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The Belgic Confession: A Faith Worth Dying For

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Three Forms of Unity

The Belgic Confession: A Faith Worth Dying For

In 1561 Guido de Bres wrote a confession of faith for persecuted believers in the Low Countries. Here is what the Belgic Confession teaches and why Reformed churches still confess it.

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John Johnson, Redeemer Reformed Church Plant, Reno metropolitan area, Nevada
••5 min read
The Belgic Confession: A Faith Worth Dying For

By John Johnson, Redeemer Reformed Church Plant, Reno metropolitan area, Nevada

In Part 1 of this series we asked a simple question: what are the Three Forms of Unity? They are three documents that Reformed churches around the world use to say, together, what the Bible teaches: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort. This week we look at the oldest of the three, the Belgic Confession.

A confession written under threat of death

In the 1550s and 1560s, the Low Countries (today's Belgium and the Netherlands) were ruled by Spain, and Protestants there faced prison and execution. Guido de Brès, a pastor in that region, wrote the Belgic Confession in French in 1561, most likely with help from fellow pastors. He wanted the authorities to see that Reformed believers were not rebels or heretics, but Christians who believed what Scripture teaches.

On the night of November 1, 1561, de Brès threw a copy over the castle wall at Tournai. The next year, Reformed believers presented the confession to King Philip II of Spain with a petition. They promised to obey the government in every lawful matter, but said they would rather be whipped, have their tongues cut out, be gagged and be burned than deny the truth it confessed.

They meant it. De Brès was arrested, tried and hanged at Valenciennes on May 31, 1567. The confession outlived him. The Synod of Dort (1618–1619) adopted it as a doctrinal standard of the Reformed churches, and it is still confessed today alongside the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.

What the 37 articles teach

The Belgic Confession opens with a sentence that sets its tone: "We all believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God."

From there its 37 articles walk through the whole Christian faith:

  • God and how we know Him (Articles 1–11). God makes Himself known through creation and, more clearly, through Scripture. Article 7 teaches that Scripture is sufficient: the whole manner of worship God requires of us is written in it.
  • Creation, providence and the fall (Articles 12–17). God made all things, still governs them, and in His mercy sought out fallen man.
  • Christ and salvation (Articles 18–26). The Son of God became man, made satisfaction for our sins, and is our only Mediator. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone (Articles 22–23), and good works are the fruit of that faith, not its root (Article 24).
  • The church and the sacraments (Articles 27–36). Article 29 names three marks of the true church: the pure preaching of the gospel, the pure administration of the sacraments, and church discipline.
  • The last judgment (Article 37). The confession ends with Christ's return and the hope of His people.

Why a confession from 1561 still matters

It starts with God, not with us. Before it says anything about our needs, it tells us who God is. That order shapes everything else.

It is meant to be confessed, not just studied. "Believe with the heart and confess with the mouth" echoes Paul: "for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Romans 10:10, NASB 95).

It tells you what to look for in a church. The three marks in Article 29 are still the right questions to ask about any congregation, including a new one. They are a large part of why Redeemer Reformed Church Plant exists in the Reno area.

It was written by people willing to suffer for it. That should humble us. What we can study freely, they confessed at great cost.

Going deeper

Pastor Daniel R. Hyde of Oceanside United Reformed Church has written on why this confession is worth loving. Read his article Why I Love the Belgic Confession, and see his books, including his work on the Belgic Confession.

Peter tells us to be "always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15, NASB 95). The Belgic Confession is one of the clearest ways the church has ever given that account.

Next in this series, Part 3: the Heidelberg Catechism.

Redeemer Reformed Church Plant is gathering a core group in the Reno area. If you would like to know more, get in touch.

Sources

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John Johnson, Redeemer Reformed Church Plant, Reno metropolitan area, Nevada

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