Our Beliefs

Manchester Lutheran Church is a Biblical Lutheran Church. This means we hold to the Confession of the Biblical Lutheran Church. Our Confession is expressed in four degrees of detail:

  • The Seat of our Confession is the four big ideas that are foundational to everything the Bible says.
  • The Summary of our Confession is twenty one sentences that summarise the Bible’s message.
  • The Statement of our Confession is a list of short sentences stating in detail what the Bible says.
  • The Source of our Confession is an explanation of how every statement of our Confession is revealed in the Bible using as much as possible words from other Lutherans to demonstrate our consistency with the Lutheran tradition.

The Confession is subject to occasional revision by the Synod of the Biblical Lutheran Church, and was last updated in November 2024.

Source of our Confession

You can download the source of our confession from the Biblical Lutheran Church website here.

Seat of our Confession

A. God’s Word is truth and Christians receive it by faith (John 10:22-30)
B. God’s Law reveals our sin, which is an inward tendency to evil (Matt 5:43-48)
C. God’s Gospel is the free undeserved grace of Father, Son and Spirit (Rom 3:21-25)
D. God’s People have been saved to live lives of good works (John 15:1-11)

Summary of our Confession

A. God’s Word is truth and Christians receive it by faith (John 10:22-30)
I. God’s Word is our only perfect, infallible, authority (2 Pet 1:16-21)
II. God’s Word is about justification by faith (Rom 3:21-22)
III. God’s Word contains Law and Gospel (2 Tim 2:15)

B. God’s Law reveals our sin, which is an inward tendency to evil (Matt 5:43-48)
IV. The Law commands us to love the one God who is three persons (Deut 6:4-5; Matt 28:19)
V. The Law commands us to love our neighbour (Lev 19:18)
VI. The Law reveals we need God’s righteousness (Rom 7:10-13)
VII. The Law reveals our sin as a constant inclination to evil (Gen 6:5)

C. God’s Gospel is the free undeserved grace of Father, Son and Spirit (Rom 3:21-25)
VIII. God the Father created and sustains all things (Neh 9:6)

IX. God the Son became incarnate to redeem the world (John 1:14, 29)
X. God the Son was humiliated to pay for our sin (Phil 2:7-8)
XI. God the Son was exalted for our justification (Phil 2:9-11)

XII. God the Holy Spirit sanctifies by giving us faith through God’s Word (Eph 1:13)
XIII. God the Holy Spirit regenerates us through God’s Word in Baptism (Eph 5:26)
XIV. God the Holy Spirit forgives us through God’s Word in the Supper (1 Cor 11:26)
XV. God the Holy Spirit brings good works as the fruits of faith (Gal 5:22-23)
XVI. God the Holy Spirit brings prayer as a fruit of faith (Jam 1:5-8)

D. God’s People have been saved to live lives of good works (John 15:1-11)
XVII. The Church is the communion of saints (John 20:21-23)
XVIII. The Ministry is every Christian’s role to preach forgiveness (1 Pet 2:9)
XIX. The Call to public ministry is given to qualified men (1 Tim 2:12-3:13)
XX. Corporate worship is communal gathering to receive grace by God’s Word (Acts 2:42-47)
XXI. Christians are created in Christ to live out their vocations (Eph 2:10)

