The Heidelberg Catechism
The
Heidelberg Catechism was composed in Heidelberg at the request of Elector
Frederick III, who ruled the Palatinate, an influential German province, from
1559 to 1576. An old tradition credits Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus
with being coauthors of the new catechism. Both were certainly involved in
its composition, although one of them may have had primary responsibility.
All we know for sure is reported by the Elector in his preface of January 19,
1563. It was, he writes, "with the advice and cooperation of our entire
theological faculty in this place, and of all superintendents and distinguished
servants of the church" that he secured the preparation of the
Heidelberg Catechism. The catechism was approved by a synod in Heidelberg in January 1563. A second and third German edition, each with small additions,
as well as a Latin translation were published the same year in Heidelberg. Soon the catechism was divided into fifty-two sections so that one Lord's Day
could be explained in preaching each Sunday of the year.
The
Synod of Dort in 1618-1619 approved the Heidelberg Catechism, and it soon
became the most ecumenical of the Reformed catechisms and confessions. The
catechism has been translated into many European, Asian, and African
languages and is the most widely used and most warmly praised catechism of
the Reformation period.
The
1968 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church appointed a committee to prepare
"a modern and accurate translation ... which will serve as the official
text of the Heidelberg Catechism and as a guide for catechism
preaching." A translation was adopted by the Synod of 1975, and some
editorial revisions were approved by the Synod of 1988.
The
English translation follows the first German edition of the catechism except
in two instances explained in footnotes to questions 57 and 80. The result of
those inclusions is that the translation therefore actually follows the
German text of the third edition as it was included in the Palatinate Church
Order of November 15, 1563. This is the "received text" used
throughout the world.
Biblical
passages quoted in the catechism are taken from the New International
Version. In the German editions, biblical quotations sometimes include
additional words not found in the Greek text and therefore not included in
recent translations such as the NIV. The additions from the German are
indicated in footnotes in Q & A 4, 71, and 119.
LORD'S DAY 1
1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and
in death?
A. That I am not
my own (1 Cor. 6:19-20), but belong--body and soul, in life and in death (
Rom. 14:7-9)-- to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:23; Titus
2:14). He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood (1
Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2), and has set me free from the tyranny of the
devil (John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11). He also watches over
me in such a way (John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5) that not
a hair can fall from my headwithout the will of my Father in heaven (Matt.
10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18): in fact, all things must work together for my
salvation (Rom. 8:28). Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life (Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14)
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him
(Rom. 8:1-17).
2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
A. Three things:
first, how great my sin and misery are (Rom. 3:9-10; 1 John 1:10);
second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery (John 17:3; Acts 4:12;
10:43); third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance (Matt. 5:16;
Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:8-10; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:9-10 ).
Part I: Human Misery
LORD'S DAY 2
3 Q. How do you come to know your misery?
A. The law of God
tells me (Rom. 3:20; 7:7-25).
4 Q. What does God's law require of us?
A. Christ teaches
us this in summary in Matthew 22--Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength
(Deut. 6:5)*. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the
second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
*Earlier and
better manuscripts of Matthew 22 omit the words "and with all your
strength." They are found in Mark 12:30.
5 Q. Can you live up to all this
perfectly?
A. No (Rom. 3:9-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10). I have a natural tendency to hate God and my
neighbor (Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:23-24; 8:7; Eph. 2:1-3; Titus 3:3 ).
LORD'S DAY 3
6 Q. Did God create people so wicked and
perverse?
A. No. God created
them good (Gen. 1:31) and in his own image (Gen. 1:26-27) that is, in true
righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24), so that they might truly know God
their creator (Col. 3:10), love him with all their heart, and live with him
in eternal happiness for his praise and glory (Ps. 8).
7 Q. Then where
does this corrupt human nature come from?
A. From the fall
and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise (Gen.
3). This fall has so poisoned our nature (Rom. 5:12, 18-19)
that we are born sinners-- corrupt from conception on (Ps. 51:5).
8 Q. But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable
to do any good and inclined toward all evil?
A. Yes (Gen. 6:5;
8:21; Job 14:4; Isa. 53:6), unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God (
John 3:3-5).
LORD'S DAY 4
9 Q. But doesn't God do us an injustice by requiring
in his law what we are unable to do?
