Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
(1)I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
(2)I believe in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord:
(3)Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
(4)Born of the Virgin Mary,
(5)Suffered under Pontus Pilate,
(6)Was crucified, died, and was buried.
(7)He descended into hell.
(8)The third day he rose again from the dead.
(9)He ascended into heaven where he sits on the right hand of God, from here he will come to judge the living and the dead.
(10)I believe in the Holy Spirit.
(11)I believe in one Christian and apostolic (catholic) church, the communion of saints,
(12)I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
The Apostles' Creed can be broken down into twelve basic statements. One legend had the 12 disciples sitting in a room and one by one each uttering one of the statements. Thomas is usually attributed as stating "he rose from the dead."
The Apostles' Creed's origin is unknown. However, it reflects accurately the Apostles' beliefs about the Triune God (although descending into hell likely occurred after the rising from the dead).
The creed begins with acknowledging the Father who made the Promise of a Savior, a Promise kept on that first Christmas when a virgin gave birth to a son.
The next point acknowledges Jesus as Lord, the Son of God. The next four points detail the steps of humiliation; the next three the steps of exaltations. These are the activities Christ carried out to effect our salvation.
The final points talk about the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit's work, namely the creation of a group of believers called a church, forgiveness of sins effected through faith, and the promise of everlasting life.
These points are recited as drum beats by all Christians of all ages to define their common faith.
Twelve also denotes the number of Apostles Jesus chose, which we saw with eleven pipers piping. This could include Judas Iscariot, the original disciple; Matthias, the replacement chosen by lot; or Paul (formerly Saul), the former persecutor of the church chosen by Christ to proclaim the Gospel among the Gentiles.
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