Statement of our Confession

A. God’s Word is truth and Christians receive it by faith (John 10:22-30)

I. God’s Word is our only perfect, infallible, authority (2 Pet 1:16-21)

  1. God partly reveals Himself by His works so we are culpable (Rom 1:20)
  2. God fully reveals Himself only by his Word (2 Tim 3:15)
  3. Scripture is God’s Word (2 Tim 3:16)
  4. Scripture is purely God’s Word (Psa 19:8)
  5. Scripture is truth (John 17:17)
  6. Scripture cannot contradict itself (John 10:35)
  7. Scripture has God’s authority (Luke 4:32)
  8. Scripture is relevant, being actively spoken today (Heb 4:12)
  9. Scripture is useful (2 Tim 3:16)
  10. Scripture is effective (Isa 55:11)
  11. Scripture is perfectly sufficient (2 Pet 1:3-4)
  12. Scripture is spoken through men (1 Cor 2:12-13)
  13. Scripture is our only source of doctrine (Rev 22:18-19)
  14. Scripture has authority over the Church (2 Pet 1:16-21)
  15. Scripture is prophesied to abide (1 Pet 1:23-25)
  16. Scripture is summarised in confessions to correct error (Tit 1:9)
  17. We confess only confessions that summarise Scripture (Matt 5:37)
  18. We confess the three Creeds, Book of Concord, and this (2 Thess 2:15)

II. God’s Word is about justification by faith (Rom 3:21-22)

  1. Scripture’s essence is its meaning (John 17:17)
  2. Scripture is clear (Luke 24:45)
  3. Scripture must be interpreted rightly (2 Tim 2:15)
  4. Scripture can be interpreted by any Christian (1 Cor 2:15)
  5. Scripture must be interpreted with God’s help (John 14:26)
  6. Scripture must be interpreted in its plain literary sense (2 Cor 4:2)
  7. Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture (2 Pet 3:15-18)
  8. All Scripture is about justification by Faith (Luke 24:27)

III. God’s Word contains Law and Gospel (2 Tim 2:15)

  1. Scripture must be rightly divided between Law and Gospel (2 Tim 2:15)
  2. “Law” in its proper sense means God’s righteous commands (Rom 3:21-26)
  3. The Law has been written in people’s hearts from creation (Rom 2:15)
  4. The Law was promulgated in the Old Covenant (John 1:17)
  5. “Gospel” in its proper sense means God’s free promise of grace (Mark 1:15)
  6. The Gospel has been promised from Adam (Gen 3:15)
  7. The Gospel was promulgated and effected in the New Covenant (Luke 22:20)
  8. The Old and New Covenants are not the same covenant (Jer 31:31-34)
  9. The Old Covenant preserved God’s Word until Christ came (Mal 2:7)
  10. The Old Covenant defined a nation through which Christ came (Gen 12:1-3)
  11. The Old Covenant was given to teach and lead us to Christ (John 5:46)
  12. The Old Covenant is obsolete (Heb 8:13)
  13. The Old Covenant had three aspects: moral, civil, ceremonial (Exod 24-40)
  14. The Moral Law is God’s Law bound to the nation of Israel (Exod 20; Deut 5)
  15. The Moral Law reveals God’s Law that continues to bind everyone (Rom 13:9)
  16. The Ceremonial Law was a shadow of Christ’s sacrifice (Col 2:16-17)
  17. The Ceremonial Law is not binding in the latter days (Col 2:16-17)
  18. The Civil Law was a shadow of Christ’s spiritual kingdom (Gal 6:16)
  19. The Civil Law is not binding in the latter days (Luke 12:13-14)
  20. The New Covenant has two aspects: repentance and the Gospel (Mark 16:15)

B. God’s Law reveals our sin, which is an inward tendency to evil (Matt 5:43-48)

IV. The Law commands us to love the one God who is three persons (Deut 6:4-5; Matt 28:19)

  1. 1—The Law commands us to love God above all things (Deut 6:5)
  2. 1—The Law commands us to trust God above all things (Heb 11:6)
  3. 1—God has revealed Himself progressively (Rom 16:25-26)
  4. 1—God is one (Deut 6:4)
  5. 1—God is three eternal persons (Matt 28:19)
  6. 1—The Father is truly God, unbegotten (John 5:26)
  7. 1—The Son is truly God, begotten from the Father (John 3:16)
  8. 1—The Spirit is truly God, proceeding from the Father and Son (John 15:26)
  9. 1—The three persons are equal in authority (Matt 28:18-19)
  10. 1—The three persons always act as one God (Mark 1:10-11)
  11. 1—The one God always acts as three persons (Eph 1:3-14)
  12. 1—God’s chosen pronouns are male (John 5)
  13. 2—God’s name should not be abused for falsehood (Lev 19:11-12)
  14. 2—God’s name should not be shamed by false teaching (Rev 2:13)
  15. 2—God’s name should not be lowered through occult practices (Lev 20:3)
  16. 2—God’s name should be used for truth (Deut 6:13)
  17. 2—God’s name should be honoured by biblical teaching (Jam 5:10)
  18. 2—God’s name should be lifted through prayer (Psa 50:15)
  19. 3—The Sabbath means people should have rest and holidays (Exod 20:8-11)
  20. 3—The Sabbath day itself has been abolished (Col 2:16-17)
  21. 3—The Sabbath is not fulfilled by the Lord’s Day (Heb 4:9-11)
  22. 3—Sunday is not special (Rom 14:5-6)
  23. 3—Only God’s Word makes things holy for us (1 Tim 4:5)
  24. 3—God’s Word must be used to make every day holy (Psa 119:11-13)

