What is the origin of the apostles creed?

[Rebecca_Fleming]

A gentleman my husband works with is saying that the creed used to be in the bible but was taken out because “they” didn’t want everybody knowing about it. I gave my husband the catechism to take to work to lend to this guy. The whole idea sounds whacko to me. I told dear hubby to ask this guy where he heard this from. At any rate I still don’t know the origin of it. My understanding is that the creed is an expression/statement of our fundamental beliefs taken from the apostolic tradition handed down from the apostles. When the bible was written it would have confirmed the creed as they both had the same source. The teachings and letters of the original apostles and popes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[mick321]

A gentleman my husband works with is saying that the creed used to be in the bible but was taken out because “they” didn’t want everybody knowing about it. I gave my husband the catechism to take to work to lend to this guy. The whole idea sounds whacko to me. I told dear hubby to ask this guy where he heard this from. At any rate I still don’t know the origin of it. My understanding is that the creed is an expression/statement of our fundamental beliefs taken from the apostolic tradition handed down from the apostles. When the bible was written it would have confirmed the creed as they both had the same source. The teachings and letters of the original apostles and popes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

While the present form of the Apostles’ Creed first appeared in the 6th century in the writings of Caesarius of Arles (d 542), it can be traced in one form or another back to Apostolic times. Rufinus’ Commentary on the Apostle’s Creed (ca 407) contains the prayer in a form very close to what we have today. The Creed can also be found in a letter to Pope Julius I (340 AD) and even earlier in a circa 200 document containing the Roman baptismal liturgy. It appears that originally this Creed was a baptismal creed summarizing the teachings of the Apostles and was given to the catechumens when they were baptized. Instead of the continuous prayer as we have it today, each line was rather in the form of a question to which the catechumen gave assent indicating he both understood and believed. This form is similar to the form found in the Easter Liturgy for the renewal of the Baptismal promises. Eventually this question and answer style was modified into the prayer form as we have it today. A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite the Symbolum Apostolorum.

SOURCE: Thesaurus Precum Latinarum
preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Symbola/Apostolorum.html