What Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Through the Apostles’ Creed

by Michael F. Bird

Modern Christians have often hesitated to embrace the ancient creeds because of our “nothing but the Bible” tradition. In What Christians Ought to Believe Michael Bird opens our eyes to the possibilities of the Apostle’s Creed as a way to explore and understand the basic teachings of the Christian faith.

Bringing together theological commentary, tips for application, and memorable illustrations, What Christians Ought to Believe summarizes the basic tenets of the Christian faith using the Apostle’s Creed as its entryway. After first emphasizing the importance of creeds for the formation of the Christian faith, each chapter, following the Creed’s outline, introduces the Father, the Son, and the Spirit and the Church. An appendix includes the Apostles’ Creed in the original Latin and Greek.


What Christians Ought to Believe is ideally suited for both the classroom and the church setting to teach beginning students and laypersons the basics of what Christians ought to affirm if they are to be called Christians.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Church History, Christian Living, Religion

240 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2016

About the author

Dr. Michael Bird (Ph.D University of Queensland) is Lecturer in Theology at Ridley Melbourne College of Mission and Ministry. He is the author of several books including Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission (2006), The Saving Righteousness of God (2007), A Bird’s-Eye View of Paul (2008), Colossians and Philemon (2009), Crossing Over Sea and Land: Jewish Missionary Activity in the Second Temple Period (2009), and Are You the One Who is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question (2009).

