Creeds
A collection of the main Creeds of the church, including our Presbyterian 'Kupu Whakapono' (and my attempt at an abbreviation for use in baptism services)
The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
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. Amen.
The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
On 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.
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. Amen.
A Creed (Apostles Creed simplified)
I believe in God, our great Father,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried.
On the third day he rose from death.
He was lifted into heaven, to the right hand of God.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy world-wide church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection and everlasting life. Amen.
A Statement of faith
We are not alone:
We live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
Who created and is creating;
Who comes to us in Jesus Christ to reconcile and renew;
Who works within us and among us by his Spirit.
We trust him.
Christ calls us to be his Church:
To celebrate his presence,
To love and serve others;
To seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim his Kingdom,
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us:
We are not alone, we believe in God.
The Nicene Creed
WE BELIEVE in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed (formatted for call and response)
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Kupu Whakapono (Confession of Faith)
Adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, October 2012.
From this land of Aotearoa New Zealand we confess that we believe in and belong to
the one true and living God,
who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Love before all love.
We believe in God the Father,
sovereign and holy,
Creator and nurturer of all,
Father of Jesus Christ,
sender of the Holy Spirit,
and Judge of all the earth.
We believe in God the Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
truly human and truly divine,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
For our sin he was crucified
and by the power of God was raised from death,
forgiving us, setting us free
and bringing to birth God’s new creation.
Now ascended, he calls us to repentance and faith
and restores us to God and to one another.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who inspired the Scriptures and makes Christ known,
who transforms hearts and minds
and gathers us into the community of Christ,
empowering the Church in worship and in mission.
We belong to this triune God,
women and men,
young and old,
from many nations,
in Christ he iwi kotahi tatou, [we are one people]
witnesses to God’s love in word and action,
servants of reconciliation,
and stewards of creation.
As God’s people,
we look forward in hope and joy
to the return of Christ,
to the new heaven and earth,
where evil and death will be no more,
justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God
Kupu Whakapono
abbreviated for Baptism services
We believe in and belong to the one true and living God.
We believe in God the Father,
Creator and nurturer of all.
We believe in God the Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
Crucified and raised, he is bringing to birth God’s new creation,
restoring us to God and to one another.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who transforms hearts and minds
and empowers the Church in worship and in mission.
We belong to this God,
women and men, young and old, from many nations,
witnesses to God’s love in word and action.
We look forward in hope and joy
to the new heaven and earth,
where justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God
Amen.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
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. Amen.
The Apostles Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
On 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.
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. Amen.
A Creed (Apostles Creed simplified)
I believe in God, our great Father,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.
Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pilate, was crucified, died, and buried.
On the third day he rose from death.
He was lifted into heaven, to the right hand of God.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy world-wide church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection and everlasting life. Amen.
A Statement of faith
We are not alone:
We live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
Who created and is creating;
Who comes to us in Jesus Christ to reconcile and renew;
Who works within us and among us by his Spirit.
We trust him.
Christ calls us to be his Church:
To celebrate his presence,
To love and serve others;
To seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim his Kingdom,
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us:
We are not alone, we believe in God.
The Nicene Creed
WE BELIEVE in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed (formatted for call and response)
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again, in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Kupu Whakapono (Confession of Faith)
Adopted by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, October 2012.
From this land of Aotearoa New Zealand we confess that we believe in and belong to
the one true and living God,
who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Love before all love.
We believe in God the Father,
sovereign and holy,
Creator and nurturer of all,
Father of Jesus Christ,
sender of the Holy Spirit,
and Judge of all the earth.
We believe in God the Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
truly human and truly divine,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
For our sin he was crucified
and by the power of God was raised from death,
forgiving us, setting us free
and bringing to birth God’s new creation.
Now ascended, he calls us to repentance and faith
and restores us to God and to one another.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who inspired the Scriptures and makes Christ known,
who transforms hearts and minds
and gathers us into the community of Christ,
empowering the Church in worship and in mission.
We belong to this triune God,
women and men,
young and old,
from many nations,
in Christ he iwi kotahi tatou, [we are one people]
witnesses to God’s love in word and action,
servants of reconciliation,
and stewards of creation.
As God’s people,
we look forward in hope and joy
to the return of Christ,
to the new heaven and earth,
where evil and death will be no more,
justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God
Kupu Whakapono
abbreviated for Baptism services
We believe in and belong to the one true and living God.
We believe in God the Father,
Creator and nurturer of all.
We believe in God the Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour,
who lived among us full of grace and truth.
Crucified and raised, he is bringing to birth God’s new creation,
restoring us to God and to one another.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life at work in all creation,
who transforms hearts and minds
and empowers the Church in worship and in mission.
We belong to this God,
women and men, young and old, from many nations,
witnesses to God’s love in word and action.
We look forward in hope and joy
to the new heaven and earth,
where justice and peace will flourish,
and we shall forever delight in the glory of God
Amen.
