Last Sunday at Bethlehem Lutheran, our Guest Pastor, Rev. Donal Loeschen, delivered a memorable sermon for Trinity Sunday, which is the first Sunday after Pentecost.
To ground the message, Pastor Loeschen read from Matthew 28, reminding us of Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples, “baptizing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It was an excellent lead-in to our confession of the Trinity.
As part of the service, he led us in reciting the Athanasian Creed. Pastor Loeschen explained that this creed is attributed to the early church father Athanasius. It is the longest of the three ancient creeds—so long, in fact, that we had a special insert in our worship folders just for it, complete with a little arrow at the bottom letting us know we had to flip the page over! Because of its length, we traditionally only use it once a year on this specific Sunday.
Before the sermon began, Pastor Loeschen made sure to thoughtfully address the word “catholic” that appears in the very first line of the creed. Knowing our congregation, he tactfully explained the history and the difference between the two uses of the word. He clarified that the phrase goes all the way back to the ancient confession of the “one holy, Catholic and apostolic church.” Over time, especially because of the Reformation, Lutherans began using the word “Christian” instead to avoid confusion with the Roman Catholic Church. However, he assured us that “catholic” with a lowercase “c” simply refers to the “church universal.” The true church of all believers across all ages. Because of this, it is a word that we can still rightly and proudly use.
Here’s the complete text of the creed:
The Athanasian Creed
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.
But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God;
And yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;
And yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.
The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.
The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is before after another; none is greater or less than another;
But the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ,
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.
And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
It was a beautiful reminder of our faith, and I hope this helps you feel like you were there with us
[…] Check Out The Article! […]