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend this book for teaching parishioners the fundamentals of our faith. It is clear, concise, and just fun to read.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortunately, theologian Michael F. Bird is not afraid to be lighthearted in presenting gospel truth. For example” “To use a meteorological pun, to be a follower of Jesus means to walk in the “reign” of Jesus. It entails that believers order their lives, finances, relationships, ambitions, and hopes around the most important confession of the faith: Jesus is Lord.” (p. 167). Using Mary Poppins’ metaphorical “spoonful of sugar,” he offers profound insights on difficult to understand concepts in What Christians Ought to Believe: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine Through the Apostles’ Creed, his short primer on The Apostles’ Creed.
The book begins with an answer to those who reject creeds, somewhat like the slogan in the churches of my formative years: “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” He starts out but pointing out that such a slogan is not in the Bible. (p. 17) He emphatically states: “If you do believe the Bible, then sooner or later you have to set out what you think the Bible says.” (p. 18). Of course, when one does that, one has created a creed. His sense of humor allows him to summarize: “The creeds provide a kind of ‘Idiot’s Guide to Christianity’ by briefly laying out the story, unity, coherence, and major themes of the Christian faith.” (p. 23)
Bird telegraphs the idea that the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) was a creed to which Jews and Jesus alike subscribed (and taught) before demonstrating how just the basic idea that Jesus was crucified and raised to life is “found in liturgical material, apostolic exhortation to congregations, snuggly inserted into theological argumentation, laid out in hymnlike poetry, and even found in New Testament prophecy.” (pp. 19-20) After the New Testament, creeds were often used to referee debates by differentiating between a faith based on scripture and one based on more popular and ephemeral convenience (p. 24).
He quickly summarizes the creedal response to Arius (threatening Jesus’ divinity) and the answer to Apollinarius (threatening Jesus’ humanity) as he demonstrated the usefulness of creeds (pp. 25-26). Historically, he illustrated a bit about the development of canon (succinctly as opposed to thoroughly) and quoted Irenaeus in demonstrating that “even barbarians” believed in the general parameters of what became the Apostles’ Creed (p. 33). So, “fact, Irenaeus and Tertullian say that the root error of all heresies is studying the Scriptures in isolation from the rule of faith.” (p. 33) Bird’s concluding position in this discussion mirrors that of the two early church fathers: “Thus, the Scriptures generated the rule of faith, and the rule of faith serves to authorize Scripture.” (p. 34) I’m not sure “authorize” is the best word, but the essence is that interpreting as a “lone wolf” is not healthy.
In unpacking the words, “I believe,” in the Apostles’ Creed, Bird quotes Karl Barth’s insightful assertion: “Faith is not obedience, but as obedience is not obedience without faith, faith is not faith without obedience. They belong together, as do thunder and lightning in a thunderstorm.” (p. 50). Expressing the inherent rationality of faith, Bird explains: “The existence of God explains why there is a ‘something’ rather than a ‘nothing,’ why the universe is rationally intelligible, and why it seems wired up to produce intelligent life.” (p. 51) He goes on to proffer the idea of “moral oughtness” and making sense of humanity’s disparate religious experiences as needs that are met by faith in God (p. 51).
In answer to those who assert that faith is always blind faith, Bird suggests that doubt is a valid part of the faith experience. “Doubt can be a sign of spiritual struggle, a means of growing into maturity, and a pathway into a stronger and more resilient faith. What sustains me in times of doubt is one simple thing: the complete and utter worshipability of Jesus Christ.” (p. 53) In that vein, he describes faith as a curiosity that needs to be satisfied (p. 54).
Of course, one can hardly express faith in the Christian God without recognizing the role of Son and Spirit, as well. In much the same manner as Thomas F. Torrance in The Mediation of Christ expresses the reciprocal nature of revelation, Bird cites U.S. theologian Kevin Vanhoozer. The seminary professor writes: “The very logic of the gospel—the declaration that God enables believers to relate to God the Father in Jesus Christ through the Spirit—implies the divinity of the Son and Spirit as well.” (p. 58) Then, citing the baptismal formula, he quotes Catholic theologian John Meier as affirming the Trinity because: “…One does not baptize in the name of a divine person, a holy creature, and an impersonal force.” (p. 59) As one can see, Bird is not just conversant with the full spectrum of Christian theology, but offers amusing ways of presenting the truth, as well.
Bird makes an interesting point on the Fatherhood of God. Although it is rarely used in direct address, such as in Jesus’ Model Prayer in the New Testament, there is precedent for this in the section of Isaiah known (sometimes) as Trito-Isaiah, Isaiah 63:16 and 64:8 (pp. 60-61). Then, he observes Jesus’ use of the term “Father” and Paul’s insistence that as adopted members of God’s family, we are able to call on God as “Abba,” a more intimate term of “Father.” (specifically Galatians 4:6 and Romans 8:15—p. 62). Fortunately, Bird also mentions how the use of Father can be used to maintain a patriarchal perspective and reminds readers that all theological language is analogical (p. 63).