A. No, God created
humans with the ability to keep the law (Gen. 1:31; Eph. 4:24). They,
however, tempted by the devil (Gen. 3:13; John 8:44), in reckless
disobedience (Gen. 3:6), robbed themselves and all their descendants of these
gifts (Rom. 5:12, 18, 19).
10 Q. Will God permit such disobedience
and rebellion to go unpunished?
A. Certainly not.
He is terribly angry about the sin we are born with as well as the sins we
personally commit. As a just judge he punishes them now and in eternity (Ex.
34:7; Ps. 5:4-6; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Heb. 9:27). He has
declared: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything
written in the Book of the Law (Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26).
11 Q. But isn't God also merciful?
A. God is
certainly merciful (Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 103:8-9), but he is also just (Ex. 34:7;
Deut. 7:9-11; Ps. 5:4-6; Heb. 10:30-31). His justice demands that sin,
committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty--
eternal punishment of body and soul (Matt. 25:35-46).
Part II: Deliverance
LORD’S DAY 5
12 Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we
deserve punishment both in this world and forever after: how then can we escape
this punishment and return to God's favor?
A. God requires
that his justice be satisfied (Ex. 23:7; Rom. 2:1-11). Therefore the claims
of his justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves or another (Isa.
53:11; Rom. 8:3-4).
13 Q. Can we pay this debt ourselves?
A. Certainly not.
Actually, we increase our guilt every day (Matt. 6:12; Rom. 2:4-5).
14 Q. Can another creature--any at
all--pay this debt for us?
A. No. To begin
with, God will not punish another creature for what a human is guilty of
(Ezek. 18:4, 20; Heb. 2:14-18). Besides, no mere creature can bear the
weight of God’s eternal anger against sin and release others from it (Ps.
49:7-9; 130:3).
15 Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer
should we look for then?
A. One who is
truly human (Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:17) and truly righteous (Isa.
53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26), yet more powerful than all
creatures, that is, one who is also true God (Isa. 7:14; 9:6;
Jer. 23:6; John 1:1).
LORD’S DAY 6
16 Q. Why must he be truly human and truly
righteous?
A. God’s justice
demands that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for its sin (Rom. 5:12,
15; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:14-16); but a sinner could never pay for others (
Heb. 7:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:18).
17 Q. Why must he also be true God?
A. So that, by the
power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God's anger in his
humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life (Isa. 53;
John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21).
18 Q. And who is this mediator--true God and at the
same time truly human and truly righteous?
A. Our Lord Jesus
Christ (Matt. 1:21-23; Luke 2:11; 1 Tim. 2:5), who was given us to set us
completely free and to make us right with God (1 Cor. 1:30).
19 Q. How do you come to know this?
A. The holy gospel
tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise
(Gen. 3:15); later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs (Gen. 22:18;
49:10) and prophets (Isa. 53; Jer. 23:5-6; Mic. 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb.
1:1-2), and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law
(Lev. 1-7; John 5:46; Heb. 10:1-10); finally, he fulfilled it through his own
dear Son (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 4:4-5; Col. 2:17).
LORD'S DAY 7
20 Q. Are all
saved through Christ just as all were lost through Adam?
A. No. Only those
are saved who by true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his
blessings (Matt. 7:14; John 3:16, 18, 36; Rom. 11:16-21).
21 Q. What is true faith?
A. True faith is
not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in his Word
is true (John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19); it is also a deep-rooted
assurance (Rom. 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16), created in me by the Holy
Spirit (Matt. 16:15-17; John 3:5; Acts 16:14) through the gospel (Rom. 1:16;
10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21), that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ (Rom.
3:21-26; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10), not only others, but I too (Gal. 2:20),
have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have
been granted salvation (Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:10).
22 Q. What then must a Christian believe?
A. Everything God
promises us in the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:30-31). That gospel is
summarized for us in the articles of our Christian faith--a creed beyond
doubt, and confessed throughout the world.
23 Q. What are these articles?
A. I believe in
God, the Father almighty,creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born
of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died,
and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the
dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father
almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the
Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
LORD'S DAY 8
24 Q. How are these articles divided?
A. Into three
parts: God the Father and our creation; God the Son and our deliverance; God
the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
25 Q. Since there is but one God (Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor.
8:4, 6), why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
A. Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word
(Matt. 3:16-17; 28:18-19; Luke 4:18 (Isa. 61:1); John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor.
