BC 5.2
Belgic Confession
5.2. The Recovery of Fallen Humanity
We believe that our good God, by marvelous divine wisdom and goodness, seeing that Adam and Eve had plunged themselves in this manner into both physical and spiritual death and made themselves completely miserable, set out to find them, though they, trembling all over, were fleeing from God. And God comforted them, promising to give them his Son, born of a woman, (Gal. 4:4) to crush the head of the serpent, (Gen. 3:15) and to make them blessed.
Proof texts
- Gen. 3:9 — [9] But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
- Gal. 4:4 — [4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
- Gen. 3:15 — [15] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
- Gen. 22:18 — [18] and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
- Isa. 7:14 — [14] Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
- John 1:14 — [14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John 5:46 — [46] For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.
- John 7:42 — [42] Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?”
- Acts 13:32-33 — [32] And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, [33] this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
- Rom. 1:2-3 — [2] which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, [3] concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
- Gal. 3:16 — [16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited Gen. 3:9 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 11 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- HC Q29 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?