22. Brief Analysis

Books on ecclesiastical history make it clear that the four points just mentioned, as they are taught in the Protestant churches today, are not new. They were not invented by these three reformers. Instead, they had come into existence as early as the time of the Council of Nicaea and had been passed down by writers after that; they have been preserved as part of the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.

The reason why Roman Catholics and Protestants agree concerning the trinity of persons in the Divine is that they both recognize the three [ecumenical] creeds in which this concept of a trinity is taught: the Apostles’ Creed; the Nicene Creed; and the Athanasian Creed.

As for the notion that Christ’s merit is assigned to us, the material gathered above in §§3– 8 from the Council of Trent and in §§10– 15 from the Formula of Concord makes it clear that they agree on this point as well.

As for the point about how we are justified, this will now be taken up for further discussion.

97. It is very different with the tenets or teachings of the new church, though. All of them are essential elements. Heaven and the church are present in each one of them. The goal toward which they aim is for us to be in the Lord and for the Lord to be in us, according to his own words in John 14:20; 15:4, 5, 6. Simply put, the [true] Christian church is this type of partnership with the Lord.

From the mere handful of points just made, we can clearly see the meaning of the Lord’s words:

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new”; and said to me, “Write, because these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:5)