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Character of the Confessions

Why Catechism Is Necessary

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  • Zacharias Ursinus

This article gives nine reasons for the necessity of the Catechism (whether the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Shorter Catechism or Westminster Larger Catechism, or otherwise).

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Why Creeds and Confessions?

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  • Cornelis Pronk

Is the Bible not enough? Often this is the question asked by people who object to having confessions in the church. Looking at the origin of creeds and confessions, the author gives reasons why the church needs them. The focus is given to the Ecumenical Creeds and the Reformation Creeds.

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A Future for the HC in Tomorrow's Instruction?

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  • T. Pleizier

Stating that a catechism must serve the purpose of initiating believers into the theological tradition, teaching the basics of faith, and helping them to defend the faith, this article argues that though the Heidelberg Catechism can stand as a confessional document, the church needs today a new catechism.

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A Good Creed Seldom Goes Unpunished

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  • Carl R. Trueman

Bridging the gap between those who resist any use of creeds and those who uphold creeds above scripture, this article proposes a healthy way of viewing creeds. The author maintains that creeds should be viewed historically (unifying the church of all times and places) and doctrinally (identifying the cores of the Christian faith). Having this perspective on the creeds, however, does not mean that confessions cannot ever be improved or changed.

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A Plea for Creeds

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  • Ronald H. Hanko

This article links the need for creeds to the biblical call to confess Christ individually and corporately, the work of the Spirit in guiding the church in the truth, and the call to the church to uphold biblical doctrine. Confessions are important for the unity of the church, defense of the faith, resolving disputes, catechetical use, and pastoral care. The author calls the church to intentionally use the creeds.

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Creeds, Confessions and Criticisms

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  • Robert Sheehan

This article looks at objections against creeds and confessions.

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The Uses of 'Confessions of Faith'

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  • Robert P. Martin

This article is about the use and importance of creeds for the church today.

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But What Good are they Today

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  • Thomas G. Reid

This article is about the purpose of creeds and confessions today.

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Do We Need Creeds and Confessions If We Have the Bible?

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  • Bill DeJong

This article looks at the inevitability of creeds (all Christians have creeds), and the place of creeds in the church.

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Do We Need Creeds and Confessions If We Have the Bible?

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  • Daniel R. Hyde

This article looks at summaries of doctrine in Scripture, the importance of truth in the church, and the necessity of creeds.

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Why We Have Creeds and Confessions

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  • Daniel R. Hyde

This article looks at what creeds and confessions are, where we find creeds in the Bible, if they are necessary, and how creeds and confessions are practically used.

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Who Needs a Creed?

  • Basic
  • Mark G. Johnston

A creed is important as an expression of the Christian faith, a tool to teach the faith, a summary of the faith. Its purpose is to guard the gospel truth and to express the personal faith.

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Six Reasons Catechisms Make Truth Stick

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  • Zach Barnhart

A catechism is a great tool for instruction and teaching. The combination of theological questions and answers given in the catechism help in making truth stick. This article gives six reasons how the catechism teaching does this.

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How Pastors Can Incorporate the Creeds in their Churches

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  • Uri Brito

Struggling to incorporate the Christian creeds into the congregation's life and worship? This article suggests five ways to incorporate the creeds into the worship service.

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No Creed but Christ?

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  • Rodney G. Miersma

It is impossible for the church to exist without a creed. This is so because the church has the duty to confess the truth. This article defines what a creed is, and gives the origin and necessity of creeds.

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Use Your Catechism, Silly

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  • Tim Challies

Catechisms were one of the blessings of the Reformation. They serve the purpose of explaining Scripture. By looking at the second commandment this article demonstrates the usefulness of catechisms.

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Protestant Creeds and Confessions

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  • Ryan M. Reeves

Quite a few confessions were born out of the Reformation of the 16th century. The author looks at the Lutheran confessions, the Reformed confessions, the Canons of Dort, and the Westminster Standards.

