The First Article (Creation)

9] I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

10] This portrays and sets forth most briefly what is the essence, will, activity, and work of

God the Father. For since the Ten Commandments have taught that we are to have not more

than one God, the question might be asked, What kind of a person is God? What does He do?

How can we praise, or portray and describe Him, that He may be known? Now, that is taught

in this and in the following article, so that the Creed is nothing else than the answer and

confession of Christians arranged with respect to the First Commandment. As if you were to

ask a little child: 11] My dear, what sort of a God have you? What do you know of Him? he

could say: This is my God: first, the Father, who has created heaven and earth; besides this

only One I regard nothing else as God; for there is no one else who could create heaven and

earth.

12] But for the learned, and those who are somewhat advanced [have acquired some

Scriptural knowledge], these three articles may all be expanded and divided into as many

parts as there are words. But now for young scholars let it suffice to indicate the most

necessary points, namely, as we have said, that this article refers to the Creation: that we

emphasize the words: Creator of heaven and earth. 13] But what is the force of this, or what

do you mean by these words: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker, etc.? Answer: This

is what I mean and believe, that I am a creature of God; that is, that He has given and

constantly preserves to me my body, soul, and life, members great and small, all my senses,

reason, and understanding, and so on, food and drink, clothing and support, wife and

children, domestics, house and home, etc. 14] Besides, He causes all creatures to serve for

the uses and necessities of life sun, moon, and stars in the firmament, day and night, air, fire,

water, earth, and whatever it bears and produces, birds and fishes beasts, grain, and all kinds

of produce, 15] and whatever else there is of bodily and temporal goods, good government,

peace, security. 16] Thus we learn from this article that none of us has of himself, nor can

preserve, his life nor anything that is here enumerated or can be enumerated, however small

and unimportant a thing it might be, for all is comprehended in the word Creator.

17] Moreover, we also confess that God the Father has not only given us all that we have and

see before our eyes, but daily preserves and defends us against all evil and misfortune, averts

all sorts of danger and calamity; and that He does all this out of pure love and goodness,

without our merit, as a benevolent Father, who cares for us that no evil befall us. 18] But to

speak more of this belongs in the other two parts of this article, where we say: Father

Almighty.

19] Now, since all that we possess, and, moreover, whatever, in addition, is in heaven and

upon the earth, is daily given, preserved, and kept for us by God, it is readily inferred and

concluded that it is our duty to love, praise, and thank Him for it without ceasing, and, in

short, to serve Him with all these things, as He demands and has enjoined in the Ten

Commandments.

20] Here we could say much if we were to expatiate, how few there are that believe this

article. For we all pass over it, hear it and say it, but neither see nor consider what the words

teach us. 21] For if we believed it with the heart, we would also act accordingly, and not stalk

about proudly, act defiantly, and boast as though we had life, riches, power, and honor, etc.,

of ourselves, so that others must fear and serve us, as is the practise of the wretched,

perverse world, which is drowned in blindness, and abuses all the good things and gifts of

God only for its own pride, avarice, lust, and luxury, and never once regards God, so as to

thank Him or acknowledge Him as Lord and Creator.

22] Therefore, this article ought to humble and terrify us all, if we believed it. For we sin daily

with eyes, ears, hands, body and soul, money and possessions, and with everything we have,

especially those who even fight against the Word of God. Yet Christians have this advantage,

that they acknowledge themselves in duty bound to serve God for all these things, and to be

obedient to Him [which the world knows not how to do].

23] We ought, therefore, daily to practise this article, impress it upon our mind, and to

remember it in all that meets our eyes, and in all good that falls to our lot, and wherever we

escape from calamity or danger, that it is God who gives and does all these things, that

therein we sense and see His Paternal heart and his transcendent love toward us. Thereby

the heart would be warmed and kindled to be thankful, and to employ all such good things to

the honor and praise of God.

24] Thus we have most briefly presented the meaning of this article, as much as is at first

necessary for the most simple to learn, both as to what we have and receive from God, and

what we owe in return, which is a most excellent knowledge, but a far greater treasure. For

here we see how the Father has given Himself to us, together with all creatures, and has

most richly provided for us in this life, besides that He has overwhelmed us with

unspeakable, eternal treasures by His Son and the Holy Ghost, as we shall hear.