Similarly, Bird refuses to be pulled into the popular whirlpool of what God Who would be Almighty can or can’t do. His statement is succinct and to the point, stating that God’s “…power is not limited by anything beyond his own character and being. God always works to bring about what he intends to do, and not a single molecule in the universe can thwart him or frustrate his purposes.” (p. 65). He refuses to discuss God’s power in the abstract such as how much of God’s power could be stored in a battery, but reminds us of the intentional irony in that God’s power is best demonstrated in the crucifixion (p. 66).
Bird definitively believes in creation, but understands that the purpose of the creation accounts in Genesis are not literal, scientific texts but literary constructs designed to develop a worldview complementary to a relationship with God. “Genesis 1–3 functions within the Pentateuch as the background to Israel’s covenant life so that his people might know that the LORD is no mere tribal God but the one and only God, maker of heaven and earth, who calls Israel to be his people. Genesis 1–3 introduces us to crucial theological insights about God’s nature and God’s purpose, not least his goodness, his absolute sovereignty, his providence, the mysterious entrance of evil, humanity’s fall into disobedience, and God’s promise to put the world to rights through the skull-crushing victory of Eve’s offspring.” (p. 70) So, naturally, Bird rejects pantheism because God is neither impersonal force within creation nor disaffected, absentee landlord (as in Deism), but involved actively in creation (p. 70).
In terms of believing in Jesus as the Son of God, Bird makes clear that Jesus is our clearest revelation from God and that the Incarnation was not an afterthought: “I hope it’s clear as well that the sending of Jesus was not Plan B, not an emergency measure to be activated when Adam tripped up or when things with Israel seemed to go awry. God had always intended to unite himself with creation through his Son. That is why Paul says in his panoply of poetic praise in Ephesians that God’s intention was “to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Eph 1:10). God from all eternity intended to put all things in subjection to his Son so that the Son will reign over God’s new world with God’s redeemed people.” (p. 76). He address the humanity-divinity issue of the Incarnation as the “enfleshing of God,” clearly stating: “In the incarnation, Jesus’s divine nature is married to a human nature. Note, Jesus is not a divine being who pretends to be human (Docetism) nor is Jesus a human who becomes divine (adoptionism). He is fully human and fully divine at the same time.” (p. 77). He rejects “adoptionism” because Jesus’ identity as “Son of God” precedes His identity as “Son of Humanity.” (p. 79).
Interestingly enough for a book on the Apostles’ Creed, Bird observes a glaring deficiency in the wording of the creed, jumping from the virgin conception of Jesus to His death under Pontius Pilate, completely leap-frogging His life and ministry (p. 85). He cleverly reminds us of Jesus’ messianic mission by telling us regarding the usual Christian focus on the cross (exemplified in the creed), “That does not mean, however, that Jesus’s life is just a warm-up act to Calvary or merely a catalogue of anecdotes for Sunday school lessons.” (p. 87). He sums up with an observation incorporating a quotation from Calvin: “May we ever follow Calvin’s exhortation to imitate even the penitent thief on the cross, who ’adores Christ as a King while on the gallows, celebrates His kingdom in the midst of shocking and worse than revolting abasement, and declares him, when dying, to be the author of life.’” (p. 90).
Regarding the virgin conception of Jesus, Bird is remarkably frank about those who do not find it necessary and the relatively minor emphasis on it (compared to other aspects of Jesus’ life) in the New Testament. However, his position is clear: “The virgin conception is not up for negotiation, as it is a part of the biblical teaching and a consistent feature of the church’s testimony to Jesus. We are free to raise questions, test interpretations, and offer fresh ones, but we are not free to roll our eyes and move on to other matters if we are to believe in Jesus as Christians.” (p. 103).
For the section on “crucified under Pontius Pilate,” Bird cites both contemporary and modern accounts to demonstrate just how cruel and horrific crucifixion must have been (pp. 112-113). He follows this with ancient quotations rejecting the idea of a “crucified god” (pp. 114-115) and modern rejections, as well (including the famous quotation from The Life of Pi (pp. 116-117)). He goes on to suggest that the mention of Pontius Pilate in the creed, “…points to the historical circumstances pertaining to Jesus’s death in Jerusalem on the Passover of ca. AD 30. We cannot dehistoricize the mission of Jesus and the passion narrative. We cannot talk as if Jesus was a heavenly figure who just decided to float down from heaven at some random point in history, borrowed a human body, taught earthly stories with heavenly meanings, promised everlasting life to anyone who would assent to his claims, and then irritated the Judean leaders for the sole purpose of getting them to crucify him so he could pay a sin-debt that humanity owed an angry and vengeful God in heaven.” (p. 122). In the next chapter, Bird underscores the importance of the cross with a long list of reasons (backed by scripture references) why the cross is important (pp. 128-129). The same basic list is presented in theological terms on p. 131.
Whereas our church doesn’t have the line added later of “descended into hell” in our reading of the creed, Bird uses it with one caveat: he recognizes that the Greek word mistranslated (or, at least, unfortunately translated) as “hell” is really Hades. “Hades is not a purgatorial rehab clinic where old sins can be worked off, nor is it a literal subterranean cavern somewhere in the earth’s mantle. Hades simply means the abode of the dead wherever that location happens to be. Old Testament saints who passed away went to the blessed part of Hades where they waited for rescue, while the wicked inhabit the punitive part of Hades where they wait and still wait for the final judgment.” (p. 144).Hence, the idea is that Jesus “suffered death” the same as any human that He might “taste death” for everyone (Hebrews 2:9) (p. 145.) Bird completely denies those of us who follow Rufinus’ baptismal formula and excise the “descent” (pp. 146, 148), arguing that, ostensibly, the “descent” and “burial” are the same.
