Daniel Whyte III, who happens to be a Baptist preacher, but who for nearly thirty years has read the Apostles’ Creed in family devotions with his wife and seven children takes the liberty to change the Apostles’ Creed for the first time in hundreds of years.
Whyte made the change in line 10 of the Apostles’ Creed because he believes the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ should be included in the historic Christian document. He states, “Perhaps the most important aspect of the post-Passion record are Jesus’ appearances to His followers. Obviously, Satan and the enemies of Christ did not want news to get out that Jesus had risen from the dead. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14, ‘If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and our faith is also vain.’
“Thus all of Jesus’ appearances after His resurrection are important including His appearance to Mary Magdalene and the other women, His appearances to the disciples, and His appearances to over 500 brethren over the course of the 40 days following His resurrection. The record of these appearances in the Gospels and as recounted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 are important because they are eyewitness proof that Jesus was indeed alive in bodily form after His crucifixion.”
Whyte goes on to say, “The resurrection is a vital part of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the one thing that universally sets Christianity apart from all other religions. We follow a Savior, Master, and Teacher who is alive. We need to be reminded of that and the world needs to be reminded of that. That is why the statement describing Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances should be included in the Apostles’ Creed because it is a part of the gospel message. If we’re going to name Pilate, let’s name Mary Magdalene, the other women, the disciples, and over 500 brethren.”
He recommends that all parents have family devotions (which used to be called the family altar) each day. For those who have little children, Whyte urges parents to teach their young ones the Apostles’ Creed.
The changes are in red and underlined below:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth;And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead;
He was seen alive by Mary Magdalene and the other women, the disciples and over 500 other brethren;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
Visit Daniel Whyte III online at www.danielwhyte3.com. Also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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