Why is there an "again" in the Nicine (and Apostles's) Creed?

Question

from the Book of Common Prayer (Anglican):

"He decended into the dead. On the third day he rose again." etc etc (Apostles)

"he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again" (Nicene)

What is that? it implies he's risen from the dead before...... which kinda messes everything up

Answer 1

I have never realized that before and I was brought up Catholic. We said the Nicine Creed all the time. I don't know why it says, "....He rose again." It doesn't make sense to me either. I'm sorry I can't help you anymore. I'm giving you a star because that's a darn good question.

Answer 2

Q. One line in the Apostles' Creed says, "On the third day He rose again." Grammatically speaking, for Jesus to have "rose AGAIN" implies that there was a previous rising from the dead for him --- which the Scriptures do not indicate, nor do we teach. Would you please explain for me why the Creed says, "He rose AGAIN"? It would seem that to say, "He rose from the dead . . ." or "He rose" would be more correct.

A. In the Greek text of both the Apostles' and the Niceno-Constantinopolitan (Nicene) Creeds the word translated "rose again" is anistemi, a verbal compound having "perfective" force (that is, "expressing action as complete or implying the action of completion, conclusion, or result"). It means simply "raise up" or "(make stand again) restore to life." While perhaps a bit archaic, the translation "raise again" certainly is an accurate rendering of the Greek text, having the same perfective force. In a Q & A in the August 1997 issue of The Lutheran Witness on this question, the point is made that such an adverbial use of "again" in English colloquial usage is not without precedent. For example, to say "the boy fell down and got up again" need not mean that he fell down more than once and arose more than once. Thus, even in current English usage to say Jesus "rose again" does not necessarily imply (and of course does not in fact imply) that Jesus rose a second time.


The statement is based in 1 Corinthians 15:4 - the "again" is not present in most translations.

HCSB
that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
NIV
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
ESV
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
NASB95
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
NKJV
and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
NLT96
He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said.
KJV
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
NET
and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures,
TEV
that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures;
AMP
That He was buried, that He arose on the third day as the Scriptures foretold,
NJB
and that he was buried; and that on the third day, he was raised to life, in accordance with the scriptures;
MSG
that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says;

Answer 3

He didn't rise from the dead before, he rose to life before. He rose to life when he was born, and rose to life again when he rose from the dead.

Answer 4

It's purely semantics. It's like telling a person who is visiting you for the first time, "come back again". Well if this is the first time they visited you, they never "came back" before. So "come back again" makes no sense. But it is common english usage.

Answer 5

The version I learned doesn't have again (Apostle's Creed).
Maybe they consider the physical birth as the first time.

Answer 6

He was alive before, and then he died, but then he was alive again. That's all that means. "Rise again" means he would be "up" again on his feet.
You seriously need Sylvan Learning Center or something to deal with your lack of reading comprehension skills.

Answer 7

OMG! i got the Bishop to explain this to me....

When Jesus was "born" (xmas) he was in this world. he died and decended into the dead (as you so thoughtfully have quoted for us) so he was no longer in this world. when he rose, he rose to again be in this world.

Answer 8

It means Jesus returned to life. He was dead and now He is not

Answer 9

He arose back to life....again!

Answer 10

it means He walked again!!