The Incarnation

The Belgic Confession of Faith

Article 18: The Incarnation

So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise made to the early fathers and mothers by the mouth of the holy prophets when sending the only and eternal Son of God into the world at the time appointed.

The Son took the “form of a slave” and was made “in human form,”33 truly assuming a real human nature, with all its weaknesses, except for sin; being conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, without male participation.

And Christ not only assumed human nature as far as the body is concerned but also a real human soul, in order to be a real human being. For since the soul had been lost as well as the body Christ had to assume them both to save them both together.

Therefore we confess, (against the heresy of the Anabaptists who denied that Christ assumed human flesh from his mother) that Christ shared the very flesh and blood of children,34 being the “fruit of the loins” of David “according to the flesh,”35 “descended from David according to the flesh”;36 the “fruit of the womb” of the virgin Mary,37 “born of a woman”;38 the “seed of David”;39 the “root of Jesse”;40 “descended from Judah,”41 having descended from the Jews according to the flesh; descended from Abraham, having assumed descent from Abraham and Sara, and made “like his brothers and sisters,” yet without sin.42

In this way Christ is truly our Immanuel—that is: “God with us.”43

33. Phil. 2:7
34. Heb. 2:14
35. Acts 2:30
36. Rom. 1:3
37. Luke 1:42
38. Gal. 4:4
39. 2 Tim. 2:8
40. Rom. 15:12
41. Heb. 7:14
42. Heb. 2:17; 4:15
43. Matt. 1:23