesus means God saves and is taken from the Hebrew name Yeshua or Joshua. The Church is called the Body of Christ because all who belong to the Church are united to Christ as their Head and source of life, and are united to one another in Christ for mutual love and service to him. (Hebrews 10:25; 12:14; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 John 1:9; 2:1). What is required of you when you come to receive Holy Communion? Faith is an act of the whole person (heart and mind) which brings about our union with Christ. Gods relationship to us is completely gratuitous: In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us (1 John 4:10). I believe in God, the Father almighty, (Ephesians 4:5-6). How does the Church exercise its authority to judge? (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23; 5:12), The God-opposing, self-centered power of sin, which is present in all people, corrupts me and my relationship with God, with others and with creation. He descended to the dead. (Acts 2:38). To truly understand the Church, we must understand it theologically because ultimately the Church is a creation of God. Why did Christ institute the sacrament of Holy Communion? Noting my needs and receiving my prayers, Jesus intercedes for me as our great high priest. Why does the Creed emphasize Jesus death in this way?The Creed emphasizes Jesus death to counter suspicions that Jesus did not truly die on the cross, to celebrate the fact that He died there to secure our salvation, and to prepare our minds to grasp the glory of his bodily resurrection. (Genesis 3; Ephesians 2:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21), Jesus Christ is the eternal Word and Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Spirit imparts life in all its forms throughout Gods creation, unites believers to Jesus Christ, indwells each believer, convicts believers of sin, applies the saving work of Jesus to the believers life, guides the Church into truth, fills and empowers believers through spiritual fruit and gifts given to the Church, and gives understanding of the Scripture which He inspired. (Acts 10:38), HE WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. The following five presentations address the major affirmations of the Apostles Creed, God as Father and Creator, Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior, the Holy Spirit and his work, the Church as the communion of saints, and the forgiveness of sin and the resurrection of the body. (Genesis1:26, Matthew 6:25-33; Romans 8:16-17), Why do you say that God the Father is Almighty?, I call the Father Almighty because he has power over everything and accomplishes everything he wills. What is required of you when you come to be baptized? Holy Scripture is God-breathed, for the biblical authors wrote under the guidance of Gods Holy Spirit to record God's Word. He was scourged, mocked, and nailed to a cross outside the walls of Jerusalem. the communion of saints, How should you understand Jesus ascension into heaven? the forgiveness of sins, Though humanly a miscarriage of justice, his execution fulfilled Gods plan that Jesus would bear my sins and die the death that I deserve, so that I could be saved from sin and eternal condemnation and reconciled to God. The guide also provides discussion questions. The word creed comes from the Latin credo, which means I believe. (John 20:24-29), The purpose of the Creeds is to declare and safeguard Gods truth about himself, ourselves,and creation, as God has revealed it in Holy Scripture. I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit who indwells me will help me to be an active member of my Christian community, participate in worship, continually repent and return to God, proclaim the faith, love and serve my neighbor, and strive for justice and peace. (Genesis 1:1). (Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17). I should hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them (Book of Common Prayer) so that, by patience and strengthening through Gods Word, I may embrace and cling to the hope of everlasting life given to me in Jesus Christ. (Matthew 7:1-5, 1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 11:31), With the help of the Holy Spirit, I judge myself by examining my conscience. Thus the Creed is Trinitarian, as is the New Testament itself. We are a people seeking to know, love, and follow Jesus in serving Gods mission. Gods power is exercised in wisdom and motivated by love; a perfect power exercised under perfect wisdom for the sake of a perfect love. The Holy Spirit equips and empowers each believer for service in the worship of Jesus Christ, for the building up of His Church, and for witness and mission to the world (TBC, 88). Learn about the work of different church ministries. Repentance, in which I turn away from sin; and faith, in which I turn to Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord and embrace the promises that God makes to me in this sacrament. and the life everlasting. (John 17:5; Acts 1:1-11), Jesus ascended into heaven so that, through him, his Father might send us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Loving me as his child, he forgives my sins whenever I turn to him in repentance and faith. (Titus 2:11-14). (Hebrews 12:22-24), The two sacraments ordained by Christ, which are generally necessary for our salvation, are Baptism and Holy Communion, which is also known as the Lords Supper or the Holy Eucharist. I can rely on Jesus always to be present with me as he promised, and I should always look to him for help as I seek to serve him. God, the Father almighty, The Creed thus makes clear that Jesus life and death were real events that occurred at a particular time and place in Judea in the first century A.D. (Matthew 27:22-26), WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the very character of Jesus developing in us through the work of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). How should you live in light of this promise of unending life? What are the marks or characteristics of the Church? Giving With Grace. But sin and death now infect this world, and my body will degenerate and die. The first presentation deals with the Gospel and the shape of the Christian life. I know that it will be a life of joyful fellowship with our triune God and with resurrected believers, as we praise and serve God together in the new heaven and the new earth.