13:14; Gal. 4:6; Tit. 3:5-6): these three distinct persons are one, true,
eternal God.
God
the Father
LORD'S DAY 9
26 Q. What do you believe when you say, "I believe
in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth"?
A. That the
eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven
and earth and everything in them (Gen. 1 & 2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa.
44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15), who still upholds and rules them by his eternal
counsel and providence ( Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11), is my God
and Father because of Christ his Son ( John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal.
4:4-7; Eph. 1:5). I trust him so much that I do not doubt he will
provide whatever I need for body and soul (Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26;
Luke 12:22-31), and he will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends me in
this sad world (Rom. 8:28). He is able to do this because he is almighty God
(Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39); he desires to do this because he is a faithful
Father ( Matt. 7:9-11).
LORD'S DAY 10
27 Q. What do you understand by the
providence of God?
A. Providence is
the almighty and ever present power of God (Jer. 23:23-24; Acts
17:24-28) by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all
creatures (Heb. 1:3), and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and
drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness,
prosperity and poverty (Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2)-- all
things, in fact, come to us not by chance ( Prov. 16:33) but from his
fatherly hand (Matt. 10:29).
28 Q. How does the knowledge of God's
creation and providence help us?
A. We can be
patient when things go against us ( Job 1:21-22; James 1:3), thankful when
things go well (Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18), and for the future we can have
good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us
from his love (Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:38-39). All creatures are so
completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be
moved ( Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24-28).
God the Son
LORD'S DAY 11
29 Q. Why is the Son of God called
"Jesus," meaning "savior"?
A. Because he
saves us from our sins (Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25). Salvation cannot
be found in anyone else;it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere
(Isa. 43:11; John 15:5; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:5).
30 Q. Do those who look for their salvation and
security in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere really believe in the only
savior Jesus?
A. No. Although
they boast of being his, by their deeds they deny the only savior and
deliverer, Jesus (1 Cor. 1:12-13; Gal. 5:4). Either Jesus is not a
perfect savior, or those who in true faith accept this savior have in
him all they need for their salvation (Col. 1:19-20; 2:10; 1 John 1:7).
LORD'S DAY 12
31 Q. Why is he called "Christ,"
meaning "anointed"?
A. Because he has
been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit
(Luke 3:21-22; 4:14-19 (Isa. 61:1); Heb. 1:9 (Ps. 45:7)) to be our chief
prophet and teacher (Acts 3:22 (Deut. 18:15)) who perfectly reveals to us the
secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance (John 1:18; 15:15); our
only high priest (Heb. 7:17 (Ps. 110:4)) who has set us free by the one
sacrifice of his body (Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14), and who continually pleads our
cause with the Father (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24); and our eternal king (Matt.
21:5 (Zech. 9:9)) who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us
and keeps us in the freedom he has won for us (Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:28;
Rev. 12:10-11).
32 Q. But why are you called a Christian?
A. Because by
faith I am a member of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-27)and so I share in his
anointing (Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28); 1 John 2:27). I am anointed to confess his
name (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 13:15), to present myself to him as a
living sacrifice of thanks (Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9), to strive with a good
conscience against sin and the devil in this life (Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 6:11; 1
Tim. 1:18-19), and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all
eternity (Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 2:12).
LORD'S DAY 13
33 Q. Why is he called God's "only
Son" when we also are God's children?
A. Because Christ alone
is the eternal, natural Son of God (John 1:1-3, 14, 18; Heb. 1). We, however,
are adopted children of God--adopted by grace through Christ (John 1:12; Rom.
8:14-17; Eph. 1:5-6).
34 Q. Why do you call him "our
Lord"?
A. Because--not
with gold or silver, but with his precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19)--he has set
us free from sin and from the tyranny of the devil (Col. 1:13-14; Heb.
