The Second Helvetic Confession
CHAPTER XIII
Of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the Promises,
and of
the Spirit and Letter
THE ANCIENTS HAD EVANGELICAL PROMISES. The Gospel is,
indeed, opposed to the law. For the law works wrath and announces a curse,
whereas the Gospel preaches grace and blessing. John says: “For the law
was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John
1:17). Yet notwithstanding it is most certain that those who were before the
law and under the law, were not altogether destitute of the Gospel. For they
had extraordinary evangelical promises such as these are: “The seed of the
woman shall bruise the serpent’s head” (Gen. 3:15). “In thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). “The
scepter shall not depart from Judah…until he comes” (Gen. 49:10). “The
Lord will raise up a prophet from among his own brethren” (Deut. 18:15;
Acts 3:22), etc.
THE PROMISES TWOFOLD. And we acknowledge that two kinds of
promises were revealed to the fathers, as also to us. For some were of present
or earthly things, such as the promises of the Land of Canaan and of victories,
and as the promise today still of daily bread. Others were then and are still
now of heavenly and eternal things, namely, divine grace, remission of sins, and
eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
THE FATHERS ALSO HAD NOT ONLY CARNAL BUT SPIRITUAL
PROMISES. Moreover, the ancients had not only external and earthly but also
spiritual and heavenly promises in Christ. Peter says: “The prophets who
prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this
salvation” (I Peter 1:10). Wherefore the apostle Paul also said: “The
Gospel of God was promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy
scriptures” (Rom. 1:2). Thereby it is clear that the ancients were not
entirely destitute of the whole Gospel.
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL PROPERLY SPEAKING? And although our
fathers had the Gospel in this way in the writings of the prophets by which they
attained salvation in Christ through faith, yet the Gospel is properly called
glad and joyous news, in which, first by John the Baptist, then by Christ the
Lord himself, and afterwards by the apostles and their successors, is preached
to us in the world that God has now performed what he promised from the
beginning of the world, and has sent, nay more, has given us his only Son and in
him reconciliation with the Father, the remission of sins, all fulness and
everlasting life. Therefore, the history delineated by the four Evangelists and
explaining how these things were done or fulfilled by Christ, what things Christ
taught and did, and that those who believe in him have all fulness, is rightly
called the Gospel. The preaching and writings of the apostles, in which the
apostles explain for us how the Son was given to us by the Father, and in him
everything that has to do with life and salvation, is also rightly called
evangelical doctrine, so that not even today, if sincerely preached, does it
lose its illustrious title.
OF THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER. That same preaching of the
Gospel is also called by the apostle “the spirit” and “the
ministry of the spirit” because by faith it becomes effectual and living
in the ears, nay more, in the hearts of believers through the illumination of
the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 3:6). For the letter, which is opposed to the Spirit,
signifies everything external, but especially the doctrine of the law which,
without the Spirit and faith, works wrath and provokes sin in the minds of those
who do not have a living faith. For this reason the apostle calls it “the
ministry of death.” In this connection the saying of the apostle is
pertinent: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” And false
apostles preached a corrupted Gospel, having combined it with the law, as if
Christ could not save without the law.
THE SECTS. Such were the Ebionites said to be, who were
descended from Ebion the heretic, and the Nazarites who were formerly called
Mineans. All these we condemn, while preaching the pure Gospel and teaching
that believers are justified by the Spirit [The original manuscript has "Christ"
instead of "Spirit".] alone, and not by the law. A more detailed
exposition of this matter will follow presently under the heading of
justification.
THE TEACHING OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT NEW, BUT MOST ANCIENT
DOCTRINE. And although the teaching of the Gospel, compared with the teaching
of the Pharisees concerning the law, seemed to be a new doctrine when first
preached by Christ (which Jeremiah also prophesied concerning the New
Teatament), yet actually it not only was and still is an old doctrine (even if
today it is called new by the Papists when compared with the teaching now
received among them), but is the most ancient of all in the world. For God
predestinated from eternity to save the world through Christ, and he has
disclosed to the world through the Gospel this his predestination and eternal
counsel (II Tim. 2:9 f.). Hence it is evident that the religion and teaching of
the Gospel among all who ever were, are and will be, is the most ancient of all.
Wherefore we assert that all who say that the religion and teaching of the
Gospel is a faith which has recently arisen, being scarcely thirty years old,
err disgracefully and speak shamefully of the eternal counsel of God. To them
applies the saying of Isaiah the prophet: “Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter
for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).
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