THE APOSTLES' CREED

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth ..." is the first sentence of the Apostles' Creed. As the earliest creed, or statement of belief, in the Christian Church, it is silent on some issues, which later caused huge doctrinal problems, and which were made explicit in subsequent creeds such as the Nicene. Notably questions about the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As such, the Apostles' Creed is accepted by Christian denominations, who otherwise disagree with each other about lots of other things. 

The Danish Lutheran church uses the Apostles' Creed, albeit with one modification. At the beginning Danes add the sentence "I renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways". This change is mainly due to Nikolai Grundtvig, the 19th century theologian, who is one of the most influential people in Danish history.

I have always thought it a bit odd to start a creed, which is a summary of what one believes in, with a firm statement of what one rejects. I was reminded of that oddity, as I went to church on a beautifully sunny morning this Easter Sunday.

Walter Blotscher