2:14-15), and has bought us, body and soul, to be his very own (1 Cor. 6:20;
1 Tim. 2:5-6).
LORD'S DAY 14
35 Q. What does it mean that he "was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary"?
A. That the
eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God (John 1:1;
10:30-36; Acts 13:33 (Ps. 2:7); Col. 1:15-17; 1 John 5:20), took to himself,
through the working of the Holy Spirit ( Luke 1:35), from the flesh and blood
of the virgin Mary (Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14), a truly
human nature so that he might become David's true descendant (2 Sam. 7:12-16;
Ps. 132:11; Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3), like his brothers in every way (Phil. 2:7;
Heb. 2:17) except for sin (Heb. 4:15; 7:26-27).
36 Q. How does the holy conception and
birth of Christ benefit you?
A. He is our
mediator (1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 9:13-15), and with his innocence and perfect
holiness he removes from God's sight my sin--mine since I was conceived (Rom.
8:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
LORD'S DAY 15
37 Q. What do you understand by the word
"suffered"?
A. That during his
whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and
soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race (Isa. 53; 1
Pet. 2:24; 3:18). This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only
atoning sacrifice (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 10:14; 1 John 2:2; 4:10), he might set us
free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation (Rom. 8:1-4; Gal. 3:13), and
gain for us God's grace, righteousness, and eternal life (John 3:16; Rom.
3:24-26).
38 Q. Why did he suffer "under
Pontius Pilate" as judge?
A. So that he,
though innocent, might be condemned by a civil judge (Luke 23:13-24; John
19:4, 12-16), and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall
on us (Isa. 53:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13).
39 Q. Is it significant that he was
"crucified" instead of dying some other way?
A. Yes. This death
convinces me that he shouldered the curse which lay on me, since death by
crucifixion was accursed by God (Gal. 3:10-13 (Deut. 21:23)).
LORD'S DAY 16
40 Q. Why did Christ have to go all the
way to death?
A. Because God's
justice and truth demand it (Gen. 2:17): only the death of God's Son could
pay for our sin (Rom. 8:3-4; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 2:9).
41 Q. Why was he "buried"?
A. His burial
testifies that he really died (Isa. 53:9; John 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor.
15:3-4).
42 Q. Since Christ has died for us, why do
we still have to die?
A. Our death does
not pay the debt of our sins (Ps. 49:7). Rather, it puts an end to our
sinning and is our entrance into eternal life (John 5:24; Phil. 1:21-23; 1
Thess. 5:9-10).
43 Q. What further advantage do we receive from
Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?
A. Through
Christ's death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with
him (Rom. 6:5-11; Col. 2:11-12), so that the evil desires of the flesh may no
longer rule us (Rom. 6:12-14), but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as
an offering of gratitude to him (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:1-2).
44 Q. Why does the creed add, "He
descended to hell"?
A. To assure me in
times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering
unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but
also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell (Isa. 53;
Matt. 26:36-46; 27:45-46; Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7-10).
LORD'S DAY 17
45 Q. How does Christ's resurrection
benefit us?
A. First, by his
resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the
righteousness he won for us by his death (Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:16-20; 1 Pet.
1:3-5). Second, by his power we too are already now resurrected to a new life
(Rom. 6:5-11; Eph. 2:4-6; Col. 3:1-4). Third, Christ's resurrection is
a guarantee of our glorious resurrection (Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:12-23; Phil.
3:20-21).
LORD'S DAY 18
46 Q. What do you mean by saying, "He
ascended to heaven"?
A. That Christ,
while his disciples watched, was lifted up from the earth to heaven (Luke
24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11) and will be there for our good (Rom. 8:34; Eph.
4:8-10; Heb. 7:23-25; 9:24) until he comes again to judge the living and the
dead (Acts 1:11).
47 Q. But isn't
Christ with us until the end of the world as he promised us (Matt. 28:20)?
A. Christ is truly
human and truly God. In his human nature Christ is not now on earth (Acts
1:9-11; 3:19-21); but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit he is not
absent from us for a moment (Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:16-19).
48 Q. If his humanity is not present wherever his
divinity is, then aren't the two natures of Christ separated from each other?
A. Certainly not.
Since divinity is not limited and is present everywhere (Jer. 23:23-24; Acts
7:48-49 (Isa. 66:1)), it is evident that Christ's divinity is surely beyond
the bounds of the humanity he has taken on, but at the same time his divinity
is in and remains personally united to his humanity (John 1:14; 3:13; Col.
2:9).
49 Q. How does Christ's ascension to
heaven benefit us?
