I call upon You, Lord, God of Abraham and God of Isaac and God of Jacob and Israel, You who are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God who, through the abundance of your mercy, was well-pleased towards us so that we may know You, who made heaven and earth, who rules over all, You who are the one and the true God, above whom there is no other God; You who, by our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, give to every one who reads this writing to know You, that You alone are God, to be strengthened in You, and to avoid every heretical and godless and impious teaching.

St Irenaeus of Lyons, Against the Heresies 3:6:4


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Protoevangelium per The Scots' Confession (1560)

This, methinks, is a beautiful expression of the orthodox view on Genesis 3:15, the Protoevangelium, the first promise of the gospel--Jesus and his saving work.  Despite its brevity, it is clearly founded upon covenant theology, and engenders a redemptive-historical reading of the one Story of the one Way of salvation, centering of the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!

Article IV--The Revelation of the Promise
We constantly believe that God, after the fearful and horrible departure of man from his obedience, did seek Adam again, call upon him, rebuke and convict him of his sin, and in the end made unto him a most joyful promise, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent," that is, that he should destroy the works of the devil. This promise was repeated and made clearer from time to time; it was embraced with joy, and most constantly received by all the faithful from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and so onwards to the incarnation of Christ Jesus; all (we mean the believing fathers) under the law did see the joyful day of Christ Jesus, and did rejoice.
From the Scots' Confession
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