Part III, Chapter XLIII, 2

The One Necessary Article of Christian Faith, the (Unum Necessarium) one article of faith that Scripture makes absolutely necessary for salvation, is this: JESUS IS THE CHRIST. By Christ is meant the King whom God had previously promised through the prophets of the Old Testament to send into the world, to reign eternally under God over the Jews and over those of other nations who would believe in him, and to give them the eternal life lost through Adam’s sin. Once I have proved this from Scripture, I shall go on to show when, and in what sense, certain other articles may also be called necessary.

To prove that belief in the article Jesus Is the Christ is all the faith required for salvation, my first argument comes from the purpose of the evangelists: by describing our Savior’s life they sought to establish this one article, Jesus Is the Christ. The substance of St. Matthew’s Gospel is that Jesus descended from David and was born of a virgin, the marks of the true Christ; that the Magi came to worship him as King of the Jews; that Herod sought to kill him for that very reason; that John the Baptist proclaimed him; that he and his apostles preached that he was that King; that he taught the law not like a scribe but with authority; that he cured diseases by his word alone and performed many other miracles foretold of the Christ; that he was hailed as King when he entered Jerusalem; that he warned people against all others who would claim to be Christ; that he was arrested, accused, and put to death for saying he was King; and that the charge inscribed on the cross was JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. All of these serve one end alone: that people should believe Jesus Is the Christ. That, then, was the purpose of St. Matthew’s Gospel. But the purpose of all the evangelists, as a reading of them shows, was the same. Therefore the purpose of the whole Gospel was to establish that single article. And St. John states it explicitly in his conclusion, John 20. 31.: “These things are written so that you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

My second argument comes from the subject of the apostles’ sermons, both while our Savior lived on earth and after his ascension. In our Savior’s lifetime the apostles were sent, Luke 9.2., to preach the Kingdom of God. Neither there nor at Mat. 10.7. does he give them any other commission than this: “As you go, preach, saying, the Kingdom of Heaven is near”; that is, Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the King who was to come. That their preaching after his ascension had the same subject is clear from Acts 17.6.: “They dragged,” says St. Luke, “Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has received them. They all act against Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another King, one Jesus.’” It is also clear from the 2.&3. verses of the same chapter, which say that St. Paul “as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and maintaining that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom he preached is Christ.”

The third argument comes from passages of Scripture declaring that all the faith required for salvation is easy. For if inward assent to all the doctrines now taught concerning Christian faith—most of them disputed—were necessary for salvation, nothing in the world would be harder than being a Christian. The thief on the cross, though repentant, could not have been saved for saying, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom”; with these words he testified to belief in no article but that Jesus was the King. Nor could it be said (as at Mat. 11. 30.) that “Christ’s yoke is easy and his burden light”; nor that “little children believe in him,” as at Matth. 18.6. Nor could St. Paul have said (1 Cor. 1. 21.), “It pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe.” Nor could St. Paul himself have been saved, still less have become so great a teacher of the Church so suddenly, when perhaps he never thought of transubstantiation or purgatory or many other articles now imposed on us.

The fourth argument comes from explicit passages that admit no dispute about their interpretation. First, John 5. 39.: “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are what testify about me.” Our Savior here speaks only of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, since the Jews at that time could not search the Scriptures of the New Testament, which had not yet been written. But the Old Testament says nothing of Christ except the marks by which people might recognize him when he came: that he would descend from David, be born in Bethlehem and of a virgin, perform great miracles, and the like. Therefore to believe that this Jesus was he sufficed for eternal life. What is more than sufficient is not necessary; consequently no other article is required. Again, (John 11. 26.), “Whoever lives and believes in me shall not die eternally.” Thus believing in Christ is faith sufficient for eternal life, and consequently no more faith than this is necessary. But believing in Jesus and believing that Jesus is the Christ are one and the same, as the immediately following verses show. For when our Savior (verse 26.) asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” she answered (verse 27.), “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” Thus this article alone is faith sufficient for eternal life, and more than sufficient is not necessary. Third, John 20. 31.: “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life through his name.” Here belief that Jesus Is the Christ is faith sufficient for obtaining life; therefore no other article is necessary. Fourth, 1 John 4. 2.: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” And 1 Joh. 5. 1.: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” And verse 5.: “Who overcomes the world but one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Fifth, Act. 8. ver. 36, 37.: “Look,” says the eunuch, “here is water; what prevents me from being baptized? And Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” Therefore belief in this article, Jesus Is the Christ, suffices for baptism—that is, for our reception into the Kingdom of God—and consequently is the only article necessary. And generally, wherever our Savior tells someone, “Your faith has saved you,” he says it because of a confession that directly or by implication expresses the belief that Jesus Is the Christ.

