Apostolic. Scriptural. Confessional.
Emmanuel
God With Us in Truth, Word, and Sacrament
At Emmanuel Lutheran Church Perth, our name is not just a title. It is our core confession. Emmanuel means God with us (Matthew 1:23).
We believe that God does not remain distant or abstract. In Jesus Christ, God came to dwell with humanity. Today, He continues to draw near to us in His holy Church: through His inspired Word, through the historic Creeds, and through the Sacraments where Christ promises His real presence.
Apostolic
Sent by Emmanuel into the World
We affirm the witness of the Reformers, particularly Martin Luther, who sought to reform and purify the Church. Not to divide it, but to obey Scripture’s command to guard sound teaching and true faith (1 Corinthians 3; 1 Timothy 1–6). In this way, we see ourselves as part of this same continuous line of faith and mission that stretches back to Jesus’ original Apostles.
The word apostle means “one who is sent,” and we believe the Church is sent by Christ into the world with the same authority and commission He gave them: to make disciples, baptise in His name, and teach all that He commanded (Matthew 28:18–20). We seek to live out this apostolic mission today by faithfully administering the Word and Sacraments and by bearing witness to Christ in the world.
Scriptural
God With Us in Grace and Truth
We believe in the Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds, held by all Christians throughout the ages. These creeds affirm our belief in the one, holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic Church. We accept the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God and submit our understanding of all aspects of Christian faith, life, and doctrine to its truth and authority.
We believe in the divinity and unique nature of Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully Man, the prophesied Messiah and the Holy One of God. We preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23) and affirm, along with the Apostles, that he died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). After his bodily resurrection, he appeared first to his disciples and then to more than 500 believers.
We believe Christ’s words in the Supper when He says, “This is my body… this is my blood.” In the Eucharist, by a divine mystery, we receive the true body and blood of Christ, given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation (Matthew 26:26–28; 1 Corinthians 10–11; John 6:48–58). We believe, that Baptism saves (1 Peter 3:18-22), not as an empty ritual, but as a means of God’s grace that unites us to Christ’s death and resurrection. At the same time, we confess that the only thing necessary for salvation is faith alone in Christ alone (Romans 3).
Confessional
Anchored in the Truth of God’s Word
We are not merely Lutherans by name, but by conviction and confession. We accept the Lutheran Confessions gathered in the Book of Concord of 1580 because they are a faithful exposition of Holy Scripture, which remains our ultimate rule and authority.
These confessions serve to ground our congregation in the pure Gospel, ensuring that in our preaching, teaching, and worship, Christ remains centered and present among us.
We affirm the Lutheran Confessions, including:
Creeds
We confess the historic creeds because they are faithful, Bible-based summaries of the Gospel. They don't replace Scripture, but help us guard the truth, stay anchored in what Christians have always believed, and confess our faith together with one unified voice.
Apostles' Creed
The Creed of Baptism and Daily Faith
Formed in the early centuries of the Church, the Apostles’ Creed is a simple, beautiful summary of the foundational truths taught by Jesus’ original followers. Structured around the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) it serves as the historic confession of Christian baptism and a daily anchor of faith for believers around the world.
Nicene Creed
The Defence of Christ’s Divinity
Drafted in AD 325 at the Council of Nicaea and finalised at Constantinople in AD 381, this creed was written to defend biblical truth against early errors regarding Jesus’ identity. It explicitly confesses that Jesus Christ is not merely a creation or a great teacher, but "true God of true God," eternally equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Athanasian Creed
The Shield of the Holy Trinity
Named after Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, a fourth-century defender of orthodoxy, this creed is the most detailed of the three. It provides a precise, defence of two central mysteries of the Christian faith. The Holy Trinity (one God in three distinct Persons), and the Incarnation (Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man).
