The Athanasian Creed

Early in the fourth century, a north African pastor named Arius began teaching that Jesus Christ was not truly God. The Church responded decisively in AD 325 with a statement of faith (The Nicene Creed), which confessed that Jesus is, in fact, true God. Toward the end of the fifth century, another creed was written that delved further into the mystery of the Trinity. Though attributed to Athanasius, a fourth-century opponent of Arius, this anonymous creed clearly came at a later stage in the debate.

The Athanasian Creed declares that its teachings concerning the Holy Trinity and our Lord’s incarnation are “the catholic faith.” In other words, this is what the true Church of all times and all places has confessed. More than fifteen centuries later, the Church continues to confess this truth, confident that the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has given Himself for our salvation.

Whoever desires to be saved

     must, above all, hold the catholic faith.

Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled

     will without doubt perish eternally.

And the catholic faith is this,
     that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity,
     neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.

For 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,

     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 are we 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 the Trinity.

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 by 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 the third day from the dead,
     ascended into heaven,
     and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,
     from whence He will come to judge the living 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;

     whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.

Source: Lutheran Service Book

Dating 101

Dating. Love. Marriage. Sex. Every teenager begins, as some point or another, to think about these things. And dating is usually the first to be pondered seriously. So, how’s a Christian to approach dating?

First, a disclaimer. I am not a dating expert or a relationship authority. Nor do I play one on TV. However, I am a Lutheran pastor. And God’s Word does offer some wonderful parameters within which the Christian can approach dating. The same is true of love, marriage, and sex. As I was recently asked to tackle this subject, what follows is my pastoral advice on dating. It is directed primarily to Lutheran teenagers, but may, by God’s grace, benefit others as well.

“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Genesis 2:18). God created man and woman for each other and placed within each a desire for the other. A desire for companionship (beyond that of friendship). A desire to be one flesh (within the God-given ordinance of marriage). And a desire to bring forth children (as God so blesses). Because the Christian lives within this God-given design, dating should always be done with marriage in mind.

That being said, we live in a sinful and broken world. The devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh tempt us to push aside the aforementioned God-given desire and find contentment in covetousness and lust and all sorts of sexual immorality. Add to this raging hormones, and the ability to live within God’s good design seems impossible. Is it any wonder that God calls us daily to die to sin and rise to new life in Christ’s forgiveness?

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” [Romans 13:14]

“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” [1 Corinthians 6:18-20]

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” [Galatians 5:24]

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness.” [Colossians 3:5]

So, whom should you date? The natural place to begin looking for that special person of the opposite sex is within your circle of good friends. With whom do you enjoy spending time? With whom do you share common interests, values, and pursuits? What kind of personality best gels with yours? Whom do you believe to be morally upright, outwardly kind and generous in word and deed, and inwardly grounded via faith to Christ? Whom do you find physically attractive? (Notice that I put this one last, for while physical looks are important, inner beauty is far more important. Don’t forget that the person you marry, as good as he or she looks on your wedding day, will one day grow old, get wrinkles, and may even turn grey, go bald, or need dentures!)

For the teenager who desires to date, the counsel and advice of father and mother are vitally important. God gave you your parents to love and nurture you, to guide and protect you, to lead you from childhood into adulthood. Besides, who knows you better? Who loves and cares about you more than Dad and Mom? God has seen fit to place you under their care and even commands you: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). So seek their counsel and listen to their advice every step of the way.

But the most important thing to look for in a future spouse (and, thus, in dating as well), is a mutual faith in the one true God and a united confession of that faith. As a fellow pastor has stated, “it is best to find someone with whom you can call upon the Lord Jesus Christ with one heart and one voice.” In other words, look for someone who recognizes his/her sinfulness and looks to Christ for forgiveness and strength to live the Christian life. Look for someone who shares the same baptism, hears the same absolution, confesses the same faith, believes the same Gospel, looks to the same Christ, receives the same Supper, and walks daily in the same hope. Look for someone who understands that marriage is a reflection of the relationship of Christ and His Church. For these and other reasons, I advise Lutheran teenagers (and single Lutheran adults) to date a fellow Lutheran with the same confession of faith.

So, you’ve found someone you really like (who likes you as well). You even have your parents’ blessing. Now the exciting stuff of dating begins. Movies. Sporting events. Dances. Walks around the mall. Talks on the phone. Rejoicing in each other’s company. Learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Sharing in each other’s joys and sorrows. What next? Pastor Rick Stuckwisch offers the following advice:

“The thrill of dating should not be perpetuated for its own sake, nor allowed to go on and on without any guidance or direction. This stage in a relationship is really a testing of whether these two friends may become husband and wife. If it becomes clear that marriage would be unwise or out of the question, then romantic dating ought to stop, and perhaps a normal friendship in the company of other friends may be resumed. But if the relationship continues in a positive and healthy direction, with the blessing and approval of parents and other authorities, then the couple ought to be thinking and planning toward marriage. … The bottom line is to honor the Word of God and obey the Fourth Commandment, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” [Higher Things]

Through it all, keep yourself sexually pure in thought, word, and deed. Save yourself for marriage. Too many couples think that shacking up and engaging in premarital sex is necessary to determine if they are compatible or not. Don’t believe that lie. Those who cohabitate before marriage are more likely to divorce than couples who do not cohabitate. But even more importantly, God designed intimacy and sex to be enjoyed exclusively within marriage. As you learned from Luther’s Small Catechism: “We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.”

And when God joins you to the one whom He has designated for you, live within God’s blessing. Be faithful to your spouse and to your mutual vows and commitment. Husbands, love your wife as Christ loves the Church. Wives, love your husband as the Church loves Christ. Put the needs of your spouse above your own. Forgive as you have been forgiven. Worship and pray together. And bring up your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. In summary, “let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4).

Still have questions? I’m sure you do, for there are too many components of dating to tackle in one article. Plus, I don’t have all the answer anyway. It is my hope and prayer that you will speak with your parents and seek their counsel and advice regularly. I also invite you to ask me any questions you have as you enter the wonderful world of dating and courtship, and eventually engagement and marriage. God has much to say on these subjects, and I am happy to tell you more about His will for you!

This article appears in my congregation’s June 2010 newsletter.

Prayer: A Daily Thing!

Today (the first Thursday in May) is the National Day of Prayer. The law formalizing this annual observance was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1952 to encourage citizens “to turn to God in prayer and meditation.”

I personally do not observe the National Day of Prayer. Never have. Never will. I do believe such an observance is constitutional. But I have no need for government to tell me when or where or how I should pray.

For the Christian every day is a time for prayer. Faith in Christ lives from His Word and Sacrament and involves a daily drowning of the Old Adam (our sinful nature) and renewing of the New Man (Christ in us) through remembrance of one’s baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection. Such faith leads the Christian back to God’s house regularly first and foremost to be renewed and strengthened and then to add his Amen to “the prayers” of the Church (Acts 2:42). Then he returns home and, by God’s grace, brings his prayers daily to the Triune God. The Lord’s Prayer. The Psalms. The Kyrie. Luther’s morning, evening, and meals prayers. On and on this list goes.

Prayer is the Christian’s calling. “Be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12). “Devote yourselves to prayer” (1 Corinthians 7:5). “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Colossians 4:2). “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

That is why I do not observe the National Day of Prayer. Prayer is not a once a year observance. It is a daily thing for the Christian.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. [1 Timothy 2:1-6]

So call upon God in every trouble. Pray, praise, and give thanks. And then trust that He will answer your prayers according to His good and gracious will!