(1 Corinthians 11:27-32). Faith is the grace-enabled act by which we place our trust in Christ and obey him as our Lord (TBC, 13). Following his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days visiting and teaching his followers. (Ephesians 1:1; Revelation 7:9-15), The word communion means being one with someone else in union and unity. (Hebrews 1:1-2; 3:7-11; 10:15-17; 12:25-27). (Romans 1:18; 8:1, 31-34). What is the inward and spiritual grace set forth in Baptism? Why do you read prayers and repeat so much? The divine and human natures of Jesus Person may be distinguished but can never be separated, changed or confused. How should belief in the God of the Bible affect your life? Why does the Creed make a point of saying that Jesus died? A priest, acting under the authority of the bishop, may bar a person from receiving communion because of unrepented sin, or because of enmity with another member of the congregation, until there is clear proof of repentance and amendment of life. Why is the Church called the Body of Christ? It is a consensus document, coming to us with the resounding endorsement of faithful believers over nearly two thousand years, for it has been recited by Christian communities at all times and in all places throughout the history of the Christian Church. (Exodus 20:20; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 8:13; 9:10). He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit How does the promise of bodily resurrection affect the way you live today? I have inherited a fallen and corrupted human nature, and I too sin and fall short of Gods glory. It was composed in part as a response to Gnosticism, which denied the physical reality of Jesus. How should you respond to Gods forgiveness? Apostolic Christianity rests on the historic, eyewitness testimony of Jesus followers, the apostles, to the facts of Jesus life, death, resurrection, ascension, present heavenly reign, and promised future return. was crucified, died, and was buried. (2 Peter 1:4). How should you understand Jesus future judgment? Both Jesus and his apostles understood these facts to fulfill the Old Testament hopes of the Kingdom (or reign) of God, to which Gods covenant with Israel was intended to lead, and which the Christian Church has received as a reality from Jesus and his apostles. Gods promise. The inward and spiritual grace set forth is a death to sin and a new birth to righteousness, through union with Christ in his death and resurrection. (1 John 3:4), All sin is opposed to the holiness of God, and is therefore subject to Gods condemnation But God in his mercy offers forgiveness and salvation from sin to all people through the reconciling life, death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ. (Articles of Religion, 19; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Peter 2:9). He suffered under Pontius Pilate, Then each person will receive either eternal rejection and punishment, or eternal blessing and welcome into the fullness of life with God. (2 Peter 1:21; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-15), Jesus Christ sends the Holy Spirit to make Jesus known to me, to indwell and empower me in Christ, to bear witness that I am a child of God, to guide me into all truth, and to stir my heart continually to worship and to pray. The Church is not primarily a building, an institution, or even the sum total of all Christians now alive. What principal names does the New Testament give to the Holy Spirit? Through the Holy Spirit, Christians are united as Christs Body on earth to Jesus, our ascended and living Head, and in him to one another. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, (Luke l:34-35), Yes. (Ephesians 4:12-16), The Church is the whole community of faithful Christians in heaven and on earth. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3:19), When I die, my body will perish but, by the will of God, my soul will live on, awaiting resurrection and final judgment. What is the inward and spiritual thing signified? All people who have died will be resurrected and, together with those still living, will be judged by Jesus. As I live in the grace of Gods constant forgiveness, so I should live in constant thanks and praise to him; and as I have been loved and forgiven, so I should love and forgive without limit those who sin against me. Why is it appropriate to baptize infants? Why do you sing chants, psalms, and traditional music. Quickly find what youre looking for on the church website and theAnglican Journalarchives. Written forms of this creed date back to the third century. All that is wrong will be made right. The present world order will pass away and God will usher in a fully renewed creation to stand forever. It means that Jesus was not simply resuscitated; God restored him physically from death to life in his perfected and glorious body, never to die again. However, after God told Joseph of Marys miraculous conception, Joseph took Mary as his wife and they raised Jesus as their son. (Matthew 24:36-44; 2 Peter 3:9). The Church on earth gathers in local congregations to worship in Word and Sacrament, to serve God according to the Scriptures, and to proclaim the Gospel, under the leadership of those whom God appoints for this purpose (TBC, 89). The fourteen books of the Apocrypha may also be read for example of life and instruction of manners, but not to establish any doctrine (Articles of Religion, 6). The Church is a community of people, but it is also communion with the Triune God. (Matthew 16:19), God the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the one Being of the Holy Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son, and equally worthy of our honor and worship. (Articles of Religion, 6). The outward and visible sign is water, in which candidates are baptized In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit the name of the Triune God to whom the candidate is being committed. (John 20:19-23; Luke 24:13-49; Acts 1:3). God the Father is the first Person of the Holy Trinity, from whom the Son is eternally begotten and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds. How should you use the Holy Scriptures in daily life? I believe in the Holy Spirit, God is revealed in his mighty works and in the incarnation of our Lord, but his works and his will are made known to us through the inspired words of Scripture. What is the outward and visible sign in Baptism? and born of the Virgin Mary. (1 Corinthians 15:3-11; Philippians 2:6-11). For Anglicans, as for all genuine Christians, authentic Christianity is apostolic Christianity. (John 16:12-15; Romans 8:15, 26; Ephesians 1:17- 19), The Scriptures teach that, through repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, I am forgiven my sins, indwelled from then on by the Holy Spirit, given new life in Christ by the Spirit, and freed from the power of sin so that I can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Holy Scripture is God's Word written (Articles of Religion, 20), given by the Holy Spirit through prophets and apostles as the revelation of God and his acts in human history, and is therefore the Church's final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

(Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:1-6), The saints are all those in heaven and on earth who have faith in Christ, are set apart to God in Christ, are made holy by his grace, and live faithfully in him and for him. I believe in God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord.He was conceived by the Holy Spiritand born of the Virgin Mary.He 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,and is seated at the right hand of the Father.He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I should read and pray Scripture daily, that I may know Gods truth and proclaim it clearly to the whole world. (2 Peter 3:12-13; Revelation 21:1-4), Jesus taught that only the Father knows the actual day of his return. The Nicene Creed expands on the Apostles Creed to list four characteristics of the Church:it is one, holy, catholic and apostolic (see Articles of Religion, 8). This signifies Comforter, Guide, Counselor, Advocate, and Helper. (Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 5:1-11). The Creed exists, as all Creeds and Confessions do, to define and defend this commitment that is basic to being a Christian. the forgiveness of sins, I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. The earliest of the Creeds we acknowledge, it is the briefest and most easily memorized for purposes of catechesis, but is complemented and enlarged upon by the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. Our commitment. In affirming that Jesus is seated at the Fathers right hand, we are affirming that Jesus is Lord over the Church and all creation, with authority to equip his Church, advance his Kingdom, bring sinners into saving fellowship with God the Father, and finally to establish justice and peace upon the earth (TBC, 68; Philippians 2:5-11). On the third day he rose again. The New Testament contains the record of Jesus Christ's birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension, the Church's early ministry, the teaching of the Apostles, and the revelation of Christs coming eternal Kingdom. God builds up His Church by building up his people by giving them different kinds of spiritual gifts. Amen. (John 1:1, 14; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26, Nicene Creed), Why do you call the first of the three divine Persons Father?. The divine attributes possessed by the Father and the Son are also possessed by the Holy Spirit who is sent from the Father and who enables us share in the salvation brought about by the Son. The Resource Centre is a centralized online hub containing links to resources produced by the Anglican Church of Canada. When we speak about the forgiveness of sin, we are not speaking simply about pardon but also about our being freed from the effects of sin and being renewed after the image of God (Colossians 3:9-10). Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit to perfectly fulfill these roles and he rules now as Gods prophet, priest, and king over his Church and all creation. (John 3:1-7; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:14; Ephesians 5:18). I am born a sinner by nature, separated from God, but in baptism, rightly received, I am made Gods child by grace through faith in Christ. (John 1:12; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16b-7:1; Revelation 19:6- 10; 21:9-10). Why does the Creed say that Jesus suffered under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate? I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, Gods 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 from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; from there he will come 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. What other books does the Church acknowledge? Why is Jesus Christ called the Word of God? (Hebrews 4:14-5:10; Mark 8:34-38; Philippians 2:5). Because of sin and apart from Christ, I am spiritually dead, separated from God, under his righteous condemnation, and without hope. the communion of saints, What do you know about the resurrected bodies of believers? 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. He ascended into heaven, The visible sign is bread and wine, which Christ commands us to receive. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). the holy catholic Church, As God wills, the healing given through anointing may bring bodily recovery from illness, peace of mind or spirit, and strength to persevere in adversity, especially in preparation for death. Just as Holy Scripture was not given through private interpretation of things, so it must also be translated, read, preached, taught, and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the Church's historic and consensual reading of it. Anglicans affirm that the Bible, the Old and New Testament together, is Gods Word written (Articles of Religion, 20), from which we learn these authoritative facts. (2 Peter 1:19-21, John 20:31), Belief in the Creeds signifies acceptance of Gods revealed truth, and the intention to live by it. HE DESCENDED TO THE DEAD, It means that Jesus was executed as a common criminal. The Church is holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it and sanctifies its members, setting them apart to God in Christ, and calling them to moral and spiritual holiness of life. (Matthew 27:45-51). (Matthew 25:1-13), The unrepentant should fear God's judgment, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness, but for those who are in Christ, there is no condemnation. (Matthew 26:28; Romans 1:18-2:4; 6:6-11), By virtue of Christs atoning sacrifice, God sets aside my sins, accepts me, and adopts me as his child and heir in Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus called God Father and taught his disciples to do the same, and St. Paul teaches that God adopts believers as his children and heirs in Christ, sending his Holy Spirit into our hearts crying Abba, Father. (Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:4-7). creator of heaven and earth. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:48). God has spoken through the prophets (Nicene Creed), and continues to speak through the Bible today. I believe in the Holy Spirit, The manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit include faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, other languages, the interpretation of other languages, administration, service, encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy and others. God works through the Church which He creates and sustains, and the mission of the Church requires that it be endowed with a whole range of spiritual gifts.

Because my body was created good by God and is redeemed by him, I should honor it. As I prayerfully learn Holy Scripture, I should expect the Holy Spirit to use it to teach, rebuke, correct and train me in the righteousness that God desires. Together with his Son and Holy Spirit, the Father is all-knowing and ever present in every place.