More important to me is the resurrection. Bird calls resurrection our looking to the future in hope (p. 154), but he is also concerned about the Christological features of resurrection. First, he asserts that Jesus’ resurrection is proof that He is the Messiah (pp. 154-155). “The resurrection meant that Jesus was the climax of God’s plan. What God was going to do for Israel and for the world, he was going to do through Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, the Son of God—and he had already begun to do it!” (p. 155). Second, he asserts: ” The resurrection is living proof that God invades and disrupts the present order of things by bringing life in the face of death, justification in the midst of condemnation, and rays of hope into the caverns of fear. God’s new day arises in the raising of his Son.” (p. 156). Third, it guarantees our salvation (p. 156). Finally, he cites Colossians 3:1-2 to demonstrate that resurrection points to a new way of living for the believer, discipleship (p. 157).
Later, Bird questions whether modern believers tend to take the ascension of Jesus for granted. Emphasizing how the ascension points to Jesus’ ongoing work in the world, he notes: “Luke obviously thought the ascension was important since he presents an account of it twice: once at the end of his Gospel (Luke 24:49–53) and then again at the beginning of the book of Acts (Acts 1:9–11). So perhaps the ascension is more than Jesus’s return trip to heaven. Just maybe the ascension tells us something about the continuing work of Jesus in the world!” (pp. 161-162). I particularly liked his final point on the ascension: “It is vital that we remember that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he did not cease to be human and morph into some disembodied state like a humanoid ghost. Jesus ascended as a human being and remains in this glorified human state for the rest of eternity. The significance of this is that God has placed a human person as the head of the universe.” (p. 164).
I appreciated the fact that Bird did not invest an undue amount of time in parsing the varied narratives of the second coming of Christ. I am not a proponent of timelines or subjective interpretations of malleable symbols. However, if I were to change one thing about this book (other than Bird’s stubborn insistence that we need the “descent” phrase in the creed), it would be rather summary way in which the second coming is dealt with. I do appreciate his comparison of Muslim and Christian views of history’s end: “Christian story of the end is all the more important because it competes with other accounts of the end of the world. Islamic versions of the “last things” are very similar to Christian accounts, except that in Islamic doctrine a figure called the Mahdi (i.e., an Islamic teacher) partners with Isa (i.e., Jesus) to rule the world before the final day of reckoning. Buddhist beliefs generally tend to focus on the annihilation of the individual soul in nirvana without too much recourse to the future state of the universe. Secular futurists see the end of the world in an ecological disaster caused by overpopulation, overpollution, and overuse of natural resources. … different. In the Christian view, it is not annihilation or ecological catastrophe that is the final moment of human history. God’s story according to the gospel requires a final divine act to bring a rebellious world into order and to put it under the power of our heavenly king.” (p. 172).
His focus is definitely in the right place regarding the Holy Spirit. “What the Apostles’ Creed is pointing us to and reminding us of at this point is this. God’s Spirit, as given through Jesus, plunges us into a river of blessing; he gives life, saves and sanctifies, unites believers with Jesus and with each other, and equips and empowers them to be a spiritual people ready for earthly labor as much as eternal life.” pp. 180-181). His caustic paragraph about not taking the Holy Spirit seriously as “person” may be one of the finest moments in the book. He wrote: “I say with no exaggeration that I have met Christians who seem to think of the Holy Spirit as something like Jesus’s vapor trail, or a mysterious and impersonal “force” that conveys God’s presence, or even a kind of heavenly buzz that falls on people when some funky psychedelic worship music is played. The way some people describe the Holy Spirit could just as well describe magnetism, mood rings, or Motown records from the 1960s.” (p. 182) I will be sure to give him credit when I inevitably quote that in a future sermon.
How should we understand the Holy Spirit? The following summation is about as good as it gets: “us. The Spirit testifies to Christ because he wants to draw people into a relationship with Christ (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Christ and as such is the glue that connects us to the Son (Rom 8:9; Phil 1:19; 1 Pet 1:11).” (p. 184). I'm out of room, but I read this parallel to teaching the creed in small group sessions. Like this review, it felt a little rushed at the end, but I'm very pleased with this resource.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text’s greatest strength (aside from the recommenced reading) is its simplicity. Bird does not delve too deeply into doctrines; instead, he focuses on the core tenets of Christianity as the ancient foundation of our faith today. It was a great reminder of how beautiful Christianity is at its core and how easily we tend to screw it up.