The last argument comes from the passages in which this article is made the foundation of faith: whoever holds to the foundation will be saved. The first is Mat. 24.23.: “If anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is Christ,’ or ‘There,’ do not believe it, for false Christs and false prophets shall arise and display great signs and wonders, etc.” Here we see that the article Jesus Is the Christ must be held to even if a person teaching the contrary performs great miracles. The second is Gal. 1. 8.: “Though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach to you any other Gospel than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” But the Gospel Paul and the other apostles preached was only this article, that Jesus Is the Christ. Thus for the sake of belief in this article we must reject even an angel from heaven’s authority, much more that of any mortal who teaches the contrary. This, then, is the fundamental article of Christian faith. A third passage is 1 Joh. 4.1.: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit. By this you shall know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” This makes clear that this article is the measure and rule for judging and testing all other articles, and is therefore the only fundamental one. A fourth is Matt. 16.18., where St. Peter, having professed this article by saying to our Savior, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God,” receives our Savior’s reply, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” From this I infer that this is the article on which all the other doctrines of the Church are built, as on their foundation. A fifth is (1 Cor. 3. ver. 11, 12, &c.): “No one can lay any other foundation than the one laid: Jesus is the Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, each person’s work shall be made manifest. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall test what kind of work each person has done. If anyone’s work built on it survives, he shall receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet as through fire.” Some of these words are plain and easy to understand, while others are allegorical and difficult. From what is plain we may infer that pastors who teach this foundation, that Jesus Is the Christ, may nevertheless be saved even if they draw false conclusions from it (as everyone sometimes does); much more may those be saved who are not pastors but hearers, and believe what their lawful pastors teach them. Therefore belief in this article is sufficient, and consequently no other article of faith is necessarily required for salvation.

The only necessary article of Christian faith, the one necessary thing (Unum Necessarium): the only article of faith that Scripture makes strictly necessary for salvation is this: Jesus is the Christ. Christ means the King whom God earlier promised through the prophets of the Old Testament to send into the world. He would reign forever under God over the Jews and over people of other nations who believed in him. He would give them the eternal life lost through Adam's sin. Once I have proved this from Scripture, I will show when, and in what sense, certain other articles can also be called necessary.

My first argument that belief in this article, Jesus is the Christ, is all the faith required for salvation comes from the evangelists' purpose. They described our Savior's life in order to establish this one article. Here is the substance of St. Matthew's Gospel. Jesus descended from David and was born of a virgin, which are identifying marks of the true Christ. The Magi came to worship him as King of the Jews, and Herod sought to kill him for the same reason. John the Baptist proclaimed him. He and his apostles preached that he was that King. He taught the law not like a scribe but as someone with authority. He healed diseases simply by speaking and performed many other miracles predicted of the Christ. He was greeted as King when he entered Jerusalem. He warned people against others who would claim to be Christ. He was arrested, accused, and executed for saying he was King. The reason for his conviction was written on the cross: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” All this aims at one thing: that people believe Jesus is the Christ. That, then, was the purpose of St. Matthew's Gospel. The other evangelists had the same purpose, as reading them shows. Thus the entire Gospel aims to establish that one article. St. John says so outright in his conclusion (John 20. 31.): “These things are written so that you may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

My second argument comes from what the apostles preached, both during our Savior's life on earth and after his ascension. While he was alive, the apostles were sent (Luke 9.2.) to preach the Kingdom of God. Neither there nor in Mat. 10.7. did he give them any other commission: “As you go, preach, saying, the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This meant that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the King who was to come. They preached the same message after his ascension, as Acts 17.6. shows: “They dragged Jason,” says St. Luke, “and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has welcomed them. They all act against Caesar's decrees, saying there is another King, one Jesus.’” The same is clear from verses 2. and 3. of that chapter. St. Paul “went to them, as he usually did, and for three Sabbaths argued from the Scriptures. He explained and showed that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom he preached is Christ.”

