The Lutheran Confessions, found in the Book of Concord, are
a series of documents written by Lutheran Reformers in the
16th Century (1500s). These works express their faith and
apply the teachings of the Bible to issues being debated at
the time. Today, Lutheran pastors, teachers, church workers
and congregations pledge to teach in harmony with the
doctrines confessed in them. So these documents identify
what Lutherans believe on each topic they cover..
St. Peter's Lutheran Church is a conservative
Lutheran congregation committed to the teaching of
God's inspired and infallible Word as explained by
the creeds of the Christian Church and the
Confessions of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod,
of which we have been members for all of our 150
year history.
As our
young church continues to grow, we are ever mindful
of the growing, changing world around us.
While we maintain our solid beliefs and teachings,
we are continually working towards ways to encourage
the younger minded generation to take part
and be welcome here at St. Peter's through the
offering of a contemporary worship and family
programs.
St. Peter's Lutheran Church and School is a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod. We are a confessional Lutheran
congregation. This means we are catholic but
not Roman Catholic. We are evangelical but
not a part of the modern Evangelical
movement. We hold that Jesus Christ
crucified and risen again for the
forgiveness of our sins (justification) is
the very center and core of who we are. Our
Lord comes to us to forgive us sins and give
us Himself through the Word of God,
preaching, baptism, absolution (forgiveness)
and the Lord's Supper.
This one, catholic (Christian) and apostolic
faith is confessed in the three ecumenical
creeds:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and Earth. And in Jesus
Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of
the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was
crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third
day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth
on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come
to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the
Holy Ghost; the holy
catholic*
Church, the
communion of saints;
the forgiveness of
sins; the
resurrection of the
body; and the life
everlasting. Amen.
I believe in one
God, the Father
Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and
invisible.
And I believe in
the Holy Ghost, the
Lord and Giver of
life, who proceedeth
from the Father and
the Son; who with
the Father and the
Son together is
worshiped and
glorified; who spake
by the Prophets. And
I believe in one
holy
catholic* and
apostolic Church. I
acknowledge one
Baptism for the
remission of sins;
and I look for the
resurrection of the
dead, and the life
of the world to
come. Amen.
Whosoever will be
saved, before all
things it is
necessary that he
hold the
catholic* faith.
Which faith except
every one do keep
whole and undefiled,
without doubt he
shall perish
everlastingly.
And the
catholic* faith
is this, that we
worship one God in
Trinity, and Trinity
in Unity; Neither
confounding the
Persons, nor
dividing the
Substance. For there
is one Person of the
Father, another of
the Son, and another
of the Holy Ghost.
But the Godhead of
the Father, of the
Son, and of the Holy
Ghost is all one:
the glory equal, the
majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father
is, such is the Son,
and such is the Holy
Ghost. The Father
uncreate, the Son
uncreate, and the
Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father
incomprehensible,
the Son
incomprehensible,
and the Holy Ghost
incomprehensible.
The Father eternal,
the Son eternal, and
the Holy Ghost
eternal. And yet
they are not three
Eternals, but one
Eternal. As there
are not three
Uncreated nor three
Incomprehensibles,
but one Uncreated
and one
Incomprehensible. So
likewise the Father
is almighty, the Son
almighty, and the
Holy Ghost almighty.
And yet they are not
three Almighties,
but one Almighty. So
the Father is God,
the Son is God, and
the Holy Ghost is
God. And yet they
are not three Gods,
but one God. So
likewise the Father
is Lord, the Son
Lord, and the Holy
Ghost Lord. And yet
not three Lords, but
one Lord. For like
as we are compelled
by the Christian
verity to
acknowledge every
Person by Himself to
be God and Lord, So
are we forbidden by
the
catholic*
religion to say,
There be three Gods,
or three Lords.
The Father is
made of none:
neither created nor
begotten. The Son is
of the Father alone;
not made, nor
created, but
begotten. The Holy
Ghost is of the
Father and of the
Son: neither made,
nor created, nor
begotten, but
proceeding. So there
is one Father, not
three Fathers; one
Son, not three Sons;
one Holy Ghost, not
three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity
none is before or
after other; none is
greater or less than
another; But the
whole three Persons
are coeternal
together, and
coequal: so that in
all things, as is
aforesaid, the Unity
in Trinity and the
Trinity in Unity is
to be worshiped. He,
therefore, that will
be saved must thus
think of the
Trinity.
Furthermore, it
is necessary to
everlasting
salvation that he
also believe
faithfully the
incarnation of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right faith
is, that we believe
and confess that our
Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, is
God and Man; God of
the Substance of the
Father, begotten
before the worlds;
and Man of the
substance of His
mother, born in the
world; Perfect God
and perfect Man, of
a reasonable soul
and human flesh
subsisting. Equal to
the Father as
touching His
Godhead, and
inferior to the
Father as touching
His manhood; Who,
although He be God
and Man, yet He is
not two, but one
Christ: One, not by
conversion of the
Godhead into flesh,
but by taking the
manhood into God;
One altogether; not
by confusion of
Substance, but by
unity of Person. For
as the reasonable
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; He
ascended into
heaven; He sitteth
on the right hand of
the Father, God
Almighty; from
whence He shall come
to judge the quick
and the dead. At
whose coming all men
shall rise again
with their bodies,
and shall give an
account of their own
works. And they that
have done good shall
go into life
everlasting; and
they that have done
evil, into
everlasting fire.
