We believe in one God, the Father, Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father. God from God, Light from Light, very God from very God, begotten, not made, of the same Being with the Father; through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, became human. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the Age to Come. Amen.
"At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah' or, 'There he is' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner chambers,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." - Matthew 24:23-27
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His appearing those who belong to Him. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all enmies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." - 1 Corinthians 15:20-26
"See, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be transformed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.' 'O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?'" - 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the appearing of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into fables. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:1-5
"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were out of fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold the forgiveness of any, it is withheld.'
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said tot hem, 'Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.' Eight days later, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put your hand and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" - John 20:19-29
"As they were talking about these things, Jesus Himself stood among them, and said to them, 'Peace to you!' But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a ghost. And He said to them, 'Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me, and see. For a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet." - Luke 24:36-40
"So when they had come together, they asked Him, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him away out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.'" - Acts 1:6-11
This is the universal faith of the Christian Church,
"[Jesus Christ] suffered for our salvation;
He descended into the depths;
He arose from the dead;
He ascended into heaven;
He is seated at the Father's right hand;
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming all people will arise bodily
And give an accounting of their own deeds.
Those who are righteous will enter into life everlasting,
And those who are wicked will enter into everlasting fire."
"But even if we or a heavenly messenger should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under accursed." - Galatians 1:8
"There is one Body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." - Ephesians 4:4-6
In the Name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. I declare by the authority of the Holy Scriptures and the faith of the Holy Christian Church that there is no other Lord, than Jesus who became flesh of Mary the virgin, who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, and who rose bodily from the dead on the third day overcoming death and hell. He ascended bodily and visibly into heaven, where He now and at present sits at the right hand of the Father with all power, kingdom, and authority. From whence, at a time unknown to any save the Father alone, He will return in glory, with His tens of thousands of hosts of heaven as Divine Judge over both the living and the dead. At such time, the bodies of the dead shall rise, and those who belong to Him by the grace of God the Father Almighty, shall be raised to life immortal, imperishable, and everlasting; but they who have perished in impenitence and wickedness shall be raised to the judgment of God. Christ, Only-begotten of the Father from all eternity and made man and born of Mary the virgin, having returned and descended shall Judge all flesh. He who was crucified under Pontius Pilate and who bears the immortal wounds of His crucifixion in His glorified flesh shall be He who judges the world at His appearing, which shall be witnessed by all men at the same time. And on that Day, the Day of God's choosing, then it shall be said in full, Death is swallowed up in victory. And there shall be, truly, in that day, world without end, new heavens and new earth.
There is no other Christ but Jesus. There is no Jesus but He who was born of the Virgin. There is no other except the flesh-and-blood One who was conceived in Mary's womb and suffered under Pilate. He shall come again. Him and no other.
And then, on that Day, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father.
This is the faith of the Church. The shield of our salvation. By even pain of death we will not surrender. But with boldness proclaim this even against the gates of hell. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and He will come again--He Himself and no other.
-CryptoLutheran