[Peyton Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple and (mostly) uncontroversial, Bird lays out base-level Christianity teased out of the early creed. Quick and easy to read, and ripe for group study.

•••

To be clear, this is not a deep dive into historical theology and what the creed has meant throughout history. This is an introduction to theology that is guided by the affirmations of the creed, but not strictly.

The style is approachable and edifying. Some sections emphasize the pastoral nature of good theology, such as why God as Father is good for those who had bad earthly examples. The only section he got into historical weeds was discussing Jesus' descent — which is necessary because of how the modern church ignores the subject.

Bird tried to avoid unnecessary, complicated, controversial issues. He specifically mentioned that he was skipping the relationship of Israel and the Church as well as the different eschatological timelines. Though, Bird did imply that cessationism and insistence on charismata are extremes to be avoided, and he spent a couple paragraphs insisting that 6-day creationism isn't the only faithful interpretation on Scripture (though he did not pursue the issue much further).

The introductory chapters on the history and importance of the creed, as well as what it means to believe, were nice bonuses.

•••

For those new to theology, the intro chapters on how creeds develop isn't the best starting point, but the rest hits the highlights in an approachable manner. For those neck-deep in theology, this is simply an easy read with pleasant reminders. My theory is that this book would shine best in a discussion-based group study (Sunday school, book club, etc.) — plenty of meat, but plenty of room for discussion, and no wasted time.

And I hear a second edition comes out next year. 👀

[Hannah Christmas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re only going to read one theology book, make it this one. Not only is it concise and simple enough for anyone with a mild interest in the subject to read, but it also breaks down the key beliefs of all Christians, no matter the denomination. The importance of reading this book, even for Christians who think they know what they believe, is simply to remind themselves what that is, and what unites Christians around the world. In this day and age, it is vital we remember and focus on what is most important, which is what brings us together. I grew up in the church, but I wasn’t introduced to the Apostles’ Creed until I was an adult. However the recitation and understand of it is powerful and beautiful, and Michael Bird helped me understand why.

[Mitchell Traver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The word that comes to mind is “fun.” This book was truly fun to read. There are moments when the lighthearted personality of Bird is a little too much for me, but I was impressed by the easy way he engaged with the Apostles’ Creed. Zingers and insightful commentary were a constant presence. There may be some positions he takes that I’m not totally in agreement on, but I think this book really is a helpful introduction to the AC. It’s the irenic spirit and accessibility (also his analogies were often very good) that make it four stars. Good read!

[Neil Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Michael Bird provides a fresh exposition of the Apostles' Creed deeply rooted in the "faith once delivered for the saints".

His irenic tone means that this is a fruitful study across denominational lines.

[Ethan Coke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid overview on the creed but doesn’t go nearly deep enough for the page count (it’s not even close to being long). Easy to read but wish it looked at some of the nuances of the creed and its history

[David Haines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Bird's introduction to the Apostle's Creed is well written, humorous, and informative. It is a great text for providing an introduction to Christian theology.

[Jacob Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Bird has crafted an engaging, accessible, thought-provoking introduction to Christian doctrine that has become my favorite theological read of the year thus far. Using the Apostles' Creed as a starting point, Bird focuses on the doctrines that unify all Christians across all denominations, a refreshing angle in an age of increasing sectarianism. While introducing no new doctrine to me (thankfully), what this volume did was revitalize my view of essential Christian doctrines in a way that both enlivened my soul and renewed my hunger for theological study. I plan on writing a more thorough review in the future, but I will say in the meantime that this book has set a new standard and will now be my go-to when introducing others to the essentials of Christian doctrine.

[Heather Tully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear explanations of the Apostle's Creed. Sometimes it felt a bit dry but worthy of consideration. Very good for discussing with my high schoolers.

I read this for our 2021-2022 educational year.

[Jason Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. Bird manages to focus on the fundamentals and avoid peripherals... mostly.

The video course has a website with explanation of how to use the course and supplemental material. But when I selected that I was a pastor using the course in a church, it didn't give me access to anything at all. I wrote them. I got a response many weeks after we started the course which still didn't give me access to the course material. So I'll just point out here that the videos are almost word for word from the book, but with some sections skipped to keep them brief. It was helpful as a summary of what we'd read, but wasn't a separate lecture and contained no new information at all.

The material gives a helpful background of the creeds which was great for our people to get more familiar with them and to understand their role in church history. It then goes through what is basically the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Bird does a pretty good job of not going into controversial side-topics, but rather focusing in on the core of things that we all ought to believe. I didn't agree on every point of course, but overall it was quite well done.

Bird comes from an Anglican background. As a baptist, there were two chapters where I had to challenge his views quite sharply with our people. The first is chapter two where he argues that our regula fidei, our rule of faith, is not Scripture, but apostolic tradition authoritatively embodied in the creeds (I simplify severely). He argues that "the Scriptures generated the rule of faith, and the rule of faith serves to authorize Scripture" (p. 34). This naturally leads to an emphasis on church tradition and a position that the creeds are "necessary for a theologically healthy church" (p. 38) and that creeds "should hold an important place in our personal devotional lives" (p. 40, emphasis added). I wouldn't call it a Roman Catholic approach, but it leans much more heavily toward church tradition than I believe Scripture itself allows, especially in the forming of the canon.

