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| All pages in this website are copyrighted Concordia Lutheran Church 2007 |
Concerning the Doctrine of the holy catholic Church
Doctrine is not stuffy academia. Neither is doctrine the local church's (or denomination's) opinion on what God
says and does not say in Holy Scripture. It is not a bunch of line items handed down from the ecclesiastical
authorities.
Doctrine is the teaching of Scripture. There is only one doctrine of the Christian Church. It is that there is one
God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither
confusing the Persons nor dividing the substance.
The Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another. But the Godhead of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is
the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the
Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but
one Uncreated and one Infinite. In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit
almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also
we are prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but
begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor
begotten, but proceeding. Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy
Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than
another; but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal so that in all things, as has
been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about God.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
at the same time both God and man. He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and
He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a
rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity; less than the Father with respect
to His humanity.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity
into flesh but the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by
unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for
our salvation, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead; ascended into heaven, and is
seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And
those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith, the doctrine of the Church. Whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be
saved. Amen.
says and does not say in Holy Scripture. It is not a bunch of line items handed down from the ecclesiastical
authorities.
Doctrine is the teaching of Scripture. There is only one doctrine of the Christian Church. It is that there is one
God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither
confusing the Persons nor dividing the substance.
The Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another. But the Godhead of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is
the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the
Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but
one Uncreated and one Infinite. In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit
almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also
we are prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but
begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor
begotten, but proceeding. Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy
Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than
another; but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal so that in all things, as has
been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about God.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is
at the same time both God and man. He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and
He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a
rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity; less than the Father with respect
to His humanity.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity
into flesh but the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by
unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for
our salvation, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead; ascended into heaven, and is
seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And
those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith, the doctrine of the Church. Whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be
saved. Amen.
