THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.) PART I BOOK OF CONFESSIONS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.) PART I BOOK OF CONFESSIONS PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 100 Witherspoon Street Louisville, KY 40202-1396 Copyright © 2014 by the Office of the General Assembly Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopy- ing, recording, or otherwise (brief quotations used in magazine or newspaper re- views excepted), without the prior permission of the publisher. The sessions, presbyteries, and synods of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) may use sections of this publication without receiving prior written permission of the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 978-0-9837536-5-0 Printed in the United States of America Additional copies available at $10.00 each from Presbyterian Distribution Services (PDS), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396, or by calling 1-800-524-2612 (PDS). Please specify PDS order #OGA-14-018 CONTENTS Reference Page Numbers Numbers Notes on the Paging and the Indexing .................................................................. i Preface ................................................................................................................ iii Confessional Nature of the Church Report ........................................................... v The Assessment of Proposed Amendments to the Book of Confessions ........ xxvi Confessions 1. The Nicene Creed ............................................ 1.1–1.3 1–3 2. The Apostles’ Creed ........................................ 2.1–2.3 5–7 3. The Scots Confession ................................ 3.01–3.251 9–26 4. The Heidelberg Catechism ...................... 4.001–4.129 27–73 5. The Second Helvetic Confession ............. 5.001–5.260 75–143 6. The Westminster Confession of Faith ..... 6.001–6.178 145–202 7. The Shorter Catechism ............................ 7.001–7.110 203–221 8. The Larger Catechism ............................. 7.111–7.306 223–278 9. The Theological Declaration of Barmen ...... 8.01–8.28 279–284 10. The Confession of 1967 ............................... 9.01–9.56 285–297 11. A Brief Statement of Faith– Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ...................... 10.1–10.6 299–310 Index ........................................................................................................ 311–426 NOTES ON THE PAGING AND THE INDEXING The Book of Confessions contains eleven confessional statements commencing with the Nicene Creed on page numbered 1.1–3. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. The Apostles’ Creed is on page numbered 2.1–.3. The Scots Confession begins on page numbered 3.01–.03. On this numbered page are found Chapters I through III. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the chapter numbers to the right of the decimal. The Heidelberg Catechism begins on page numbered 4.001–.002. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the question numbers to the right of the decimal. The Second Helvetic Confession begins on page numbered 5.001–.004. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the deci- mal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. The Westminster Confession of Faith begins on page numbered 6.001–.002. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. The Shorter Catechism begins on page numbered 7.001–.012. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the question numbers to the right of the decimal. The Larger Catechism begins on page numbered 7.111–.119. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the question numbers to the right of the decimal. The Theological Declaration of Barmen begins on page numbered 8.01–.04. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. The Confession of 1967 begins on page numbered 9.01–.07. The boldface mar- ginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. The Brief Statement of Faith begins on page numbered 10.1–.3. The boldface marginal references indicate the confession number to the left of the decimal and the paragraph numbers to the right of the decimal. i THE BOOK OF CONFESSIONS The index references refer to the marginal numbers and page numbers. For ex- ample, the references to Image of God are 3.03, 4.006, 4.115, 5.034, 6.023, 7.010, 7.035, 7.127, 7.185 (pages 11, 32, 68, 86, 154, 205, 208, 226, 235). The references are to Chapter III of the Scots Confession, Questions 6 and 115 of the Heidelberg Catechism, paragraph 34 of the Second Helvetic Confession of Faith, Questions 10 and 35 of the Shorter Catechism, and Questions 17 and 75 of the Larger Catechism. ii PREFACE The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) consists of two vol- umes. Part I of the Constitution is the Book of Confessions, which contains the official texts of the confessional documents. Part II of the Constitution, the Book of Order, is published separately and consists of four sections: The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity, the Form of Government, the Directory for Worship, and the Rules of Discipline. Chapter Two of The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity—“The Church and Its Confessions”—sets forth the church’s understanding of the role and function of the confessions in the life of the church. F-2.01 The Purpose of Confessional Statements The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) states its faith and bears witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ in the creeds and confessions in the Book of Confessions. In these statements the church de- clares to its members and to the world who and what it is, what it believes, and what it resolves to do. These statements identify the church as a community of people known by its convictions as well as by its actions. They guide the church in its study and interpretation of the Scriptures; they summarize the essence of Reformed Christian tradition; they direct the church in maintaining sound doctrines; they equip the church for its work of proclamation. They serve to strengthen per- sonal commitment and the life and witness of the community of believers. The creeds, confessions and catechisms of the Book of Confessions are both historical and contemporary. Each emerged in a particular time and place in re- sponse to a particular situation. Thus, each confessional document should be re- spected in its historical particularity; none should be altered to conform to current theological, ethical, or linguistic norms. The confessions are not confined to the past, however; they do not simply express what the church was, what it used to be- lieve, and what it once resolved to do. The confessions address the church’s current faith and life, declaring contemporary convictions and actions. The 197th General Assembly (1985) adopted “Definitions and Guidelines on Inclusive Language.” This document, reaffirmed by the 212th General Assembly (2000), states that “Effort should be made at every level of the church to use inclu- sive language with respect to the people of God.” Some of the church’s confession- al documents, written before the church committed itself to inclusive language for the people of God, use male language to refer to men and women. Although the original language is retained in the Book of Confessions, readers are reminded of the church’s policy and the commitment the policy expresses. Specific statements in 16th and 17th century confessions and catechisms in the Book of Confessions contain condemnations or derogatory characterizations of the Roman Catholic Church: Chapters XVIII and XXII of the Scots Confession; Ques- tions and Answer 80 of the Heidelberg Catechism; and Chapters II, III, XVII, and XX, of the Second Helvetic Confession. (Chapters XXII, XXV, and XXIX of the Westminster Confession of Faith have been amended to remove anachronous and offensive language. Chapter XXVIII of the French Confession does not have consti- tutional standing.) While these statements emerged from substantial doctrinal dis- iii THE BOOK OF CONFESSIONS putes, they reflect 16th and 17th century polemics. Their condemnations and char- acterizations of the Catholic Church are not the position of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and are not applicable to current relationships between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Catholic Church. [Note: These sections have been marked with an asterisk.] The tension between the confessions’ historical and contemporary nature is a fruitful tension within the church. The confessions are not honored if they are robbed of historical particularity by imagining that they are timeless expressions of truth. They are best able to instruct, lead, and guide the church when they are given freedom to speak in their own voices. The confessions are not respected if they are robbed of contemporary authority by imagining that they are historical artifacts. They are best able to instruct, lead, and guide the church when they are given free- dom to speak now to the church and the world. The creeds and confessions of this church arose in response to particular circumstances with- in the history of God’s people. They claim the truth of the Gospel at those points where their au- thors perceived that truth to be at risk. They are the result of prayer, thought, and experience within a living tradition. They appeal to the universal truth of the Gospel while expressing that truth with- in the social and cultural assumptions of their time.