My third argument comes from passages in Scripture that say all the faith needed for salvation is easy. If salvation required inward assent to all the Christian doctrines now taught, most of which are disputed, nothing in the world would be harder than being a Christian. The thief on the cross, though repentant, could not have been saved by saying, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” That statement expressed belief in no article other than that Jesus was the King. Nor could it be said, as it is in Mat. 11. 30., that “Christ's yoke is easy and his burden light.” Nor could it be said in Matth. 18.6. that “little children believe in him.” Nor could St. Paul have said (1 Cor. 1. 21.), “God chose to save believers through the foolishness of preaching.” Nor could St. Paul himself have been saved, much less have become such a great teacher of the Church so quickly. He perhaps never thought about transubstantiation, purgatory, or many other articles now being imposed on people.

My fourth argument comes from explicit passages whose meaning is not open to dispute. First, John 5. 39.: “Search the Scriptures, for you think you have eternal life in them, and they are what testify about me.” Our Savior is speaking here only of the Old Testament Scriptures. The Jews could not then search the New Testament Scriptures because they had not yet been written. But the Old Testament says nothing about Christ except the signs by which people could recognize him when he came: that he would descend from David, be born in Bethlehem to a virgin, perform great miracles, and so on. So believing that Jesus was that person was enough for eternal life. More than enough is not necessary; therefore no other article is required. Again, John 11. 26.: “Whoever lives and believes in me shall not die eternally.” Belief in Christ is therefore sufficient faith for eternal life, so no more faith is necessary. Believing in Jesus and believing that Jesus is the Christ are the same thing, as the next verses show. When our Savior asked Martha (verse 26.), “Do you believe this?” she answered (verse 27.), “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” So this article alone supplies enough faith for eternal life; more than enough is not necessary. Third, John 20. 31.: “These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so that by believing you may have life through his name.” Believing that Jesus is the Christ is enough faith to obtain life, so no other article is necessary. Fourth, 1 John 4. 2.: “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” And 1 Joh. 5. 1.: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” And verse 5.: “Who overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” Fifth, Act. 8. ver. 36, 37.: “Look,” said the eunuch, “here is water. What prevents me from being baptized?” Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” He answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Thus belief in this article, Jesus is the Christ, is sufficient for baptism, which means admission to the Kingdom of God. Consequently it alone is necessary. In general, whenever our Savior tells someone, “Your faith has saved you,” he says it because the person has made a confession that directly, or by implication, expresses belief that Jesus is the Christ.

My last argument comes from passages that make this article the foundation of faith, since a person who holds to the foundation will be saved. The first is Mat. 24.23.: “If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders,” and so on. Here we see that we must hold to the article that Jesus is the Christ, even if someone teaching the opposite works great miracles. The second is Gal. 1. 8.: “Even if we or an angel from Heaven preach to you another Gospel than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” But Paul and the other apostles preached only this article as the Gospel: Jesus is the Christ. So we must reject even an angel's authority if the angel teaches the opposite, and all the more the authority of any mortal. This, then, is the fundamental article of Christian faith. A third passage is 1 Joh. 4.1.: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit. This is how you will know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” This article is plainly the standard for judging and testing all other articles. It alone is therefore fundamental. A fourth is Matt. 16.18. After St. Peter professed this article to our Savior, saying, “You are Christ, the Son of the living God,” our Savior replied, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” I conclude that all other Church doctrines are built on this article as their foundation. A fifth is 1 Cor. 3. ver. 11, 12, and following: “No one can lay any other foundation than the one already laid: Jesus is the Christ. Now if someone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble, each person's work will be revealed. For the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what kind of work each person has done. If the work someone built on it survives, he will receive a reward. If someone's work burns up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, though as through fire.” Some of these words are plain and easy to understand; others are allegorical and difficult. From the plain words we can conclude that pastors who teach the foundation, Jesus is the Christ, may be saved even if they draw false conclusions from it, as everyone sometimes does. All the more may people be saved who are not pastors but listeners and who believe what their lawful pastors teach them. Believing this article is therefore sufficient, and no other article of faith is strictly necessary for salvation.