J. I. Packer

Affirming the

Apostles’ Creed

CROSSWAY BOOKS

wheaton, illinois

Affirming the Apostles’ Creed

Copyright © 2008 by J. I. Packer

This book was formerly part of Growing in Christ, copyright © by J. I. Packer, originally published under the title I Want to Be a Christian.

Published by Crossway Books

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Keane Fine

Cover photo: Veer

First printing, 2008

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version®, copyright © by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations indicated as from kjv are taken from The Holy Bible: King James Version.

Scripture quotations indicated as from Phillips are taken from The New Testament in Modern English, translated by J. B. Phillips. Copyright © 1972 by J. B. Phillips.

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-0416-7

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-0415-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Packer, J. I. (James Innell)

Affirming the Apostles’ Creed / J. I. Packer.

p. cm.

“This book was formerly part of Growing in Christ by J. I. Packer, originally published under the title I want to be a Christian”—

T. p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4335-0210-1 (tpb)

1. Apostles’ Creed. I. Packer, J. I. (James Innell) Growing in Christ. II. Title.

BT003.3.P33 2008

238′.11—dc22

2007045821

To

Jim, Tom,

and Elisabeth

who by what they

are even more than

by what they say

share the strength they

have been given

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1 I Believe in God

2 The God I Believe In

3 The Father Almighty

4 Almighty

5 Maker of Heaven and Earth

6 And in Jesus Christ

7 His Only Son

8 Born of the Virgin Mary

9 Suffered under Pontius Pilate

10 He Descended into Hell

11 The Third Day

12 He Ascended into Heaven

13 He Shall Come

14 I Believe in the Holy Spirit

15 The Holy Catholic Church

16 Forgiveness of Sins

17 Resurrection of the Body

18 The Life Everlasting

Scripture Index

The Apostles’ 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,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried:

he descended into hell;

the third day he rose again from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick 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.