Belgic Confession of Faith

Section 1 · Section

We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God- eternal, incom...

Section 2 · Section

We know God by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like...

Section 3 · Section

We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered "by human will," but that "men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God...

Section 4 · Section

We include in the Holy Scripture the two volumes of the Old and New Testaments. They are canonical books with which there can be no quarrel...

Section 5 · Section

We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith. And we believe...

Section 6 · Section

We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith,...

Section 7 · Section

We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently tau...

Section 8 · Section

In keeping with this truth and Word of God we believe in one God, who is one single essence, in whom there are three persons, really, truly,...

Section 9 · Section

All these things we know from the testimonies of Holy Scripture as well as from the effects of the persons, especially from those we feel wi...

Section 10 · Section

We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God- eternally begotten, not made or created, for then he w...

Section 11 · Section

We believe and confess also that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son- neither made, nor created, nor begotten, bu...

Section 12 · Section

We believe that the Father, when it seemed good to him, created heaven and earth and all other creatures from nothing, by the Word- that is...

Section 13 · Section

We believe that this good God, after creating all things, did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs them according to...

Section 14 · Section

We believe that God created human beings from the dust of the earth and made and formed them in his image and likeness- good, just, and holy...

Section 15 · Section

We believe that by the disobedience of Adam original sin has been spread through the whole human race. (Rom. 5:12-13) It is a corruption of...

Section 16 · Section

We believe that- all Adam's descendants having thus fallen into perdition and ruin by the sin of Adam- God showed himself to be as he is: me...

Section 17 · Section

We believe that our good God, by marvelous divine wisdom and goodness, seeing that Adam and Eve had plunged themselves in this manner into b...

Section 18 · Section

So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise made to the early fathers and mothers by the mouth of the holy prophets when he sent the o...

Section 19 · Section

We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a w...

Section 20 · Section

We believe that God- who is perfectly merciful and also very just- sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been comm...

Section 21 · Section

We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek- made such by an oath- and that he presented him...

Section 22 · Section

We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces...

Section 23 · Section

We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is...

Section 24 · Section

We believe that this true faith, produced in us by the hearing of God's Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit, regenerates us and makes us...

Section 25 · Section

We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end,...

Section 26 · Section

We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor, "Jesus Christ the righteous," (1 John 2:1...

Section 27 · Section

We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church- a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting thei...

Section 28 · Section

We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, p...

Section 29 · Section

We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church- for all sects in the world t...

Section 30 · Section

We believe that this true church ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word. There should...

Section 31 · Section

We believe that ministers of the Word of God, elders, and deacons ought to be chosen to their offices by a legitimate election of the church...

Section 32 · Section

We also believe that although it is useful and good for those who govern the churches to establish and set up a certain order among themselv...

Section 33 · Section

We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge go...

Section 34 · Section

We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, w...

Section 35 · Section

We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain thos...

Section 36 · Section

We believe that because of the depravity of the human race, our good God has ordained kings, princes, and civil officers. God wants the worl...

Section 37 · Section

Finally we believe, according to God's Word, that when the time appointed by the Lord is come (which is unknown to all creatures) and the nu...