V. The Law commands us to love our neighbour (Lev 19:18)

  1. 4—The Law commands us to love our neighbour (Lev 19:18)
  2. 4—We must honour our parents (Exod 20:12)
  3. 4—We must be grateful for our birth gender (Psa 139:13-14)
  4. 4—We must obey government and all human institutions (1 Pet 2:13-17)
  5. 5—We must not cause or wish harm by thought, word or deed (Matt 5:21-26)
  6. 5—We must not fail to prevent harm when we are able (Jam 2:15-16)
  7. 5—We must treat all people as spiritually equal (Gen 1:27; Rom 3:23)
  8. 5—Human life on earth is a unique opportunity to repent (Heb 9:27)
  9. 5—Human life as an opportunity to repent begins at conception (Psa 139:13)
  10. 5—Human life may only be ended by God and those he authorises (Psa 90:3)
  11. 5—Human life may be ended by government to establish justice (Rom 13:1-7)
  12. 6—Marriage is a state of life instituted by God (Gen 1:27-28)
  13. 6—Marriage is between one man and one woman (Gen 2:23)
  14. 6—Marriage is leaving and cleaving (Gen 2:24)
  15. 6—Marriage is a one flesh union, i.e. sexually consummated (Gen 2:24)
  16. 6—Marriage is the only appropriate place for sexual desire (Exod 20:14)
  17. 7—We must not cause harm to our neighbour’s property (Exod 20:15)
  18. 7—We must respect and obey copyright laws (Exod 20:15)
  19. 8—We must not lie about people, but speak well of them (Exod 20:16)
  20. 9—We must not craftily try to get our neighbour’s possessions (Exod 20:17)
  21. 10—We must not craftily try to get our neighbour’s relationships (Deut 5:21)

VI. The Law reveals we need God’s righteousness (Rom 7:10-13)

  1. The Law offers life for obedience and death for disobedience (Exod 20:5-6)
  2. The Law is used to curb excessive sin (1 Tim 1:9)
  3. The Law is used as a mirror for sin, leading us to seek Christ (Rom 3:21-26)
  4. The Law is used as a guide for Christians to live out their faith (Psa 119:1)
  5. The Law is veiled when read without Christ (2 Cor 3:12-16)
  6. The Law is veiled when we seek our own righteousness (Rom 10:2-4)
  7. The Law is unveiled when read with Christ (2 Cor 3:12-16)

