I have recently been thinking about what makes Christianity Christian. A lot of people or groups may claim to be Christian, but what are the central, core, defining beliefs that most Christians - if not all - have claimed over the last two thousand years?

I am currently preaching on this subject on Sunday mornings and I have been using the Apostles' Creed. I have always wondered how you take the one thousand-plus pages of material, that we call the Bible, and reduce it to a two to three page statement of faith.

The Apostles' Creed has been used by Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, as well as many other Christian denominations as a starting point of defining much of the essential beliefs of the Christian faith.

I like Alistair McGrath's version in his book I Believe:

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
and born of the virgin Mary.
He 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
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living 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.
Amen.