Why Do Confessional Documents Still Matter in Dogmatics?
In every generation, the church faces the challenge of confessing the truth of the gospel in the midst of cultural pressures, theological disputes, and shifting worldviews. From the creeds of the early church to the Reformation-era confessions, Christians have written and adopted documents that summarize what they believe Scripture teaches. These confessional documents were never meant to replace the Bible but to provide clarity, unity, and protection against error.
In the study of dogmatics—the disciplined, systematic reflection on Christian doctrine—the question arises: why do confessional documents still matter? If Scripture is the sole authoritative norm, why do churches continue to appeal to confessions written centuries ago? Psalm 119 reminds us that God’s Word is eternal, “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (v. 105). Yet the church has always found it necessary to articulate how that eternal Word is to be confessed in particular times and circumstances.
1. Confessional Documents Provide a Witness to the Gospel
At their best, confessional documents are evangelical testimonies to the truth of the gospel. They do not function as legal codes binding the conscience apart from Scripture. Instead, they summarize what the church has understood to be the message of Christ crucified and risen.
The Nicene Creed, for example, emerged to affirm the divinity of Christ against Arian denials. The Westminster Confession was written to clarify Reformed teaching on Scripture, salvation, and the church. In each case, the goal was not to replace the Bible but to confess it more clearly.
Dogmatics relies on these confessional witnesses as echoes of the faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). While the authority of the gospel rests in Christ and His Word, confessions are invaluable as historical witnesses that safeguard the central truths of salvation.
2. Confessions Guard the Church Against Error
The New Testament consistently warns of false teachers and distorted gospels (Galatians 1:6–9; 2 Peter 2:1). Confessional documents help the church draw boundaries around the truth, protecting the flock from heresy.
In Psalm 18, David celebrates God’s deliverance from enemies by proclaiming God’s justice and steadfast love. Similarly, confessions function as defenses against spiritual threats, reminding the church where it stands. By summarizing biblical teaching, they equip believers to discern truth from error.
For dogmatics, this protective role is crucial. Theologians are not free to reinvent Christianity in every generation. Instead, they work within the parameters of the church’s confession, testing all doctrine by the standard of Scripture while recognizing that confessions embody centuries of Spirit-led reflection.
3. Confessions Connect the Church to Its Catholic Heritage
Confessional documents remind us that we do not stand alone. The church today is part of a communion of saints that stretches across time and space. Hebrews 12 speaks of a “great cloud of witnesses” who testify to God’s faithfulness. Confessions are part of this testimony, preserving the wisdom of past generations for the present.
In the Reformation, the principle was often expressed as “semper reformanda”—the church is always being reformed according to the Word of God. Confessions help preserve continuity with the faith of the early church and the Reformation while allowing for ongoing reform. They are not unchangeable laws, but neither are they disposable relics.
For dogmatics, this continuity is essential. A theology detached from the church’s confession risks becoming merely academic or speculative. But when rooted in Scripture and confession, theology remains accountable to the communion of saints.
4. Confessions Serve as Secondary Standards Under Scripture
Reformed theology in particular emphasizes that confessions are secondary standards. They are authoritative only insofar as they reflect the teaching of Scripture. The Bible alone is the “norming norm”—the ultimate authority for faith and life.
This means confessions must always be open to revision when proven to conflict with God’s Word. Yet their subordinate role does not diminish their value. Instead, it clarifies their purpose: they serve the church by pointing back to Scripture, much like John the Baptist pointed to Christ.
For dogmatics, this principle keeps theology rightly ordered. Theologians may use confessions as guides, but they must always test doctrine against the living Word of God. This protects against the temptation either to idolize tradition or to ignore it altogether.
5. Confessions Encourage Praise and Obedience
Finally, confessional documents are not simply intellectual statements; they are meant to shape worship and obedience. When David responded with praise in Psalm 18 after God’s deliverance, he modeled what it looks like to respond to truth with worship. Confessions serve a similar purpose: they lead believers to confess with their lips what they believe in their hearts.
The Apostles’ Creed is recited in countless worship services worldwide, reminding Christians that their faith is not individualistic but shared. Confessions unite the church in declaring God’s mighty acts, grounding theology in doxology.
For dogmatics, this means theology is never detached from life. Confessional documents still matter because they remind us that true theology ends in praise and obedience to the God who has redeemed His people through Christ.
Conclusion
Confessional documents continue to matter in dogmatics because they testify to the gospel, guard against error, connect the church to its heritage, serve as secondary standards under Scripture, and encourage praise and obedience. They are not ultimate authorities but evangelical witnesses, subordinate to the Bible yet indispensable for the church’s faith and practice.
The study of dogmatics requires listening to Scripture first and foremost. Yet by listening to confessions, the church also hears the voices of generations past, testifying to the same Christ who remains “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In the end, confessions matter because they point us back to the gospel, the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord, and because they prepare the church to stand firm in faith until the day of His return.
Bible Verses on Confession, Doctrine, and Faith
Jude 3 – “Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”
2 Timothy 1:13 – “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me.”
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching.”
Galatians 1:8 – “If we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary…let him be accursed.”
Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Ephesians 4:14 – “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves…”
1 Timothy 6:12 – “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession.”
Romans 10:9 – “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart…”
Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Revelation 12:11 – “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
