History · Faith · Christian life
Belgic Confession reading guides
Explore the history, follow the teaching, and return to the original text. Illustrated guides with reading maps, questions to consider, and sources you can follow.
New to these documents? Compare the Three Forms of Unity and choose where to start.
Getting started
What are the Three Forms of Unity, and which should I read first?
Compare the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism and Canons of Dort: what each covers, why churches use all three, and where to begin reading.
History
Why the Belgic Confession was written in 1561
Discover why Guido de Brès wrote the Belgic Confession, what “Belgic” means, and how a confession from the Low Countries served the churches.
Reading map
How to read the Belgic Confession: a map of all 37 articles
Follow the Belgic Confession from God and Scripture to salvation, the church, and final judgement, with a practical reading plan.
Scripture
What the Belgic Confession teaches about Scripture
Explore Articles 2–7 on knowing God, the authority of the Bible, and the place of a confession under Scripture.
God and the Trinity
The Trinity in the Belgic Confession: Articles 8–11
Read how the Belgic Confession distinguishes the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit while confessing one undivided God.
Salvation and Christian life
Faith and good works in the Belgic Confession
Understand how Articles 22–24 connect faith, justification, and sanctification without making good works the basis of salvation.
Church and worship
The marks of the church in Belgic Confession Article 29
Explore the three marks in Article 29 alongside the universal church, membership, and the marks of Christians in Articles 27–29.
Historical story
Over the wall: the Belgic Confession’s journey into Tournai’s castle
The story of the confession delivered over a castle wall in November 1561, what the evidence records, and why the messenger remains uncertain.
Common questions
Why use a confession if we already have the Bible?
Does the Belgic Confession compete with Scripture? Understand why Reformed churches use confessions, what authority they have, and how to read them critically.
Common questions
Why does the Belgic Confession teach infant baptism?
Explore the Belgic Confession’s case for infant baptism, its covenant reasoning, the place of faith, and why baptism does not automatically save a child.