A. First, he
pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father (Rom. 8:34; 1 John
2:1). Second, we have our own flesh in heaven--a guarantee that Christ our
head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven (John 14:2; 17:24; Eph.
2:4-6). Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further
guarantee (John 14:16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5). By the Spirit's power we make
the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ
is, sitting at God's right hand (Col. 3:1-4).
LORD'S DAY 19
50 Q. Why the next words: "and is
seated at the right hand of God"?
A. Christ ascended
to heaven, there to show that he is head of his church (Eph. 1:20-23; Col.
1:18), and that the Father rules all things through him (Matt. 28:18; John
5:22-23).
51 Q. How does this glory of Christ our
head benefit us?
A. First, through
his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members (Acts
2:33; Eph. 4:7-12). Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us
safe from all enemies (Ps. 110:1-2; John 10:27-30; Rev. 19:11-16).
52 Q. How does Christ's return "to judge the
living and the dead" comfort you?
A. In all my
distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await
as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and
so has removed the whole curse from me (Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:22-25; Phil.
3:20-21; Tit. 2:13-14). All his enemies and mine he will condemn to
everlasting punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along
with him into the joy and the glory of heaven (Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Thess.
1:6-10).
God the Holy Spirit
LORD'S DAY 20
53 Q. What do you believe concerning
"the Holy Spirit"?
A. First, he, as well
as the Father and the Son, is eternal God (Gen. 1:1-2; Matt. 28:19; Acts
5:3-4). Second, he has been given to me personally (1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor.
1:21-22; Gal. 4:6),so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and
all his blessings (Gal. 3:14), comforts me (John 15:26; Acts 9:31), and
remains with me forever (John 14:16-17; 1 Pet. 4:14).
LORD'S DAY 21
54 Q. What do you believe concerning
"the holy catholic church"?
A. I believe that
the Son of God through his Spirit and Word (John 10:14-16; Acts 20:28; Rom.
10:14-17; Col. 1:18), out of the entire human race (Gen. 26:3b-4; Rev. 5:9),
from the beginning of the world to its end ((Isa. 59:21; 1 Cor. 11:26)),
gathers, protects, and preserves for himself a community chosen for eternal
life (Matt. 16:18; John 10:28-30; Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-14) and united in
true faith (Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:1-6). And of this community I am (1 John
3:14, 19-21) and always will be (John 10:27-28; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; 1 Pet. 1:3-5) a
living member.
55 Q. What do you understand by "the
communion of saints"?
A. First, that
believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in
all his treasures and gifts (Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 6:17; 12:4-7, 12-13; 1 John
1:3). Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these
gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other
members (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:20-27; 13:1-7; Phil. 2:4-8).
56 Q. What do you believe concerning
"the forgiveness of sins"?
A. I believe that
God, because of Christ's atonement, will never hold against me any of my sins
(Ps. 103:3-4, 10, 12; Mic. 7:18-19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7; 2:2) nor my
sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life (Rom. 7:21-25).
Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me
forever from judgment (John 3:17-18; Rom. 8:1-2).
LORD'S DAY 22
57 Q. How does "the resurrection of
the body" comfort you?
A. Not only my
soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head (Luke
23:43; Phil. 1:21-23), but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ,
will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious* body (1 Cor.
15:20, 42-46, 54; Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2).
*The first edition
had here the German word for "holy." This was later corrected to
the German word for "glorious."
58 Q. How does the article concerning
"life everlasting" comfort you?
A. Even as I
already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy (Rom. 14:17),
so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen,
no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to
praise God eternally (John 17:3; 1 Cor. 2:9).
LORD'S DAY 23
59 Q. What good does it do you, however,
to believe all this?
A. In Christ I am
right with God and heir to life everlasting ( John 3:36; Rom. 1:17 (Hab.
2:4); Rom. 5:1-2).
60 Q. How are you right with God?
A. Only by true
faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil 3:8-11).
Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all
God's commandments and of never having kept any of them (Rom. 3:9-10), and
even though I am still inclined toward all evil (Rom. 7:23), nevertheless,
without my deserving it at all (Tit. 3:4-5), out of sheer grace (Rom. 3:24;
Eph. 2:8), God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction,
righteousness, and holiness of Christ (Rom. 4:3-5 (Gen. 15:6); 2 Cor.
