“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” -Ecclesiastes 1:9
The documents listed below represent statements of faith from critical turning points in the life of the Church. The truths pointed out in each of these were borne out of particular “issues” of their days. Since, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “there is nothing new under the sun”, and since we are seeing the same discussions and debates dividing the Church today, and since these articles are based on Scripture, we believe these confessions and this creed are applicable to our lives today.
“I BELIEVE!” A “creed” is a statement of belief that unites the Body of Christ around common truths revealed in God’s Word. While the “Apostle’s Creed” (see below) has been used by the Church for hundreds of years, it has undergone changes, even recently. For many years the word “catholic” had to be explained as meaning “universal,” and was finally changed by some to “Christian.” The phrase, “He descended into hell” was not officially added to the creed until 750 A.D. and has been debated for centuries. In light of the important truths confessed in the Apostle’s Creed, and the doctrinal issues facing the Church today, it is the desire of the Elders to support everything we confess to believe with Scripture, with truth clearly revealed in God’s Word. the Elders have unanimously approved this creed for our use here at Lighthouse and would commend it to others as well. May the Lord Jesus Christ bless His Church as we declare, “I BELIEVE!”
The Apostle’s Creed represents the way in which the ancient church defined its faith in a Gentile world rich in competing philosophies and religions, much like today. The Apostles’ Creed was not written by the apostles; it is the culmination of several centuries of reflection on the meaning of the Christian faith. The ancient church used this creed to identify believers, to instruct new converts, and to provide a unifying confession of faith for worship and liturgy.
The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) was originally conceived as a teaching instrument to promote religious unity…in Christ! Written after the Reformation, it is a personalized confession of faith, supported solely by Scripture.
The Belgic Confession (1561) was written during a time when there was a need for a clear and comprehensive statement that differentiated the Reformed faith from the Catholic belief as well as from Anabaptist teachings.
The Canons of Dort (1618-19) came from an international synod of Reformed people held in Dordrecht, Netherlands in 1618-19. While this synod accomplished many other things as well, one of its main purposes was to adjudicate a theological controversy (Arminianism) concerning the way in which believers receive the benefit of Christ.