VII. The Law reveals our sin as a constant inclination to evil (Gen 6:5)

  1. Original sin is the root: a corrupt nature that inclines to evil (Gen 6:5)
  2. Actual sin is the fruit: the works resulting from this corruption (Matt 7:16-20)
  3. Sin means we are dead and salvation is impossible (Eph 2:1)
  4. Sin means we are slaves and do not want to be saved (Rom 6:16)
  5. Sin means we are under wrath, given over to sin (Rom 1:18-32)
  6. Sin means we are wrathful against God (Rom 8:7)
  7. Sin means we are callously unfeeling towards God (Eph 4:17-19)
  8. Venial (“forgiven”) sin is sin remaining in the regenerate (Rom 7:25)
  9. Mortal (“deadly”) sin is the sin that killed faith in fallen Christians (Rom 8:13)
  10. Scripture warns that once saved we are not always saved (Rom 11:17-24)
  11. Scripture warns that restoration from falling away is impossible (Heb 6:4-8)
  12. Scripture warns us with examples of apostates (Luke 22:3)
  13. Scripture prophesies that some Christians will fall away (1 Tim 4:1)
  14. Satan and sinners, not God’s will, are the origin of sin (Rev 12:9)
  15. Satan and his angels fight to prevent redemption from sin (Rev 12:7)
  16. Satan is the father, ruler and spirit working in those dead in sin (Eph 2:2)
  17. Satan is a liar (Rev 12:9)
  18. Satan deceives through antichrists that look like Christ (Matt 24:22-25)
  19. Satan deceives through “the” antichrist, which is the Papacy (2 Thess 2:1-12)
  20. Satan is a murderer (John 8:44)
  21. Sin will result in eternal death and damnation, which is Hell (Matt 13:40-42)
  22. Hell is a real place of eternal punishment prepared for Satan (Rev 20:14-15)

C. God’s Gospel is the free undeserved grace of Father, Son and Spirit (Rom 3:21-25)

VIII. God the Father created and sustains all things (Neh 9:6)

  1. The Father Almighty predestined the elect for eternal life (Eph 1:4-5)
  2. The Father does not predestine anyone to condemnation (1 Tim 2:4)
  3. The Father’s foreknows all things perfectly (Psa 139:16)
  4. The Father’s foreknowledge restrains evil (Gen 50:20)
  5. The Father works all things for the good of the elect (Rom 8:28)
  6. The Father Almighty created all things in six days (Gen 1:1-2:3)
  7. The Father sustains all things (Matt 6:25-34)

IX. God the Son became incarnate to redeem the world (John 1:14, 29)

  1. The Son has always existed with a fully divine nature (John 1:1-3)
  2. The Son took to Himself a fully human nature (John 1:14)
  3. The Son was born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35)
  4. The Son is one person who now has two natures, divine and human (Rom 9:5)
  5. The Son’s two natures are unmixed (Phil 2:6-8)
  6. The Son’s two natures are united in a real personal communion (Mark 9:2-3)
  7. This union does not add to or subtract from His divine nature (Jam 1:17)
  8. This union gives His human nature non-essential divine properties (Dan 7:14)
  9. The Son is present everywhere, not only as God, but also as man (Eph 1:23)
  10. The Son has power over all, not only as God, but also as man (Matt 28:18)
  11. The Son gives life, not only as God, but also as man (John 5:21)
  12. The Son can be worshipped, not only as God, but also as man (Matt 28:17)

X. God the Son was humiliated to pay for our sin (Phil 2:7-8)

  1. The Son was humiliated and laid aside his divine Majesty (Phil 2:7-8)
  2. The Son fulfilled the Law (Matt 5:17)
  3. The Son suffered and bodily died (Acts 3:15)
  4. The Son’s death was a legal substitution for all (Gal 3:13)
  5. The Son’s death was a priestly sacrifice for all (Heb 10:12)
  6. The Son’s death propitiated God’s wrath for all (1 John 2:2)
  7. The Son’s atonement is objective and unlimited (John 1:29)
  8. The Son’s one sacrifice is complete and unrepeatable (Heb 10:12)

XI. God the Son was exalted for our justification (Phil 2:9-11)

  1. The Son was exalted and laid aside his human servitude (Phil 2:9-11)
  2. The Son descended to Hell to declare his victory over Satan (1 Pet 3:18-19)
  3. The Son bodily rose from the dead in victory (Rom 4:25)
  4. The Son ascended to the Father’s right hand side (Acts 1:9-11)
  5. The Father’s right hand side is God’s omnipresent power (Acts 1:9-11)
  6. The Son now reigns in the last days (1 Cor 10:11)
  7. The Son will return any moment (Matt 24:36)
  8. The Son will judge the world (Rev 20:11-15)

