Kong Hee Podcast Kong Hee

The fifth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: [Jesus] descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.

Between His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, Jesus’ soul was made alive by the Holy Spirit and brought to the realm of the departed dead (1 Pet. 3:18-20). In this video recording, I will share with you about what many church fathers believe concerning why Jesus descended to the dead. More importantly, because the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus form the central truth of the Christian faith, its importance can never be overemphasised – as such, we will also be looking at what the resurrection of Jesus proves and implies.

If Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile, and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). But praise God, we worship a resurrected Saviour, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

The fourth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea during the first century AD, was the one who presided over Jesus’ trial and gave the order for His crucifixion. Why must He die on the cross? Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Isaiah 53 says that the Saviour will have to suffer physically, psychologically, morally, and spiritually for the sins of all humankind. By being crucified, Jesus really died and was really buried. His work of salvation was completely finished on the cross once and for all. Everything that happened at Calvary authenticated all the claims of Christ. The next time you utter this statement in the Apostles’ Creed, you can do so with the utmost gratitude knowing that if everything Jesus claimed actually happened at Calvary, then you can also be certain that one day, He will return again in power and glory to receive you into His everlasting kingdom, just as He has promised!

The third statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.

Jesus was conceived by the direct action of God. There was no physical consummation between Joseph and Mary. His was a supernatural conception! In order for Jesus to be our Saviour, three conditions must be fulfilled, and the supernatural virgin birth guaranteed that Jesus fulfilled all three conditions, which I will share with you in this video. 

Because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He is fully God. Because Jesus was born of Mary, He is fully human. Without the incarnation, Jesus Christ could not die for us, and the cross would become meaningless. The incarnation shows how much God loves us and has made a way for us to be redeemed through His Son. The next time we recite this statement in the Apostles' Creed, may we be immensely grateful for the great love that the Father has bestowed on us!

The second statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the second person of the Trinity. He is not a created being. On the contrary, He is the eternal, unchanging, all-powerful God. But if God did not create Jesus, why then is he called the “Son”, and specifically, the "only" Son? In this video, I will break down this second statement in the Apostles' Creed and explain it to you as succinctly as possible. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is crucial for your salvation, and I hope that the next time you profess "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord," you will be awestruck by the Saviour and Lord whom we love and believe in!

The first statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." When we say “I believe,” it speaks of something that is deeply personal. Christianity is a personal faith between you and God. No one can believe in God on your behalf – you must personally believe in him! But who is this “God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth” that Christians believe in? I hope that after watching this short video snippet, every single time you recite this first line of the Apostles’ Creed, you will find yourself being strengthened in your faith as you reaffirm your belief in this one true God.

Someone once said that if life is a journey, and the 800,000-word Bible is the exhaustive map with everything in it, then the 115-word Apostles’ Creed is its simplified road map. In the next few posts, I will be sharing about the Apostles’ Creed. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo, which means “I believe”. As such, the Apostles’ Creed comprises statements that affirm what a Christian believes. I pray that by the end of this series, you will have a revelation of what each statement of the Apostles’ Creed means, and henceforth, you will recite it during every holy communion with utmost faith and conviction!