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“But First We Will Make Confession...” (1)

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“But First We Will Make Confession...” (1)

7 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

We already know what will follow when we hear these words. Every Sunday afternoon or evening a minister or elder reads the “Twelve Articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith” Perhaps you have sometimes asked yourself why our faith is called “universal or catholic” We are not catholic, are we?

Rev. C. Sonnevelt, Krabbendijke, the Netherlands

There may be more and similar questions which can come to the foreground. Sometimes the twelve articles are called the Apostolic Confession of Faith. What does that mean? Were the twelve articles written by the twelve apostles? What do the words “descended into hell” mean? Did the Lord Jesus truly descend into hell after He died on the cross?

In this article we wish to write something about the Apostolic Confession of Faith, one of the three universal or ecumenical confessions of the Christian church. It would be difficult to find a denomination in this world which does not subscribe to the twelve articles. Within the Netherlands Reformed Denomination we also subscribe to the Three Forms of Unity, viz: the Heidelberg Catechism, the (Belgic) Confession of Faith, and the Canons of Dordt. We would like to take a closer look at all three of the three universal confessions of faith and the three Reformed confessions. We will begin with the Apostolic Confession of Faith.

Ecumenical

We must not get too upset when we hear the word “ecumenical.” Customarily, this word is used to describe the movement which strives for unity among all the Christian churches. The World Council of Churches, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is busily engaged to that end. In this striving, however, regrettably, the truth is sacrificed for an artificial unity. Because we cannot join with such a movement, we do not like to be called ecumenical. When we call the Apostolic Confession an ecumenical confession, we simply mean that this oldest confession of the Christian church is accepted by Christians throughout the entire world.

Catholic

Are we catholic? Yes, we are. The Greek word “katholikos” means universal or “spread over the entire earth.” The Christian church is not bound to one place. It can be found among all people. It is true we are not catholic in the sense that we belong to the church of the pope which has its headquarters in Rome. Yet, we are catholic, for we belong to the church of all ages and all places, the Church whose Head lives in heaven. Have we already become a living member of that church? Conversion is necessary to become a true member of that Church, which is written with a capital letter.

Apostolic

Did each of the twelve apostles write one of the articles of the Apostolic Confession? No, the largest portion of the twelve articles was not gathered together until after the death of the apostles, yet these twelve paragraphs are fully apostolic. They form a recapitulation of the doctrine of the apostles. They contain the foundational truths of the gospel as they were preached by Peter, John, and the other apostles.

The source of the Apostolic Confession we can find in the great commission which Christ gave to His disciples in Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

Before people were baptized in the early church, they were asked if they believed in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. If the answer was yes, then the sacrament of baptism would be administered. We have also been baptized in that Name. By means of baptism we are called upon with all seriousness to seek the Lord. In addition to that, baptism admonishes us to make confession of faith, not only with words but also with the heart.

Three in One

The Apostolic Confession developed around the doctrine of the Triune God. It has, therefore, a Trinitarian structure. What does that mean? We have probably heard of the Trinitarian Bible Society. This English sister organization to the GBS (Gereformeerde Bijbelstichting) has been established to maintain the King James translation of the Bible and to also translate and spread that pure Word of God also in other lands. The foundation of this organization is Trinitarian. To say it differently, it is based upon the truth that God is One and Triune.

This truth is mirrored in the twelve articles. There we read, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth” (Article 1), “and in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord” (Article 2), and “I believe in the Holy Ghost” (Article 8).

More articles

The Apostolic Confession of Faith, therefore, originates from the doctrine of the Trinity. With the passage of time, more articles were added. They each received a place under the three so-called main heads. The upsurge of all types of erroneous doctrines made it necessary to say more than just “I believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

The church must be explicit when speaking about the three godly Persons. That is also true of the third Person. He is the Spirit out of whom the Church is born (Article 9), who opens the eyes of a lost sinner for the forgiveness of sins (Article 10), and who causes God’s people to share in the two benefits wherewith the 12 Articles end, namely, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting (Articles 11 & 12). This is how the Apostolic Confession developed until she received her definite form in and about the year 500 A.D.

Descended into hell

This is also how the sentence “He descended into hell” was added to the Confession of Faith. Of Christ it is said that “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, descended into hell.” The sequence can, therefore, leave the impression that after His death, Jesus descended into hell. We can read nothing of this is in Scripture. Why, then, does this descent into hell follow at the end?

Now that we have heard how the Twelve Articles developed, the answer is not difficult. The words about Jesus’ descent into hell were the last words added. More than that, they are a recapitulation of the heaviest of Jesus’ suffering, the hellish agony which He had to undergo to save His people. Our Catechism explains this so clearly: Christ did not descend into hell bodily, but He suffered the hellish agonies in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon Golgotha’s cross.

With heart and mouth

We have, in the meantime, seen something of the Apostolic Confession, of her name, her origin, her design, her contents, and her beauty. This coming Sunday it will again be heard from the pulpit, “But let us first make confession of our catholic, undoubted, Christian faith.”

Hopefully, we will then understand somewhat better of that which follows. It is even more important that the Lord will enlighten our understanding and impress those truths upon our heart. Then we will whisper along inwardly, “I believe in God the Father... And in Jesus Christ...” and oh, wonder: “I believe in the Holy Ghost.” Then we will also gladly express that openly, with heart and mouth! ?

(To be continued)


Christians who bear genuine marks of having passed through Moses’ school to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ are very scarce.

I sometimes question the religion of people so much as to think true Christians are nearly as scarce as snowballs in mid-summer and roses at Christmas.

William Tiptaft

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“But First We Will Make Confession...” (1)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van donderdag 1 augustus 2013

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's