Belgic Confession Contents
- ixorcabanban
- Aug 20
- 6 min read
Belgic Confession Contents
The Belgic Confession can be divided into the following parts:
Article 1 This introductory article says we believe and confess the one true God. He is
incomprehensible in greatness, majesty, power and goodness and the source of all
goodness.
Articles 2-7 tells us how we know this God – from His creation and from His word. We
confess that God’s word came directly from Him. We spell out which books we accept as
God’s word (the Bible) and which we do not. We explain the authority of God’s word and
that it is self authenticating. We declare that the Bible is sufficient for us to adequately
know God’s will, everything necessary to be saved and how to worship God correctly. We
also declare that we do not accept anything that contradicts it or that adds or subtracts
from it. Revelation is fixed and closed.
Articles 8-11 deal with the Triune God. God is one in essence but three in persons –
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are not to be confused but also not separated.
The Father is first as Person, but not as God as there is not beginning to God. All three
Persons are equally God, but the origin of the Son is from the Father alone and the Holy
Spirit proceeds from them both as Spirit of the Father and of the Son.
Articles 12-13 speak of God’s creation of this world including the angels, some of which fell and are now known as demons. They also speak of God’s continued governance of all things and that nothing happens without His will. Although we cannot understand how, this does not make God the author of sin.
Articles 14-15 speak about Adam’s fall into sin and death. We were in him when he acted
for all of us. As a consequence we all have original sin, by which we mean we sinned in
Adam when he disobeyed God. In Adam our nature also became corrupt and incapable of doing any good in God’s sight. Our will is bound by sin so that we cannot and will not come to God of ourselves.
Articles 16-19 speak of the rescue of man by God’s grace. He showed justice and mercy in His judgement of Adam. In His mercy He would save those He elected in Christ. In His
justice He would leave the rest in the death into which they had plunged themselves.
When God saw that man had fallen into sin and death he promised to rescue them through the Seed of the Woman – Jesus Christ. He is God the Son who became fully man, body and soul. He was born without sin because He was begotten, not by man, but by the Holy Spirit. He was inserted into the human race via the virgin Mary. He remained true God and became true man. These two natures are joined in one person. Each nature retained its own properties, were never separated, but are not mingled or confused.
Articles 20-26 speak about the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and how we receive the
benefits of His work. As man is guilty God offered His Son to bear our punishment and
guilt for us in our nature. He did this in His love to show both His mercy to us and His
justice in His Son. Jesus Christ, the Lord, bore God’s severe judgement that we might
receive eternal life. He functioned as our High Priest offering Himself as the only sacrifice
for our sins and became the only Saviour. We can receive the benefits of His life and death only through true faith in His sacrifice as for us. We can do nothing to justify ourselves for we are sinners. Those who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are justified apart from any works they may have done or may do. We need no other saviours. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is the end of the Law as the way of salvation we are no longer under its curse. That has been born and our sin paid for once and for all. Therefore it can no longer condemn us. However, we are weak and cannot stand for a moment without the Lord’s intercession. We live in a perpetual tug of war (Gal 5:16,17). We still need the Lord Jesus Christ who intercedes for us in heaven (Rom 8:34). We need no other mediators.
Articles 27-29 deal with the church. The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ has spread all over the world and gathered the Church wherever it went. That good news was foretold in Genesis 3:15 and from that time the Church has been gathered. Therefore, the Church is called catholic or universal. It has been gathered throughout time and everywhere. It is preserved by God despite all the attacks made on it.
It is the obligation of all people everywhere to join that Church wherever it is gathered for
there is no salvation outside of it. They must submit to its instruction and discipline.
However, this also requires an understanding of what the true church is, for there are
many false churches in this world. The three marks by which a true church can be
recognised are the true preaching of the Word of God, the pure administration of the
sacraments of baptism and Lord’s Supper, and the exercise of church discipline to
maintain the church pure and remove those in it who live in sin.
Articles 30-32 speak about the government of the church as God’s Word outlines it. There should be ministers of the Word and sacraments, elders to govern the church and deacons to show God’s mercy to the needy. These ought to be chosen by lawful election by the church. All ministers have equal power and authority for all are ministers of Christ, who is the only Bishop of the Church. Therefore ministers, elders and deacons must all be respected as Christ’s servants. These office bearers may establish certain rules for the
governing of the church, but must always watch that they do not bind or compel
consciences above what the Word of God says.
Articles 33-35 speak of the two sacraments God has given to us to confirm us in our faith,
baptism and the holy supper. They are holy visible signs and seals sealing and confirming
to us what we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is a bloodless sign which has replaced circumcision. By baptism we are received
into the church and set apart from the world to be committed to God. We are to be
baptised into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The sign
signifies that we are washed from our sin and born again to a new life through the blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Baptism should only ever be done once as we cannot be reborn twice.
The Lord’s Supper is a meal in which the Lord offers the symbols of His body and blood as spiritual food to be received by faith. He says by this sacrament, I died for you to pay for your sins. In this way our spiritual life is sustained. He makes us partakers of Himself and all His benefits. We celebrate His death on our behalf and remember what he has done for us. Only those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with a true faith should participate in this meal, for otherwise they eat and drink to their condemnation.
Article 36 confesses that civil government is ordained by God to maintain order in society
and for the protection of the church. Everyone ought to subject to them in all things lawful
and to pay taxes.
Article 37 speaks of the last judgement which will happen at the end of this world. All the
dead will be resurrected and the living transformed. They will stand before God and be
judged according to what they have done. This causes great fear in the wicked, but the
righteous elect will rejoice and receive their reward. The wicked will be thrown into hell,
while those who are righteous in Christ will be crowned with glory and honour and live
forever with the Lord.
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