Adult Bible class going through Martin Luther's Catechism. This is week three, a study of the Creeds of the Christian Church

1. The Catechism

2. Introductions Who am I and who are these people sharing the table with you

3. Who are we? Turn to someone you don’t know and tell them Your Name Ask them their name and one of the following questions: What is the greatest thing you accomplished in the last year What is the biggest thing you are looking forward to in the next year What city were you born in What does your first and last name mean? Where did you get your education and what did you focus on or what was your favorite subject What is your favorite time of year and why

4. Objective Why am I here today

5. Objective: For The Course To gain a greater understanding of the Creator of the Universe To Gain a greater understanding of the Lutheran understanding of the Christian Faith

6. Discussion The Essence of the Thing

7. Prayer Prior to Studying the Bible Almighty God, heavenly Father, you give all the gifts of life and living, and you bid us to love you with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. During this time of study and learning and writing, grant to us the protection of your Holy Spirit, that we become neither weary nor proud, and that in all things we might, with our words, bring honor and glory to your Word, Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.Amen.

8. Schedule *Feast or Festival †Commemorations

9. Objective: Week Three To gain a greater understanding of the thee primary creeds

11. The Creed The word comes from the Latin (credo) “I believe” You can also use the word Symbol (Greek: σύμβολο[ν], sýmbolo[n]) signifying “Token” (a way to recognize each other The early church used creeds in response to heresy

12. Luther on the Three Chief Creeds …I have decided in addition to publish the three symbols (as they are called) or creeds together, in German, the ones which hitherto have been kept, read, and sung in the whole church, so that I may again bear witness that I hold to the real Christian Church, which up until now has preserved these symbols or creeds… …The first symbol, that of the apostles, is truly the finest of all. Briefly, correctly, and in a splendid way it summarizes the articles of faith, and it can easily be learned by children and simple people. The second, that of St. Athanasius, is longer and for the benefit of the Arians. It expands more amply the one article, namely, how Jesus Christ is God’s own Son and our Lord, in whom we believe with the same faith with which we believe in the Father, as the text reads in the first symbol, “I believe in God,” etc., “and in Jesus,” etc. For if he were not very God, he would not have to be honored with the same faith as the Father. This is what St. Athanasius argues and emphasizes in his symbol, which is, as it were, a symbol in defense of the first symbol. The third symbol is said to be of Saints Augustine and Ambrose, and is supposed to have been sung at the baptism of St. Augustine. Whether that is true or not—and it does no harm whether one believes it or not—it is nevertheless a fine symbol or creed (whoever the author) composed in the form of a chant, not only for the purpose of confessing the true faith, but also for praising and thanking God.

13. The Apostles Creed

14. History of The Apostles Creed The first reference was from the Council of Milan about 390 to condemn Arianism and those who would condemn Athanasius (from whom we get the Athanasian Creed) It wasn’t in the form we have today The original form of the creed comes from Christ Matthew 28:18 – 20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Old Roman Symbol was probably the basis for the creed we have today It doesn’t address many of the Christological issues of the later creeds therefore its very early in origin (Late Second Century) It was used as a interrogatory declaration of Faith and receiving baptism

15. The Old Roman Symbol/Creed I believe in God the Father almighty; and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord, Who was born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried, on the third day rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, whence He will come to judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh (the life everlasting).

16. The First Article: Of Creation I believe in God the Father, almighty creator of heaven and earth. I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses, and still preserves them; in addition thereto, clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and homestead, wife and children, fields, cattle, and all my goods; that He provides me richly and daily with all that I need to support this body and life, protects me from all danger, and guards me and preserves me from all evil; and all this out of pure, fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I owe it to Him to thank, praise, serve, and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

17. What is our Reaction to all this? We should be humbled & terrified because we daily sin with everything we have We ought to daily remember Everything we see Every good that happens to us Every escape from danger and calamity Is from a God who gives and does all these things we sense and see His Paternal heart and his transcendent love toward us.

18. What is our Reaction to all this? Thereby the heart would be warmed and kindled to be thankful, and to employ all such good things to the honor and praise of God. For here we see how the Father has given Himself to us, together with all creatures, and has most richly provided for us in this life, besides that He has overwhelmed us with unspeakable, eternal treasures by His Son and the Holy Ghost, as we shall hear.

19. The Second Article: Of Redemption And 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, descended into hell; arose from the dead on the third day, ascended to heaven, is seated at the right hand of God, the almighty Father; from thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. 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.

