Faith seeking understanding.
Explore the Church of England’s Thirty-Nine Articles through Scripture, clear explanation and practical reflection. This course offers an Anglican reading, distinguishes historic teaching from contemporary application, and recognises genuine areas of disagreement. Read the original Article alongside each lesson. Scripture links open the NIV; references are study prompts rather than claims that every interpretation is uncontested.
The 39 Articles
- Article I: Faith in the Holy Trinity — One living God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- Article II: The Son made truly human — Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human.
- Article III: Christ’s descent to the dead — Jesus truly entered death for us.
- Article IV: The resurrection of Christ — The risen Jesus lives bodily and will return.
- Article V: The Holy Spirit — The Spirit is fully God, giving life to God’s people.
- Article VI: Scripture sufficient for salvation — God’s written Word governs what the Church requires us to believe.
- Article VII: The Old Testament — One saving purpose runs through both Testaments.
- Article VIII: The three creeds — Historic Christian confession rests on Scripture.
- Article IX: Original sin — Our need for grace reaches deeper than isolated mistakes.
- Article X: Free will and grace — God’s grace enables our response to him.
- Article XI: Justification by faith — Our acceptance before God rests on Christ’s merit.
- Article XII: Good works — Living faith bears the fruit of love and obedience.
- Article XIII: Works before justification — Grace cannot be earned by preparing an impressive record.
- Article XIV: Works beyond duty — We never build a surplus of merit before God.
- Article XV: Christ alone without sin — Jesus is our spotless Saviour; believers still need mercy.
- Article XVI: Sin after baptism — Those who fall may repent and find restoration.
- Article XVII: Predestination and election — God’s gracious purpose in Christ gives believers comfort.
- Article XVIII: Salvation through Christ alone — The saving hope of the world is Jesus Christ.
- Article XIX: The Church — A people gathered around God’s Word and Christ’s sacraments.
- Article XX: The authority of the Church — The Church teaches and orders its life under Scripture.
- Article XXI: General councils — Councils can serve truth and can also err.
- Article XXII: Purgatory and devotion — Confidence rests in Christ’s sufficient saving work.
- Article XXIII: Called and sent to minister — Public ministry belongs within accountable church order.
- Article XXIV: Worship people can understand — Public prayer and sacraments should be intelligible.
- Article XXV: The sacraments — Christ gives visible signs through which he strengthens faith.
- Article XXVI: When ministers fail — Christ’s promise remains trustworthy; misconduct requires discipline.
- Article XXVII: Baptism — God’s promise is visibly signed and sealed.
- Article XXVIII: The Lord’s Supper — Believers truly feed on Christ in a heavenly and spiritual manner.
- Article XXIX: Receiving without living faith — Outward participation and sharing in Christ are distinct.
- Article XXX: Communion in both kinds — Christ’s gifts belong to the whole congregation.
- Article XXXI: Christ’s one sufficient offering — The cross provides the complete satisfaction for sin.
- Article XXXII: The marriage of ministers — Ordained ministry does not require compulsory celibacy.
- Article XXXIII: Discipline and reconciliation — Church discipline seeks a truthful return to fellowship.
- Article XXXIV: Tradition and change — Church customs can vary and change for the good of God’s people.
- Article XXXV: The Books of Homilies — Sound, understandable teaching forms the Church.
- Article XXXVI: Consecration and ordination — The reformed English ordination rites are affirmed as sufficient.
- Article XXXVII: Civil authority — Public government has a real yet bounded vocation.
- Article XXXVIII: Property and generosity — Possessions remain personal; care for the poor is a duty.
- Article XXXIX: Truthful oaths — Christian speech should serve justice, truth and love.