5:17-19; 1 John 2:1-2), as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I
had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me (Rom. 4:24-25; 2
Cor. 5:21). All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a
believing heart (John 3:18; Acts 16:30-31).
61 Q. Why do you say that by faith alone
you are right with God?
A. It is not
because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ's
satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God (1 Cor.
1:30-31). And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other
way than by faith alone (Rom. 10:10; 1 John 5:10-12).
LORD'S DAY 24
62 Q. Why can't the good we do make us right with
God, or at least help make us right with him?
A. Because the
righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must
in every way measure up to the divine law ( Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:10 (Deut.
27:26)). Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with
sin (Isa. 64:6).
63 Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn't
earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next (Matt.
5:12; Heb. 11:6)?
A. This reward is
not earned; it is a gift of grace (Luke 17:10; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).
64 Q. But doesn't this teaching make
people indifferent and wicked?
A. No. It is
impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits
of gratitude (Luke 6:43-45; John 15:5).
The Sacraments
LORD'S DAY 25
65 Q. It is by faith alone that we share in Christ
and all his blessings: where then does that faith come from?
A. The Holy Spirit
produces it in our hearts (John 3:5; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; Eph. 2:8) by the
preaching of the holy gospel (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25), and confirms
it through our use of the holy sacraments (Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor.
10:16).
66 Q. What are sacraments?
A. Sacraments are
holy signs and seals for us to see. They were instituted by God so that by
our use of them he might make us understand more clearly the promise of the
gospel, and might put his seal on that promise (Gen. 17:11; Deut. 30:6; Rom.
4:11). And this is God's gospel promise: to forgive our sins and give us
eternal life by grace alone because of Christ's one sacrifice
finished on the cross (Matt. 26:27-28; Acts 2:38; Heb. 10:10).
67 Q. Are both the word and the sacraments then
intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as
the only ground of our salvation?
A. Right! In
the gospel the Holy Spirit teaches us and through the holy sacraments he
assures us that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us
on the cross (Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 11:26; Gal. 3:27).
68 Q. How many sacraments did Christ
institute in the New Testament?
A. Two: baptism
and the Lord's Supper (Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
Baptism
LORD'S DAY 26
69 Q. How does baptism remind you and assure you that
Christ's one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally?
A. In this way:
Christ instituted this outward washing (Acts 2:38) and with it gave the
promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so
certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul's impurity, in other
words, all my sins (Matt. 3:11; Rom. 6:3-10; 1 Pet. 3:21).
70 Q. What does it mean to be washed with
Christ's blood and Spirit?
A. To be washed
with Christ's blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of
Christ's blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross (Zech. 13:1;
Eph. 1:7-8; Heb. 12:24; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rev. 1:5). To be washed with
Christ's Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to
be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and
increasingly live a holy and blameless life (Ezek. 36:25-27; John 3:5-8; Rom.
6:4; 1 Cor. 6:11; Col. 2:11-12).
71 Q. Where does Christ promise that we are washed
with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?
A. In the
institution of baptism where he says: "Therefore go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). "Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned"
(Mark 16:16).* This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism the
washing of rebirth (Tit. 3:5) and the washing away of sins (Acts 22:16).
*Earlier and
better manuscripts of Mark 16 omit the words "Whoever believes and is
baptized . . . condemned."
LORD'S DAY 27
72 Q. Does this outward washing with water
itself wash away sins?
A. No, only Jesus
Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins (Matt. 3:11; 1
Pet. 3:21; 1 John 1:7).
73 Q. Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the
washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins?
A. God has good
reason for these words. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of
Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies (1
Cor. 6:11; Rev. 1:5; 7:14). But more important, he wants to assure us, by
this divine pledge and sign, that the washing away of our sins spiritually is
as real as physical washing with water (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:27).
74 Q. Should infants, too, be baptized?
A. Yes. Infants as
well as adults are in God's covenant and are his people (Gen. 17:7; Matt.
19:14). They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin
through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith (Isa. 44:1-3;
Acts 2:38-39; 16:31). Therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant,
infants should be received into the Christian church and should be
distinguished from the children of unbelievers (Acts 10:47; 1 Cor. 7:14).
This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision (Gen. 17:9-14), which was
replaced in the New Testament by baptism (Col. 2:11-13).
