Reformation Confessions (Overview)

Key documents include: Augsburg Confession (1530) — the foundational Lutheran statement. Belgic Confession (1561) and Heidelberg Catechism (1563) — Reformed confessions from the Low Countries and the Palatinate, warm and pastoral. Thirty-Nine Articles (1571) — Church of England. Canons of Dort (1619) — Reformed response to Arminianism. Westminster Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1646–1647) — Presbyterian and, with revisions, Congregational and Baptist. 1689 London Baptist Confession — Reformed Baptist adaptation of Westminster. All of them share the Reformation's five "solas": Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, glory to God alone (Rom 3:21–28; Eph 2:8–9; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Cor 10:31).

Confessions are not Scripture; they are the church's honest summary of what it believes Scripture teaches. Used rightly, they let each generation stand on the shoulders of the last without inventing the faith from scratch — while still being open to correction from the word (2 Tim 3:16–17).

• Romans 3:21-28— Justification by faith
• Ephesians 2:8-9— By grace through faith
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17— Scripture's sufficiency

• ·Augsburg Confession — text
• ·Heidelberg Catechism — text
• ·Westminster Confession — text
• ·1689 London Baptist Confession — text

• council_or_creed

  Council of Trent

  What Trent responded to