The second point I had to challenge was in chapter thirteen. Here he defines the church so poorly that I couldn't even tell for sure what he believes. At times his terminology shifted awkwardly as he seemed to be unclear on whether he was referring to the universal church or the local church. I suspect this weakness flows from his denominational tradition. But it strikes the nonconformist ear quite sharply, especially as he makes several unhelpful and, I would argue, unreasonable jabs at independents throughout the book.

All this said, he's done a good job with this project and we found it refreshing hearing from an Aussie who is not caught up in the issues and culture wars of Christianity in some geographical locales... *cough, cough*

[Derek DeMars · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent overview of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith, organized around the Apostles' Creed. Bird unpacks each line of the creed with sufficient depth but without going off-topic, his writing is very easy to follow, and he remains laser-focused on just what his title says: the things every Christian ought to believe; the bare essentials, not the pet topics.

I especially appreciated Bird's approach on what each statement in the creed was designed to affirm, versus where there is flexibility (for example, Christians ought to affirm that God created the world from nothing, but from the time of at least St. Augustine there has been diversity in articulating precisely how he did so). Also very helpful were his treatments of the Trinity, the virgin birth, the atonement, and the Holy Spirit. Really every chapter was good, but those are ones I remember standing out for me personally.

Bird also makes a convincing case for the value of the early church creeds in Christian life and worship, and his bibliography/recommended reading sections are very helpful for those looking to go deeper on specific topics. I'd highly recommend this as an introduction to theology in general or to the Apostles' creed specifically. It would make a great resource for newer believers looking to go deeper in their faith, or for use in group studies or classes.

[Bo Cogbill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book alongside Alister McGrath and Ray Canatta's works on the Apostles'Creed.

Of the three, I thought Bird's was the best. He utilized a wide variety of sources and brought then together in a way that flowed very well. He exhibited in his writing what the Creed is meant to do in its existence--unite Christians of all stripes around the core teachings of Scripture.

As someone who was raised to reject the creeds of men, Bird's apologetics in the introduction for why we need the Creed was worth the price of the book.

I thoroughly appreciated the flow of the book and the nod to the Trinitarian nature that underlies the Creed.

The only thing that would have made this a one stop shop for the Creed is the lack of discussion questions at the end. To include these helps take the Creed from "I believe" with my mind to "I believe" with my heart and life, but the absence of those by no means would keep me from recommending this as an important resource on the Christian Faith.

[C.T. Eldridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a helpful primer on systematic theology as outlined by the Apostles’ Creed. It feels like a fresh approach to theology, especially if you’ve seen it structured in the typically evangelical way (e.g., Grudem). Bird is an illustrative and engaging writer, so it is not a slog to read. Biblical texts are cited and explained throughout, so you get a chance to connect the dots biblically and see where the theology is scripturally derived from. The content is by no means exhaustive. It is very much a primer or introduction. It would be good for new Christians or Christians who are taking their first stab at reading serious theology. The chapters are short, and the whole book is only 200 pages.

[Delanie Gustin · Rating 2 out of 5]

*this book was used as a textbook for a college theology course*

This book was way more complicated than it needed to be. It could have been 1/3 of the length and been 10 times easier to understand. The author seems to enjoy hearing himself talk, and the humor was awkward and unbearable to read. I feel like I got basically nothing out of this, and feel as though it was a terrible textbook choice.

[Rocky Woolery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good introduction to the Apostle's Creed and why we should care to look at it today. Short, precise and informative chapters each dealing with a short portion of the creed. Very good for just slowing down and reconsidering what one believes, why one believes it, and how we agree with the whole of the church on so much.

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25-4.5

This is a fantastic, though brief, introduction to the Christian faith. Using the Apostles' Creed as a teaching tool, Bird is concise, yet thorough. He takes hard stands, but is charitable to those who disagree. He is clear on what is central. Though I did at times quibble with his nuances, I would be happy to hand this book to anyone seeking to better grasp the basics of Christianity.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by BookLook/Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.]