The Lord's Supper
LORD'S DAY 28
75 Q. How does the Lord's Supper remind you and
assure you that you share in Christ's one sacrifice on the cross and in all his
gifts?
A. In this
way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread
and to drink this cup. With this command he gave this promise (Matt.
26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25 ): First, as
surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup
given to me, so surely his body was offered and broken for me and his blood
poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive
from the hand of the one who serves, and taste with my mouth the bread and
cup of the Lord, given me as sure signs of Christ's body and blood, so surely
he nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with his crucified body
and poured-out blood.
76 Q. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of
Christ and to drink his poured-out blood?
A. It means to
accept with a believing heart the entire suffering and death of Christ and by
believing to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life (John 6:35, 40,
50-54). But it means more. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in
Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ's blessed body (John
6:55-56; 1 Cor. 12:13). And so, although he is in heaven (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor.
11:26; Col. 3:1) and we are on earth, we are flesh of his flesh and bone of
his bone (1 Cor. 6:15-17; Eph. 5:29-30; 1 John 4:13). And we forever live on
and are governed by one Spirit, as members of our body are by one soul (John
6:56-58; 15:1-6; Eph. 4:15-16; 1 John 3:24).
77 Q. Where does Christ promise to nourish and
refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat this broken
bread and drink this cup?
A. In the
institution of the Lord's Supper: "The Lord Jesus, on the night he
was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the
same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant
in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death
until he comes" (1 Cor. 11:23-26). This promise is repeated by
Paul in these words: "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give
thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread
that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one
loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one
loaf" (1 Cor. 10:16-17).
LORD'S DAY 29
78 Q. Are the bread and wine changed into the real
body and blood of Christ?
A. No. Just as the
water of baptism is not changed into Christ's blood and does not itself wash
away sins but is simply God's sign and assurance (Eph. 5:26; Tit. 3:5), so
too the bread of the Lord's Supper is not changed into the actual body of
Christ (Matt. 26:26-29) even though it is called the body of Christ (1 Cor.
10:16-17; 11:26-28) in keeping with the nature and language of sacraments
(Gen. 17:10-11; Ex. 12:11, 13; 1 Cor. 10:1-4).
79 Q. Why then does Christ call the bread his body
and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood? (Paul uses the
words, a participation in Christ's body and blood.)
A. Christ has good
reason for these words. He wants to teach us that as bread and wine
nourish our temporal life, so too his crucified body and poured-out blood
truly nourish our souls for eternal life (John 6:51, 55). But more
important, he wants to assure us, by this visible sign and pledge, that we,
through the Holy Spirit's work, share in his true body and blood as surely as
our mouths receive these holy signs in his remembrance (1 Cor. 10:16-17;
11:26), and that all of his suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as
if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins (Rom. 6:5-11).
LORD'S DAY 30
*80 Q. How does the Lord's Supper differ from the
Roman Catholic Mass?
A. The Lord's
Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the
one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself finished on the cross once for
all ( John 19:30; Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25-26; 10:10-18). It also declares to us
that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ (1 Cor. 6:17; 10:16-17), who with
his very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father (Acts 7:55-56;
Heb. 1:3; 8:1) where he wants us to worship him (Matt. 6:20-21; John
4:21-24; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1-3). But the Mass teaches that the living
and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ
unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches
that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is
therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of
the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry.
*Question and
answer 80 were altogether absent from the first edition of the catechism but
were present in a shorter form in the second edition. The translation here
given is of the expanded text of the third edition.
81 Q. Who are to come to the Lord's table?
A. Those who are
displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust
that their sins are pardoned and that their continuing weakness is covered by
the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to
strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who
are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves (1 Cor.
10:19-22; 11:26-32).
82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord's Supper
who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly?
A. No, that would
dishonor God's covenant and bring down God's anger upon the entire
congregation (1 Cor. 11:17-32; Ps. 50:14-16; Isa. 1:11-17). Therefore,
according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church
is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the
kingdom, until they reform their lives.
LORD'S DAY 31
83 Q. What are the keys of the kingdom?
A. The preaching
of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching
and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to
unbelievers (Matt. 16:19; John 20:22-23).
84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close
the kingdom of heaven?