XII. God the Holy Spirit sanctifies by giving us faith through God’s Word (Eph 1:13)

  1. The Son’s justification must be subjectively received by faith (Rom 3:28)
  2. The Spirit sanctifies us by giving us faith (1 Cor 12:3)
  3. The Spirit gives faith only through the Means of Grace (Rom 10:17)
  4. The Means of Grace are Gospel and Sacrament (Eph 1:13)
  5. The Means of Grace do not include the Law (Gal 3:23-24)
  6. The Means of Grace always achieve God’s intended purposes (Isa 55:10-11)
  7. The Means of Grace are not made ineffective by evil ministers (Matt 23:2-3)
  8. The Means of Grace must be received by faith (Gal 5:4)
  9. The Sacraments are God’s Word united to an element (1 Cor 11:26; Eph 5:26)

XIII. God the Holy Spirit regenerates us through God’s Word in Baptism (Eph 5:26)

  1. Baptism is God’s Word united to water (Eph 5:26)
  2. Baptism is the Baptism of the Spirit (Tit 3:5-8)
  3. Baptism, being God’s Word, is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16)
  4. Baptism should not be repeated (Eph 4:5)
  5. Baptism can be performed in various ways (Ezek 36:25)
  6. Baptism should be given to infants (Acts 2:39)

XIV. God the Holy Spirit forgives us through God’s Word in the Supper (1 Cor 11:26)

  1. The Supper is God’s Word united to bread and wine (1 Cor 11:26)
  2. The Supper is the true body and blood of Christ (1 Cor 10:6)
  3. The Supper also remains true bread and wine (1 Cor 10:16)
  4. The Supper is not an atoning sacrifice (Heb 10:12)
  5. The Supper is, with the whole Christian life, a sacrifice of praise (Rom 12:1)
  6. The Supper is received by unbelievers to their judgement (1 Cor 11:29-30)
  7. The Supper must be celebrated with common confession (1 Cor 1:10)
  8. The Supper must be performed as Christ commanded (1 Cor 11:24)
  9. The Supper should not be given to infants (1 Cor 11:28-29)

XV. God the Holy Spirit brings good works as the fruits of faith (Gal 5:22-23)

  1. The Spirit brings forth good works as fruits of faith (Gal 5:22-23)
  2. Good works are different to civil righteousness (Gal 3:24)
  3. Good works are not a Means of Grace (Luke 17:10)
  4. The Spirit equips the church with all the gifts it needs (1 Cor 12:4-11)
  5. The Spirit gave special charismatic gifts to found the church (2 Cor 12:12)
  6. The Spirit does not tell us to expect this foundation to continue (Eph 2:20)
  7. The Spirit will not add another word to Scripture (Rev 22:18)
  8. The Spirit always accompanies faith, not spiritual gifts and feats (Matt 7:23)
  9. The Spirit’s Grace is resistible (Acts 7:51)
  10. The Spirit does not remain with apostates (Luke 8:13)
  11. The Spirit preserves the elect through faith (1 Cor 1:8-9)

XVI. God the Holy Spirit brings prayer as a fruit of faith (Jam 1:5-8)

  1. True prayer is only given by God’s children from faith (Jam 1:5-8)
  2. Prayer is a good work, it is not faith itself (Exod 20:7)
  3. Prayer, being a good work, is not a Means of Grace (Rom 10:17)
  4. God promises to answer prayer as a Father gives to his children (Matt 7:7-8)
  5. Prayer speaks words God has given us back to Him (Psa 51:15)
  6. Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer every day (Matt 6:11)
  7. 1—Prayer asks for our doctrine and life to be godly (Matt 6:9)
  8. 2—Prayer asks for God’s Word to spread and the Spirit to work faith (Matt 13)
  9. 2—Prayer asks for Christ to return (Rev 22:20)
  10. 3—Prayer asks for God’s people to persevere through suffering (1 John 2:17)
  11. 4—Prayer asks for all things needed for a blessed life (Psa 104:28)
  12. 5—Prayer increasingly recognises our sins are forgiven (Psa 32:1-2)
  13. 6—Prayer asks not to fall into temptation and lose faith (Luke 22:46)
  14. 7—Prayer is a directed attack against the devil (Luke 22:31-32)

