The Apostles Creed and Jerome on the Nazarenes

The following is a an interesting parallel between the oldest form of the so-called “Apostles Creed” and Jerome’s description of the beliefs of the Nazarenes.

The oldest known version of “The Apostles Creed” (Hebraicized):

I believe in Elohim the Father Elyon:

And in Yeshua the Messiah his only begotten Son, our YHWH.

Who was born of the Ruach HaKodesh and virgin Miriam,

And was crucified under Pontius Pilate and was buried, and the third day rose again from the dead,

Ascended into heaven, sits on the right hand of the Father.

Whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead;

And in the Ruach HaKodesh

The Set-Apart Assembly;

The remission of sins;

And the resurrection of the flesh,

Amen.

Today there still exists among the Jews in all the synagogues of the East a heresy which is called that of the Minæans,and which is still condemned by the Pharisees; [its followers] are ordinarily called 'Nazarenes';

they believe that Messiah, the son of Elohim,

was born of the Virgin Miriam,

and they hold him to be the one who suffered under Pontius Pilate

and ascended to heaven,

and in whom we also believe."

(Jerome; Letter 75 Jerome to Augustine)

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Permalink Reply by beryl etanah on June 12, 2012 at 1:11am

--nice post James.

--here we go,

אני מאמן

אני מאמן יי אלקינו האב הכל-יכל בורא שמים וארץ

הנותן הברית ונאמן בבריתו

וביהושוע המשיח בנו יחידו אדונו

על-ידי רוח-הקודש נולד למרים הבטולה

סובל תחת פונטיוס פילאתוש

נצלב מת ונקבר הוא כום מבין המתים ביום השלשי

ועלה השמימה יושב בלימין האב אל-שדי

משם הוא יבוא לשפות את החים ואת המתים

אני מאמן ברוח-הקודש

אני מאמן בגעולת ישראל

וכנסית השלחים

ומחלת החטאים

בתחיית הגופ

ובחי נצחים

אמן

i believe in (TETRA here) G-d of all, Creator of heaven and earth

the Giver of covenant and who is faithful to His covenant

and of Yehushua Messiach His Son our Lord

through Ruach haQodesh born unto Mary the virgin

suffered under Pontius Pilate

died and was buried He rose from the dead in third day

and ascended unto heavens sits at the right of G-d

from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.

i believe in the Holy Spirit

i believe in the Redemption of Israel

in the kahal by the apostles

the forgiveness of sins

the resurrection of the dead

and life everlasting.

ameyn.

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Permalink Reply by James Trimm on June 12, 2012 at 1:25am

Question:

Was Jerome truncating the "Apostles Creed" intentionally?

Did the Nazarenes hold the "Apostles Creed" (or shall I say the "Emissaries Creed") to have been composed by the Twelve?

Am I jumping to conclusions?

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Permalink Reply by beryl etanah on June 12, 2012 at 3:39am

Was Jerome truncating the "Apostles Creed" intentionally?

--i prefer to say Jerome did not found the Jewish particles in the creed worthy of record; as he was merely interested on the contents that bore semblance to what he was personally professing that moment

Did the Nazarenes hold the "Apostles Creed" (or shall I say the "Emissaries Creed") to have been composed by the Twelve?

--they held completely every article relevant to the messianic message in the Jewish perspective, although not in the way the formula is well drafted in the west and later in Nicaea.