A statement was created sometime between the 1st and 5th centuries which summarized the beliefs of the Christian faith. It was the Apostle's Creed. The Apostle's Creed states what every Christian whether Protestant, Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox essentially believes. It was possibly copied from the Nicene Creed which was a statement of faith created to combat the heresy of Gnosticism. Legend also has it that the apostles wrote the creed 10 days after Jesus ascended back into heaven.
In the creed you will notice the term 'Catholic.' Catholic here does not refer specifically to the Roman Catholic church. Catholic here means 'universal' or the entire church as a body of believers. The word's Latin origin is 'catholicus' which means 'general.' The Greek is 'katholikós' which means 'the whole.'
I think it would be very useful if every Christian learned the creed by heart. It is an excellent statement of the explanation of the what and why of the Christian religion.
The Apostle's Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall 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 life everlasting. Amen.