20. Martin Luther from the large Catechism Here we learn to know the Second Person of the Godhead, so that we see what we have from God over and above the temporal goods aforementioned; namely, how He has completely poured forth Himself and withheld nothing from us that He has not given us. Now, this article is very rich and broad; but in order to expound it also briefly and in a childlike way we shall take up one word and sum up in that the entire article, namely (as we have said), that we may here learn how we have been redeemed; and we shall base this on these words: In Jesus Christ, our Lord.

21. The Third Article: Of Sanctification I believe in the Holy Spirit, one holy Christian Church, the community of saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the flesh, and an eternal life, Amen. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

22. Martin Luther from the large Catechism “For as the Father is called Creator, the Son Redeemer, so the Holy Ghost, from His work, must be called Sanctifier, or One that makes holy. But how is such sanctifying done? “Answer: Just as the Son obtains dominion, whereby He wins us, through His birth, death, resurrection, etc., so also the Holy Ghost effects our sanctification by the following parts, namely, by the communion of saints or the Christian Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting; that is, He first leads us into His holy congregation, and places us in the bosom of the Church, whereby He preaches to us and brings us to Christ. “

23. The Athanasian Creed The Trinity

24. Substance vs. Person Substance Essential nature A fundamental or characteristic part or quality Ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change The “What” Person Someone Somebody Individual Soul Mortal The “Who” God is Three in Person and One in substance Dark Room Example

25. The Athanasian Creed Whoever will be saved, before all things he must hold the real Christian faith. Whoever does not hold the same wholly and purely, without doubt he will be eternally lost. This, however, is the real Christian faith, that we honor one single God in three Persons and three Persons in one single Godhead. And do not mingle the Persons or divide the divine substance. The Father is a separate Person, the Son is a separate Person, the Holy Spirit is a separate Person. But the Father and Son and Holy Spirit is one single God, equal in glory, equal in eternal majesty. Such as the Father is, so is the Son, and so is the Holy Spirit. The Father is not created, the Son is not created, the Holy Spirit is not created. The Father is boundless*, the Son is boundless, the Holy Spirit boundless. Boundless [unmeslich] here means whose substance and power has no end, dimension, or number. The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal. And yet there are not three eternals, but one Eternal. Just as there are also not three uncreated* ones or three boundless ones, but one Uncreated and one Boundless. Uncreated [ungeschaffen], whose substance has neither beginning nor end or who can be no creature.

26. The Athanasian Creed Therefore also the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty. And yet there are not three almighties, but one Almighty. Also the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. And yet there are not three Gods, but one God. Therefore the Father is the Lord, the Son is the Lord, the Holy Spirit is the Lord. And yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord. For just as we must according to Christian truth confess each Person to be God and Lord by himself, Thus we cannot in Christian faith name three Gods or three Lords. The Father is of no one, neither made nor created nor born. The Son is of the Father alone, not made or created, but born. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made or created or born, but proceeding.

27. The Athanasian Creed So there is now one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And among these three Persons none is the first, none the last, none the greatest, none the smallest. But all three Persons are together equally eternal, equally great. So that, as is aforesaid, three Persons are honored in one Godhead, and one God in three Persons. Whoever now wishes to be saved, he must think thus of the three Persons in God.

28. The Athanasian Creed It is, however, also necessary for eternal salvation that one truly believe that Jesus Christ, our Lord, is actual man. So this is now the real faith, which we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is God and man. He is God born before the world from the nature of the Father; he is man born in the world from his mother’s nature. A perfect God, a perfect man with rational soul and human body. He is equal to the Father according to his Godhead; he is inferior to the Father according to his humanity. And although he is God and man, yet he is not two, but one Christ. One, not that the Godhead is transformed into humanity, but that the Godhead has put on the humanity. Yes, he is one, not that the two natures are mingled, but that he is one single Person. For just as body and soul are one man, so God and man are one Christ. Who has suffered for the sake of our salvation, descended into hell, on the third day arisen from the dead, Ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the almighty Father, From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. And at his arrival all men must arise in their own bodies. And must give an account of what they have done. And those who have done good will go into eternal life, but those who have done evil, into eternal fire. That is the real Christian faith; whoever does not believe the same firmly and truly cannot be saved.

29. However, I have learned, not only through the Scriptures but also from severe inner struggles and trials, that Christ is God and has put on flesh, and likewise I have learned the doctrine of the Trinity. Today, therefore, I don’t so much believe as I know through experience that these doctrines are true. In the worst temptations nothing can help us but faith that God’s Son has put on flesh, is bone [of our bone], sits at the right hand of the Father, and prays for us. There is no mightier comfort. -- Martin Luther - May 16, 1540

30. TeDeum Laudamus The AmbrosianHymn or A Song of the Church

31. Authorship: First attributed to Saints Ambrose, Augustine, or Hilary, it is now accredited to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana; (4th century). It is used in the order of service for Matins in the Lutheran Church.