Although the Apostles’ Creed is, perhaps not surprisingly, not apostolic, as the received text we have of it is from 700AD or so mostly through corrupt Roman sources, the creed itself is one that I could honestly agree to, even if what I meant by it would not be what the author means by it in the slightly more than 200 pages of this book. The creed itself reads as follows, at least in the version used by the author:

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe 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 to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of the Father,
And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The holy catholic Church,
The communion of the saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting.
Amen [224-225].”

This version of the creed serves as a template of what the author argues that Christians should believe, but although the author makes the strongest case possible for the importance of creeds to Christians and Christian churches, the creeds suffer from the problem that they can be understood in many ways, as can be understood by the fact that I can affirm the Apostles’ Creed and mean by my affirmation something quite different than what the author means by it, just like the Bible itself can be interpreted a variety of ways. The creeds and the rule of faith are not enough to ensure a commonality of belief, not least because there is no creedal focus on tota scriptura, only on finding proof texts for the author’s misguided beliefs on the nature of God and the resurrection that fill this book. For the record, it should be noted that I belong to a creedal church myself, although admittedly most of the members of the church I attend would likely not be aware of that fact [1].

The contents of this book are designed around chapters based on the various clauses of the Apostles’ Creed. The book divides the creed in statements that form fourteen chapters: Christian Creeds for beginners, why you need the creed, I believe, believing in the Father, believing in the Son—Divine and Human, believing in the Son—Messiah and Lord, believing in the virgin birth, believing in the cross—the offense of the cross, believing in the cross—the victory of the cross, believing that Jesus lives, believing that Jesus reigns, believing in the Spirit, belonging to the church, and believing in salvation, waiting for God’s new world. As might be expected, the author makes a lot of unsupported statements, shows a total ignorance of the continuing validity of God’s law for genuine believers, has no understanding of the plan of God to create a family and makes a few unsupported statements about the “interim” state of believers while (vainly) trying to distinguish his position from the Hellenistic one of an immortal soul.

The best that can be said about this book is that it focuses on Jesus Christ, that the author tries hard, and that it represents a fair understanding of what Hellenistic Christians think other Hellenistic Christians believe. The author writes in such a way as to demonstrate that his view of the importance of honoring the history of the corrupt churches influences the interpretations of the Bible he considers acceptable. This book is written in such a fashion that it would likely be suitable for individual reading, for some pointed sermons, or for seminary students in mainline churches. The author strikes an ecumenical tone that is likely to please many, except for the Unitarian Baptists he criticizes when defending the legitimacy and importance of creeds. The book is long on human reasoning and short on biblical understanding, and the author appears a bit too convinced by his own weak logic and assumes that he is writing to a friendly audience of people who believe more or less as he does. This is, unfortunately, not likely to be the case given the wide gulf between the author’s opinion as to what Christians ought to believe and what the Bible says about the subject.

[1] See, for example:

https://www.ucg.org/fundamental-belie...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

[William Dicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a good introduction to the Apostle's Creed. However, I would have given it a higher rating than 3 stars if the author did not continue to view Roman Catholicism as just another genuine stream within Christianity.

[Chad Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone diving into the Apostles Creed this would be the book I recommend. Michael Bird does a great job laying out the creed and making the articles of faith come alive and relevant to the 21st century believer.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very helpful for teaching through the Apostles Creed at church. It gave more depth than I could cover in the allotted time, but not too much. Bird's characteristic wit and humor provided some great illustrations which resonated even with the seniors adults I was teaching.

[Aaron Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the basics of the Christian faith, excellent explanation and expansion of the Apostles' Creed, excellent primer to those unfamiliar either with Christian doctrines or their Scriptural backing and understanding

[Eli Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m discovering that everything written on the topic of the creed is described as an introduction, but this book is rich. Bird writes well with great sources and humor/illustrations that help make this an easy read considering the breadth of its content.

[Matt Daq · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the third Michael bird book I have read. It is a really good overview of Christian theology. He goes over why creeds matter and then breaks down the Apostles creed line by line and does small dives into the theology of each line.

A good read if you want a basic book on theology.

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but could have been better if it had focused more on Biblical teaching and less a logic.

[Nathaniel Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. It will be a tool I use directly or indirectly to disciple new believers for years to come.

[Steve Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5–4 stars

[Karen Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this on a long drive and was challenged to really think about the Apostles Creed we say most Sundays

[Drew Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whimsical, academic, evangelical overview of the history and theology of the Apostles' Creed.