Matthew 16:13-18

Order of Service

• Sunday School Lesson — Scripture Reading — Matthew 16:13-18
• Lesson and Discussion
• Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: The Case for Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-18

I. Peter's Confession as the Foundation of the Church

A. Jesus asks his disciples who people say he is, then turns the question to them personally B. Peter confesses: you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God — Matthew 16:16 C. Jesus identifies the source of this confession as divine revelation, not human wisdom D. Debate over the rock in Matthew 16:18

1. Some hold the rock refers to Peter himself as a prominent figure in the early church
2. Strong case that the rock is the confession itself — its fact, circumstance, and content E. The content of the confession — that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God — immediately became the theological battleground for the early church

II. The Historical Development of Creeds and Confessions

A. The church fought off heresy regarding the person and divinity of Christ from multiple angles

1. Illustrated as a lone figure surrounded by enemies attacking from every side
2. The church's response was to formulate creedal statements B. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) produced the Nicene Creed to defend orthodox Christology
3. Additional statements were added at the Council of Constantinople (381 AD) as new battles arose
4. The Athanasian Creed, longer and more detailed, addressed further theological challenges
5. The Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) marked the end of the major early creedal period C. Early creeds were short enough to be memorized and passed on orally, since written documents were not widely accessible D. The Reformation (16th century) brought an explosion of confessions and catechisms
6. Luther's Catechism (1529) is an early example
7. The printing press enabled longer, more comprehensive doctrinal statements
8. Groups of churchmen put scriptural teaching into written form to strengthen theological and biblical knowledge E. A parallel pattern is seen in the New Testament — Acts 15 shows the early church leaders debating and issuing written doctrinal decisions, following a confessional pattern

III. What Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms Are and Are Not

A. They are tools — aids to help God's people understand and apply Scripture

1. The right approach is first to ask what a tool is for, then what it can do
2. Misuse occurs when we ask what it can do without knowing what it is for B. They are not replacements for Scripture and are not on par with Scripture
3. A.A. Hodge: the divine word is the only standard that has intrinsic authority binding the conscience
4. Confessions are of value only insofar as they teach what Scripture teaches
5. The real question is not Scripture versus creeds, but the collective proven faith of the church versus the unassisted private judgment of the individual C. They help us hold the whole of Scripture together when studying any one part
6. Illustrated by a driver who must understand a full system of actions to make a single turn safely
7. Illustrated by a specialist doctor who must understand how the whole body works, not just one part
8. Good confessional documents include Scripture proof texts so readers can verify their sources D. They guard against the errors of private interpretation
9. Michael Horton: saying I just believe the Bible is no defense against cults, superstitions, and heresy, since nearly every sect for 2,000 years has claimed the Bible
10. 2 Peter 3:16 — Peter acknowledges there are hard things in Paul that people twist to their own destruction
11. Confessional documents that have been tested over centuries — such as the Westminster Standards, written over six years by over one hundred of the finest theological minds — carry greater weight than any individual's interpretation

IV. Confessions, Catechisms, and Church Life at North Point

A. PCA officers take vows to uphold the Westminster Standards; members are encouraged to know and use them B. The congregation's children and youth have spent the year studying the Children's Catechism and the Shorter Catechism C. Sunday evening services use the catechism and confessions as teaching tools D. The PCA as a denomination remains largely confessional, especially as evidenced by recent General Assemblies E. Denominations that have wandered from their confessional documents — such as the Reformed Church in America with the Three Forms of Unity — have experienced doctrinal drift F. A statement of faith written by an individual church is better than nothing, but lacks the centuries of testing that historic confessional documents have undergone

V. Practical Encouragement

A. Obtain a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith and Standards — the church will provide one at no cost B. Incorporate the confession and catechisms into personal study and family worship C. Use confessional documents as a check on personal interpretation, not as a substitute for Scripture