We don’t know who the exact author or authors of the Apostles’ Creed are. There’s a myth that it was written by the apostles, but it’s just that – a myth. But the origins of the Apostles’ Creed can be traced all the way back to the Apostles’ teachings to the early Church as they’re found in the New Testament. More specifically, its earliest forms can be traced back to the Old Roman Creed which was based on New Testament teachings and was used, starting as early as a matter of decades after Jesus ascended to Heaven, as a learning tool for those who wanted to be baptized.

The version of the Apostles’ Creed you see on the page to the left here was standardized from a variety of versions around the second century by the early Church, took its modern shape in the sixth century, and most modern translations come from a version written in the eighth century. That makes even the relatively new version here is older than the Black Plague, gunpowder, and Beowulf.

Throughout the centuries, Christians have learned this creed, fought for this creed, and were even martyred for this creed because it wonderfully summarizes the fundamental biblical teachings every  Christian must believe – from the Persons of the Trinity, creation, and sin to salvation, the Church, and new life.