The Apostles’ Creed is a brief, ancient summary of the Christian faith. Despite the name, there is no evidence that the apostles developed it. In early forms, parts of the creed can be seen in the writings of the church fathers (from the first few hundred years of the church).
Despite its brevity, it is profoundly thorough. The creed covers belief in the Trinity (i. e., Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); God as creator; Jesus's conception by the Spirit; Jesus's birth from the virgin Mary; his life, death, resurrection, and ascension; his future judgment; the universal church; forgiveness of sins; our future resurrection; and eternal life.
Anyone who has read the Nicene Creed, can see how it was built upon the Apostles' Creed. Brian Hanson comments on the importance of the Apostles' Creed and how it influenced later Evangelical works as well:
The Augsburg Confession. The Helvetic Confession. The Gallican Confession. The Belgic Confession. The Westminster Confession and Catechism. The Second London Baptist Confession. The Canons of Dort. What do these historic evangelical confessions have in common? Each of them has its roots in the Apostles’ Creed (Brian Hanson, "We Believe: The Story of the Apostles' Creed"). In case you haven't read it before, here is the text of the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who 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.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic (or some prefer "universal") church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Apostles' Creed was used in the fourth-century (300s) for baptism. That is, people recited the Apostles’ Creed when they were baptized.
When I discovered this, I wondered: Why don’t very many Evangelical churches utilize the Apostles' Creed during baptism? Some oppose creeds claiming that the Bible is our only creed. (This is particularly true in the Baptist tradition.) However, if the Bible is still our authority and the creed is considered biblical, then why not utilize it? And what a beautiful picture when the Apostles' Creed is used as a declaration of faith at baptism!
Not only is it a succinct declaration of the Christian faith, but it is a unifying declaration. Many believers recite the Apostles' Creed in worship services and private prayer times. Perhaps, it could even be used in evangelistic and discipleship relationships. Sometimes in our pursuit of novelty, we forget the treasure found in the ancient church.
Bibliography:
McTavish, T. J. A Theological Miscellany: Odd, Merry, Essentially Inessential Facts, Figures, and Tidbits About Christianity. New York, NY: MJF, 2005.
Check out this article from Brian Hanson, "We Believe: The Story of the Apostles' Creed"