Hey Guys,
This weeks series is about the apostles' creed. As always, the full text will be at the bottom of this post.
Last time we talked about the Holy Spirit. This time we are looking the next line.
[I believe in] the holy catholic Church,the communion of saints.
Small note here, this line which was used on Sunday is most likely another version of the Apostles Creed from the one shown at the bottom. Yes there are different versions, of the Creed, the one used below is used by the Lutheran Church. All of the versions mean the same thing, they just have different wordings.
To help us understand what is meant by this line, Yi Long Lao shi has helped us to break down the line down to the individual words to help us understand better.
Holy
ESV: Leviticus 20:26 You shall be holy to me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
Here we see that being Holy means being separated from the rest of the world; to belong to God.
Catholic
Normally in our everyday conversations catholic would refer to being part of the roman catholic church. However, the word catholic also means "Including a wide variety of things; all-embracing" and also meaning "Of all Christian Churches". Catholic in this context refers to the christian community as a whole, referring to a combined, universal church in a sense.
Church
This might sound simple, but in fact it's not. Acts 2:41-47 tells us about the early church and how they operated. Go read up.
Church in this sense does not refer to a place or a building, but a community; a community which shares in everything together.
So basically, the holy catholic Church refers to the universal community of christians that are set apart by God.
Communion
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Apart from the Holy communion which is the breaking of bread and taking of wine as a ceremony to remember Jesus, communion also means the sharing of thoughts and feelings, on a mental or spiritual level. We are able to do so because, as shown in the verse, we are of one body, with Christ as the head of the church.
Saints
1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Saints can mean people who were revered as great spiritual leaders in the past, or in this context, mean anyone who has received christ. Saints are, as said before, set apart, and Jesus has instructions for these saints, which is to be imitators of Him. Of course, Jesus did not mean that people should pose as Jesus, like some have done. Jesus meant that we should become people that resemble Him in character and behavior. Saints are like prisms or mirrors, refracting and reflecting the light from Christ into the world.
Hopefully this break down has helped in the understanding of the apostles creed, and the importance of keeping holy together, as a community, as a family in Christ. We are all set apart from the world by Christ, and how we act has influence on many.
The Apostle's creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
- maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
- who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
- and born of the virgin Mary,
- suffered under Pontius Pilate,
- was crucified, died and was buried.
- He descended into hell.
- On the third day He rose again from the dead.
- He ascended into heaven
- and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
- From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
- the holy Christian church,
- the communion of saints,
- the forgiveness of sins,
- the resurrection of the body,
- and the life everlasting. Amen
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使徒信经
我信上帝，全能的父，创造天地的主；
我信我主耶稣基督，上帝独生的子；
因圣灵感孕，由童贞女马利亚所生；
在本丢彼拉多手下受难，被钉于十字架，受死，埋葬；
降在阴间，第三天从死人中复活；升天，坐在全能父上帝的右边；
将来必从那里降临，审判活人死人。我信圣灵；
我信圣而公之教会；我信圣徒相通；
我信罪得赦免；我信身体复活；
我信永生。阿们。
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Labels: creed, sermon