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Christendom's Creeds: Their Relevance in the Modern World

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  • Bruce A. Demarest

Demarest reflects upon the origin and authority of the Christian creeds, and the lack of appreciation for them today. He further considers possible reasons for this lack of appreciation, noting the factor of doctrinal development used by many modern theologians.

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Renew or Retain? The Place of the HC in School, Church and Catechesis

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  • J. P. Proos

Listening to the different voices that call for the renewing or retaining of the Heidelberg Catechism, this article looks at the place of the catechism in school, church, and catechesis, and shows the challenges facing the aforementioned voices.

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The Heidelberg Catechism: Its History, Character, and Value

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  • Rodney Kleyn

Why does the church need creeds and the Heidelberg Catechism? This article answers this question by looking at the value of the creeds as: means to show unity with the generations of believers, a way of binding the churches to each other, as teaching tools, and as guarding the church against error.

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The Church and the Confession

  • Semi-Technical
  • J. Munneke

The church is not only built on the truth of Scripture, she equally has the task to confess that truth. In this article, the author looks at the necessity of the creeds in the church, and the history, authority, and interpretation of the confession.

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Confessional Standards

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  • Piet Jongeling

This article discusses the confessional standards of the church and their function in evangelism.

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Should We Change the Westminster Confession of Faith?

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  • Maurice Roberts

This article interacts with the question of whether a confession like the Westminster Confession of Faith should ever be changed. It discusses why we should not change the confession, what is lost when churches do change the confession, and why the confession is important for us today.

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What We Believe (A Commentary on the Belgic Confession)

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  • Johan D. Tangelder

Why should we study a creed? This article looks at the importance of doctrine, what is a creed, and the historical background of the Belgic Confession.

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Maintaining Church Unity in a Confessional Way

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  • Pieter K. A. De Boer

How should the church maintain unity and deal with new heresies using old confessions? Is there a need for new confessions or revised confessions? This article looks at two scenarios to show that what is more important is the need for the confessions to remain living among the members of the church.

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The Confession of the Absolute Truth

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  • Jakob Geertsema

This article looks at the importance of creeds for the church to confess the truth in today's world.

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A Plea for Creeds

  • Semi-Technical
  • Ronald H. Hanko

This article looks at what it means to confess our faith, the work of the Spirit in the church to guide us in all truth, and the usefulness of creeds.

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Creeds & Confessions

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  • Unknown

Creeds and confessions are essential for the church in articulating her understanding of the teaching of Scripture. However, they can also be a disadvantage. The article explains why.

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Creed and Theology: Reflections on Colossians

  • Semi-Technical
  • William Lane Craig

What is the relationship between theological expression and the creedal character of the gospel? In what sense is the gospel a creed? This essay defends the thesis that the theology of Paul is given a structure as a creed. This creed remained constant and unchanging. The author illustrates it from the way Paul defends the gospel in Colossians, in particular Colossians 1 and Colossians 2.

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Towards a Confession for Tomorrow's Church

  • Semi-Technical
  • J. I. Packer

In order for true unity and ecumenicity to exist within the churches, there needs to be a convincing confession of faith. This article looks at the role confessions and creeds play in shaping such unity of churches. Attention is given to the need for confessions, the problems and challenges of adopting confessions, and the method for formulating them.

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Creeds and Doctrinal Advance

  • Semi-Technical
  • J. Gresham Machen

Creeds and doctrines of the church have been developing since the start of the church, and there is no reason they should not continue to be developed. However, the article contends that those who intend to come with such developments must understand that the creeds and doctrines we already have are a result of centuries of reflection. Whatever creed must be made, should reflect the truth of Scripture. The article also includes some critical analysis of modern forms of creeds and confessions.

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Robert Lewis Dabney and the Westminster Standards: A Commemoration

  • Semi-Technical
  • Stephen Berry

This article is about Dabney's views on confessions, and specifically the Westminster Confession of Faith.

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All that is good, all that is true, all that is beautiful, be it great or small, perfect or fragmentary, natural as well as supernatural, moral as well as material, comes from God. J. H. Newman
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