The Apostles’ Creed is one of the most concise statements of faith from the early church, and continues to be used in many (if not most) Christian churches today.

In my home church, this creed is used at baptisms and confirmations. It’s seen as our basic statement of faith, summarizing what we feel is most central to the Christian religion.

Though this creed is brief, there’s a lot of theology in it; and there’s a lot of different understandings about what each line of the creed means.

I thought it would be helpful, therefore, to unpack this creed and give my understanding of what it means.

The Apostles’ Creed begins with the statement, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.”

There’s a lot that can be gleaned from this one line.

What does it mean to call God the Father Almighty? I don’t think this means that God is male.

Though most biblical references to God use masculine imagery, the Bible also teaches that God is a Spirit, and is very different from any earthly man (Num 23:19, John 4:24).

Furthermore, Scripture sometimes refers to God in motherly terms (Deut 32:11-12, 32:18; Isaiah 45:9-10, 49:15; Hosea 13:8; Matt 11:19, 23:37); and since both male and female are created in God’s image (Gen 1:27), it follows that God is both male AND female – or perhaps beyond gender altogether.

Why, then, does the creed refer to God as “father?” One reason God is called Father is because He is our Creator.

In the ancient world, it was believed that all of the material for human life was in a man’s “seed.” Fathers, then, were the ones who created new life; mothers were seen as the ones who nurtured (both before and after birth) what the fathers had created.

The easiest way to say that God is our creator, then, was to call him Father. While we now know that human embryos are formed from the DNA of both a man and a woman, the fatherly image still fits (though it may need to be supplemented by a motherly image).

Another reason God is called Father is to show His power and authority. This is underscored in the creed when it says that God is the Father Almighty.

In the patriarchal culture of Jesus’ time, a father had authority over everyone in his household, including not just children but also his wife/wives (and often slaves as well).

When Jesus says “call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father – the one in heaven” (Matt 23:9), He’s actually being culturally subversive!

If God is our only Father (in terms of one having authority over us), then all human beings are equal – and we should relate to one another as such.

Racism, patriarchy, xenophobia and all other forms of bigotry would disappear if we all really believed that God is our Father.

Finally, we call God Father as a sign of intimacy – an expression of how much God loves us, and how much we are called to love God in return.

Most sociologists agree that the love of a parent for a child is one of the strongest – if not the strongest – bond one person can have for another.

While not all parents have treated their children well, people are made to instinctively love their children. Where this love is lacking, it’s more a sign of personal or cultural damage than a defect in our design.

Jesus takes this parental metaphor to the extreme, calling God “Abba” (Aramaic for “Daddy” or “Papa.”)

For many of the Jewish people in Jesus’ time, this was an unacceptable level of intimacy with the Divine. Nevertheless, Jesus insists that the Holy One who created the entire cosmos wants us to feel so loved and safe in Him that we can call Him “Daddy.”

When we say we believe in “God the Father,” then, we are affirming that the universe we observe and live in is the work of a powerful and loving God, who is intimately present in all creation but also distinct from it.

This forms the foundation, not just for Christianity, but for virtually all religion in the Western world.

It’s important to note that not everyone will be comfortable referring to God as “Father.”

For those whose relationship with their earthly fathers is colored by abuse or neglect, it may or may not be particularly helpful to think of God as a father. Similarly, a male image of God may rub some people the wrong way, and if used exclusively, can be misleading.

For these reasons, some people may prefer to call God “Mother” instead of (or in addition to) “Father.” I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing this. (Indeed, I have come to know God as both Father and Mother, and also as a friend, brother, and lover).

In any case, the core belief stands: There is one God who created all that exists, who is our only ultimate authority, and who loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Everything else we say about God, if it’s to be authentically Christian, comes from this.