Post # 4
My favorite gospel definition is the good news of God’s free gift of eternal life by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord over our lives. As I mentioned previously, the promise of the messiah of God was first made in Genesis 3:15 (God said to the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”) I conclude that the gospel was first given in the garden of Eden, albeit in code.
I recently learned at small group that about 150 AD church leaders put the gospel to paper in the Old Roman Creed which evolved to become the current Apostle’s Creed in about the 8th century, because they saw the increasing need for a written record of their statement of beliefs, as time elapsed from the deaths of the original apostles. (see comment by John V below this posting.)
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and 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 believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy universal church, the fellowship of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. AMEN.
Are the basic tenets of the ancient Apostles’ Creed included in the more recent gospel definition? It would make an excellent Bible search to find what scriptures are referred to by each doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.
It is my aim to keep this weblog / journal within the guidelines of the Apostles’ Creed.
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