Theological Term of the Week: Second Helvetic Confession

Second Helvetic Confession
The “Reformation statement of faith written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1562, which became popular in many Reformed congregations in geographical areas such as Switzerland, Scotland, and France.”1

• From the Second Helvetic Confession:

CHAPTER I

Of The Holy Scripture Being The True Word of God



CANONICAL SCRIPTURE. We believe and confess the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not of men. For God himself spoke to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.

And in this Holy Scripture, the universal Church of Christ has the most complete exposition of all that pertains to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God; and in this respect it is expressly commanded by God that nothing be either added to or taken from the same.

SCRIPTURE TEACHES FULLY ALL GODLINESS. We judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures are to be derived true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also instruction in all duties of piety; and, to be short, the confirmation of doctrines, and the rejection of all errors, moreover, all exhortations according to that word of the apostle, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,” etc. (II Timothy 3:16-17). Again, “I am writing these instructions to you,” says the apostle to Timothy, “So that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God,” etc. (I Timothy 3:14-15). 

SCRIPTURE IS THE WORD OF GOD. Again, the selfsame apostle to the Thessalonians: “When,” says he, “You received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God,” etc. (I Thess. 2:13) For the Lord himself has said in the gospel, “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaking through you”; therefore “He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Matt. 10:20; Luke 10:16; John 13:20)

• From Reformed Confessions Harmonized edited by Joel R. Beeke and Sinclair B. Ferguson, pages x and xi:

Second Helvetic Confession … began life in the form of a personal confession and testimony written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1562. In 1564, during the plague which Bullinger contracted when it ravaged Zurich, he revised his earlier work in anticipation of his death. Although his wife and three daughters died, Bullinger survived. Asked by Frederick III, Elector of the Palatinate, to provide an exposition of the Reformed faith, Bullinger provided him with a copy of his work. Frederick had it translated into German before his appearance to defend himself against Lutheran criticism at the Imperial Diet of 1566. …

The Second Helvetic Confession is in fact a compact manual of Reformed theology, containing thirty chapters and extending to some twenty thousand words. … Beginning with Scripture it moves through the loci of systematic theology, striking characteristic Reformed and Calvinian notes: the preaching of the Word of God is the word of God (ch. 1); Christ is the mirror in which we are to contemplate our election (ch. 10); providence and predestination are given separate treatments; the body and blood of Christ are received not carnally but spiritually, that is by the Holy Spirit. But practical religious issues are also of major concern; prayer and singing, the question of holy days, catechizing, visitation of the sick, and burial of the dead are discussed (chs. 23—26) as well as issues surrounding marriage and celibacy and the role of the magistrate (chs. 29—30). 

The Second Helvetic Confession was thus a mature statement of Reformed theology for the second half of the sixteenth century. Well-received internationally, it was translated into Dutch, English, Polish, Italian, Magyar, Turkish, and Arabic. It stands as a worthy testimony to the labors and faith of Heinrich Bullinger.l

Learn more:

1. Christian Classics Ethereal Library: The Second Helvetic Confession
2. Philip Schaff: Notes on the Second Helvetic Confession
3. BiblicalTraining.org: Helvetic Confessions
4. Prof. R Cammenga: Heinrich Bullinger and the Second Helvetic Confession 

Related terms:

• Augsburg Confession
• Belgic Confession
• London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 
• Westminster Confession of Faith

Filed under Creeds and Confessions

1From The Christian Faith by Michael Horton.

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Sunday Hymn: He Hideth My Soul

A won­der­ful Sav­ior is Je­sus my Lord,
A won­der­ful Sav­ior to me;
He hid­eth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where riv­ers of plea­sure I see.

Refrain

He hid­eth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That sha­dows a dry, thirs­ty land;
He hid­eth my life with the depths of His love,
And cov­ers me there with His hand,
And cov­ers me there with His hand.

A won­der­ful Sav­ior is Je­sus my Lord,
He tak­eth my bur­den away;
He hold­eth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day.

With num­ber­less bless­ings each mo­ment He crowns,
And filled with His full­ness di­vine,
I sing in my rap­ture, oh, glo­ry to God
For such a Re­deem­er as mine!

When clothed in His bright­ness, trans­port­ed I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His per­fect sal­va­tion, His won­der­ful love
I’ll shout with the mill­ions on high.

—Fan­ny Cros­by

Theological Term of the Week: Nicene Creed

Nicene Creed
A statement of the orthodox faith of the early Christian church, first adopted at the Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) in response to the Arian heresy, which denied the full deity of Jesus Christ. The Nicene Creed was later revised at the Second Ecumenical Council at Constantinople (381 A.D.) as a response to the Macedonian or Pneumatomachian heresy, which denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit.

• Text of the Nicene Creed as it is recited today:

We believe in one God,
      the Father almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth,
      of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.
      Through him all things were made.
      For us and for our salvation
           he came down from heaven;
           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
           and was made human.
           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
           he suffered and was buried.
           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
           He ascended to heaven
           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
           He will come again with glory
           to judge the living and the dead.
           His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord, the giver of life.
      He proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
      and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
      He spoke through the prophets.
      We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
      We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
      We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
      and to life in the world to come. Amen.

• From A Summary of Christian History by Robert A Baker and John M. Landers, page 62:

After preliminary matter had been addressed [at the Council of Nicea], a confession of faith by Arious was presented. It defined the nature of Christ as being different from that of God and viewed Christ as a created being, greater than humans and worthy of worship but less than God. The council promptly and vehemently rejected this creed. Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea offered a creed that he said had been used previously in his church. The wording of this creed was ambiguous. When the orthodox party saw that the Arians were willing to accept the creed of Eusebius, they led a movement to reject it because if was not explicit enough. Athanasius, a young deacon from the church in Alexandria and the champion of the orthodox view, presented [what we know as the Nicene Creed] to the council.

Learn more:

1. Simply Put: The Nicene Creed
2. Paul Levy: The Nicene Creed
3. Gavin Ortland: The Nicene Creed: Every Word Explained (video)
4. Kevin DeYoung: Six Lessons We Learn from the Nicene Creed
5. Kevin DeYoung: The Nicene Creed: We Believe

Related terms:

• Apostles’ Creed
• Arianism
• Athanasian Creed
• Chalcedonian Definition
• filoque

Filed under Creeds and Confessions

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Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured as a Theological Term of the Week? Email your suggestion using the contact button in the navigation bar above. 

Clicking on the Theological Terms button above the header will take you to an alphabetical list of all the theological terms.