Revisiting the Lutheran Confessions Session IV: The Creed (Part II)

A Closer Look at the Second Article “[I believe] In Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.” (Apostles Creed)

What Does This Mean? “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.” (SC II, II)

The Chief Article “That Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins, and was raised again for our justification. And He alone is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world; and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all. Likewise: All have sinned and are justified without merit [freely, and without their own works or merits] by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood. Now, since it is necessary to believe this, and it cannot be otherwise acquired or apprehended by any work, law, or merit, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us.” (SA II, I, 1-4)

Incarnation “The divine and human natures in Christ are personally united, so that there are not two Christs, one the Son of God, the other the Son of man, but that one and the same is the Son of God and Son of man… we believe, teach, and confess that the divine and human natures are not mingled into one substance, nor the one changed into the other, but that each retains its own essential properties, which [can] never become the properties of the other nature.” (Epitome VIII, 5-6) Read Phillipians 2:5-11 Colossians 2:9 Galatians 4:4-5 Hebrews 2:14 Luke 1:35 1 Timothy 3:16

Beware Heterodoxy “By this our doctrine, faith, and confession the person of Christ is not divided, as it was by Nestorius, who denied the communicatio idiomatum, that is, the true communion of the properties of both natures in Christ, and thus divided the person, as Luther has explained in his book Concerning Councils. Neither are the natures together with their properties confounded with one another [or mingled] into one essence (as Eutyches erred); nor is the human nature in the person of Christ denied or annihilated; nor is either nature changed into the other; but Christ is and remains to all eternity God and man in one undivided person.” (Epitome VIII, 18)

Suffering and Death Read 1 John 3:16 Isaiah 53:5 John 10:17-18 Ephesians 1:7 2 Cor. 5:21 Luke 19:10 For what purpose did He lay down His life? Willingly or Unwillingly? “…Moreover, that He suffered, died and was buried, that He might make satisfaction for me and pay what I owe, not with silver nor gold, but with His own precious blood. And all this, in order to become my Lord; for He did none of these for Himself, nor had He any need of it.” (LC II, 31)

Resurrection and Ascension “…And after that He rose again from the dead, swallowed up and devoured death, and finally ascended into heaven and assumed the government at the Father's right hand, so that the devil and all powers must be subject to Him and lie at His feet.” (LC II, 31) Read John 11:25 Romans 8:11 What assurance is ours through Jesus’ Resurrection?

Return in Glory “…Finally, at the last day, He will completely part and separate us from the wicked world, the devil, death, sin, etc.” (LC II, 31) Read Matthew 24:42-44 Revelation 22:12 1 Cor. 15:51-53 Philippians 3:20-21 What signs does Scripture mention? When will these things happen? What will happen to us? Read Revelation 7:9-17

Closing Prayer Next Week: Baptism