2.4 The New Apostolic Creed

2.4 The New Apostolic Creed The historicity of Jesus also becomes clear through the mention of “Pontius Pilate”. This man was the Roman governor in Palestine in the years from AD 26–36, which means that Jesus’ sufferings took place during his time of rule (John 18: 28 et seq.). The article then goes on to mention three significant events that relate to Jesus, namely that He “was crucified, died, and was buried”. This once again clearly highlights the true humanity of Jesus: He had to endure a shameful death, namely the death of the cross. He died and was buried, and thus shared in the general fate of mankind. The special thing about all of this is only brought to expression by the words: “rose again from the dead on the third day”. Here we are confronted with an event that far transcends the human sphere of experience, and which can only be expressed and understood from the perspective of faith. Behind this formulation there is another confessional statement which is already mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15: 3–4: “For I deliv- ered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The dual reference “according to the Scriptures” demonstrates that these were not merely random events, but requirements of salvation history. Jesus Christ “rose again from the dead”. His resurrection is the prerequisite for, and the promise of, the resurrection of the dead in general. However, the Apostolicum also inserts the words “He descended into hell [the realm of the dead]” in between the phrases “buried” and “On the third day He rose again”. The New Testament evidence for this statement can be found in 1 Peter 3: 19, which states that Jesus “preached to the spirits in pris- on” after His death on the cross. After the profession that He “rose again from the dead”, it states that Jesus Christ “ascended into heaven” (Acts 1: 9–11). The earthly life of Jesus—as well as His direct presence on earth as the Risen One—thereby came to its conclusion. The receiving of the Risen One into heaven signifies His return to the Father and His exaltation. The exalted state of Jesus Christ comes to ver- bal expression in the formulation: “He is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty” (Colossians 3: 1). 63 2 The Creed The end of the Second Article of Faith states that the exalted Lord will return in order to take His own unto Himself (John 14: 3). 2.4.3 The Third Article of Faith I believe in the Holy Spirit, the one, holy, universal, and apostolic church, the community of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the dead, and life everlasting. The Third Article of Faith begins with a profession of belief in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. The Creed of Nicaea-Constantinople again brings to expression the divine essence of the Holy Spirit and His oneness with the Father and the Son: “[We believe] in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glori- fied, who spake by the prophets.” Believers thereby acknowledge the Holy Spirit and His divinity. One of the works of the Holy Spirit is the church. The church is not some- thing that emanates from human beings or that was created by them. Rather it is a divine institution. It is the assembly of those who are baptised, who follow Christ in their conduct of life, and who profess Jesus Christ as their Lord. The purpose of the church of Christ consists, on the one hand, of mak- ing salvation and eternal fellowship with the triune God accessible to man- kind, and on the other hand, of bringing praise and worship to God. The church of Jesus Christ has a concealed side and a revealed side. In this respect it corresponds to the dual nature of Jesus Christ, who is both true Man and true God. The concealed side of the church (see also 6.3) cannot be fathomed by human reason, but can be accessed through faith and experi- enced, for example in the sacraments and in the spoken word of God, that is in all the signs of divine salvation and divine nearness. The revealed side of the church is a reference to the true humanity of Jesus Christ. Like the Man Jesus, the church is part of the history of mankind, although the Man Jesus was without sin—which is not the case with the revealed side of the church. It 64