D. God’s People have been saved to live lives of good works (John 15:1-11)

XVII. The Church is the communion of saints (John 20:21-23)

  1. The Church is the communion of saints (Psa 149:1)
  2. The Church is invisible (1 Sam 16:7)
  3. The Church we see is mixed (Matt 13:24-30)
  4. The Church is real (Eph 1:20-23)
  5. The Church is founded on her confession (Matt 16:16-18)
  6. The Church has visible marks because of this confession (Matt 18:20)
  7. The Church is visibly united by these marks (John 6:68)
  8. The Church must not unite by compromising these marks (2 John 9-11)
  9. The Church must not unite by other marks (Rom 14:17)
  10. The Church is flexible (Matt 18:20)
  11. The Church is imperfect (Phil 3:12)

XVIII. The Ministry is every Christian’s role to preach forgiveness (1 Pet 2:9)

  1. The Church’s mission is her ministry (Matt 28:18-20)
  2. The Ministry is declaring the forgiveness of sins (Matt 16:19)
  3. The Ministry belongs to every individual Christian (John 20:22-23)
  4. The Ministry is from the laity mediated to those publicly called (1 Pet 2:9)
  5. The Ministry is not from Papal Authority (Luke 22:25-26)
  6. The Ministry is not from Apostolic Succession (Mark 9:38-39)

XIX. The Call to public ministry is given to qualified men (1 Tim 2:12-3:13)

  1. The Ministry must be publicly performed in good order (1 Cor 14:40)
  2. The Call is necessary for public ministry (Rom 10:15)
  3. The Call must be made by the Church (Tit 1:5)
  4. The Call can take many forms (Acts 6:1-6)
  5. The Call must only be given to godly individuals (Tit 1)
  6. The Call must only be given to qualified individuals (1 Tim 3)
  7. The Call must not place women in authority over men (1 Tim 2:11-12)
  8. Those called should be financially supported by the Church (1 Tim 5:18)

XX. Corporate worship is communal gathering to receive grace by God’s Word (Acts 2:42-47)

  1. Corporate worship is devoted to apostolic teaching (Acts 2:42)
  2. We proclaim God’s Word (1 Tim 4:13)
  3. We distinguish Law and Gospel (2 Tim 2:15)
  4. We emphasise the Gospel in content and tone (1 Cor 2:2)
  5. Corporate worship is devoted to fellowship (Acts 2:42)
  6. We meet in an orderly way, led by those rightly called (1 Cor 14:37-40)
  7. We share and give to help the Word and other believers (Acts 2:44)
  8. Corporate worship is devoted to the Sacraments (Acts 2:42)
  9. We make disciples (Matt 28:19)
  10. We baptize and profess the baptismal formula (Matt 28:19)
  11. We publicly confess and are absolved of sins (Matt 16:16-19)
  12. We proclaim the Supper by receiving Christ’s body and blood (1 Cor 11:26)
  13. Corporate worship is devoted to prayer (Acts 2:42)

XXI. Christians are created in Christ to live out their vocations (Eph 2:10)

  1. God gave man vocations (Gen 1:28)
  2. Men and women have different vocations (1 Cor 11:3-16)
  3. The marriage vocation models Christ and the Church (Eph 5:22-33)
  4. A husband’s vocation is to sacrificially love his wife (Eph 5:25-33)
  5. A wife’s vocation is to submit to her husband (Eph 5:22-24)
  6. A parent’s vocation is to raise their children as Christians (Eph 6:4)
  7. A child’s vocation is to obey their parents (Eph 6:1-3)
  8. An employer’s vocation is fairness to their employees (Eph 6:9)
  9. An employee’s vocation is to work for their employer (Eph 6:5-8)
  10. A government’s vocation is to establish civil order (Rom 13:3-4)
  11. A citizen’s vocation is to obey their government (Rom 13:5-7)