Maybe you’ve tried to look for a church wondering whether you can be confident that a particular church will preach God’s word faithfully. Will the doctrines I hear from this church line up with Scripture and how can I know something about how they will interpret Scripture? For me, if I ever see a church website where there is not a basic understanding of what they see as the important doctrines in the bible, I am left with a skeptical mind about their commitment to Scripture. Confessions are important for so many reasons and while a confession will never replace the bible, they can be wonderful, unifying, protections against false teaching. Confessions often show that we are not disconnected from 2000 years of Christian orthodoxy. Let’s consider the important place for confessions.
1. There are biblical examples of confessional statements.
Within the text of Scripture, we find that the biblical writers often give theological ground for what they say. The make formal statements of doctrine that reinforce an admonition or command or encouragement. It seems that Paul does this often and a great example can be found in 1 Timothy 2. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul tells Timothy that he is to pray for all people and for leaders that impact the way Christians can live out their faith in public. This reflects God’s saving heart (vs.4). Why must Christians have a comprehensive heart of prayer and evangelism for all people? Paul makes a very formal statement in vs.5-6 that would not be out of place in any formal confession of faith - 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.
2. Confessions unify God’s people.
The church is told that it is pillar and buttress of truth (1 Tim 3:15). That means that it is the church’s role to protect the doctrines of Scripture. Each local church is united as a congregation with a God ordained leadership of elders and are responsible for upholding the truth of Scripture together. As a unifying declaration of faith, a confession or statement of faith works to carefully define the doctrines of Scripture for the church to uphold the truth of Scripture. This is then lived out within the body and as we interact with the world. A confession is a formal, intentional, and responsible way of bringing clarity to what will affect the unity of the body of Christ in matters of biblical truth.
3. Confessions help to give concise statements of doctrine from a big bible.
Everyone should truly understand that only the bible is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative word of God. Confessions can never replace the bible, but the bible is our source of doctrine. Biblical doctrines take time to develop. As we study through the scriptures and find themes and truths consistently taught through God’s progressive revelation, we find essential and important doctrines that can be clearly and objectively stated with concise precision. Confessions help us to communicate biblical doctrines central to the Christian faith.
4. Confessions proclaim strength.
The church holds strong on the truth of Scripture as we live in Christ and in the power of the Spirit. Confessions make a statement to all who read them that this church is founded on the word of God and uphold the doctrines of truth from the word of God. Most confessions will have biblical references to show that each statement has been carefully worded through the study of the Scriptures. When a church unites around statements of truth drawn from the infallible word of God, we declare a position of strength. We say that we obey God and not man.
Here is a link to our statement of faith.
And here is a link to one of my favorite confessions – the 1st London Baptist Confessions of Faith 1646.