A. According to
the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming
and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often
as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ
has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is
closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and
hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal
condemnation rest on them. God's judgment, both in this life and in the
life to come, is based on this gospel testimony (Matt. 16:19; John 3:31-36;
20:21-23).
85 Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened
by Christian discipline?
A. According to
the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess
unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and
loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being
reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to
their admonition-- such persons the officers exclude from the Christian
fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes
them from the kingdom of Christ (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:3-5, 11-13; 2
Thess. 3:14-15). Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine
reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church (Luke
15:20-24; 2 Cor. 2:6-11).
Part III: Gratitude
LORD'S DAY 32
86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God's
grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must
we still do good?
A. To be sure,
Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by
his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living
we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us (Rom.
6:13; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:5-10), and so that he may be praised through us (Matt.
5:16; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). And we do good so that we may be assured of our
faith by its fruits (Matt. 7:17-18; Gal. 5:22-24; 2 Pet. 1:10-11), and so
that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ (Matt.
5:14-16; Rom. 14:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:1-2).
87 Q. Can those be saved who do not turn to God from
their ungrateful and impenitent ways?
A. By no
means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer,
thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is
going to inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph.
5:1-20; 1 John 3:14).
LORD'S DAY 33
88 Q. What is involved in genuine
repentance or conversion?
A. Two
things: the dying-away of the old self, and the coming-to-life of the
new (Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5-10).
89 Q. What is the dying-away of the old
self?
A. It is to be
genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it
(Ps. 51:3-4, 17; Joel 2:12-13; Rom. 8:12-13; 2 Cor. 7:10).
90 Q. What is the coming-to-life of the
new self?
A. It is
wholehearted joy in God through Christ (Ps. 51:8, 12; Isa.57:15; Rom. 5:1;
14:17) and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to (Rom.
6:10-11; Gal. 2:20).
91 Q. What do we do that is good?
A. Only that which
arises out of true faith (John 15:5; Heb. 11:6), conforms to God's law (Lev.
18:4; 1 Sam. 15:22; Eph. 2:10), and is done for his glory (1 Cor. 10:31); and
not that which is based on what we think is right or on established human
tradition (Deut. 12:32; Isa. 29:13; Ezek. 20:18-19; Matt. 15:7-9).
LORD'S DAY 34
92 Q. What does the Lord say in his law?
A. God spoke all
these words:
"The First
Commandment" I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.
"The Second
Commandment" You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form
of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am
a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third
and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand
generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
"The Third
Commandment" You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,
for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
"The Fourth
Commandment" Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days
you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or
daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien
within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
"The Fifth
Commandment" Honor your father and your mother, so that you
may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
"The Sixth
Commandment" You shall not murder.
"The Seventh
Commandment" You shall not commit adultery.
"The Eighth
Commandment" You shall not steal.
"The Ninth
Commandment" You shall not give false testimony against your
neighbor.
"The Tenth
Commandment" You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall
not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or
donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut.
5:6-21).
93 Q. How are these commandments divided?
A. Into two
tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us what our relation to God
should be. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our
neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39).
94 Q. What does the Lord require in the
first commandment?
A. That I, not
wanting to endanger my very salvation, avoid and shun all idolatry (1 Cor.
6:9-10; 10:5-14; 1 John 5:21), magic, superstitious rites (Lev. 19:31; Deut.
18:9-12), and prayer to saints or to other creatures (Matt. 4:10; Rev. 19:10;
22:8-9). That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God (John
17:3), trust him alone (Jer. 17:5, 7), look to him for every good
thing (Ps. 104:27-28; James 1:17) humbly (1 Pet. 5:5-6) and
patiently (Col. 1:11; Heb. 10:36), love him (Matt. 22:37 (Deut. 6:5)),
fear him (Prov. 9:10; 1 Pet. 1:17), and honor him (Matt. 4:10 (Deut.
6:13)) with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything
rather than go against his will in any way (Matt. 5:29-30; 10:37-39).
95 Q. What is idolatry?
A. Idolatry is
having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of
the only true God, who has revealed himself in his Word (1 Chron. 16:26; Gal.
4:8-9; Eph. 5:5; Phil. 3:19).
LORD'S DAY 35
96 Q. What is God's will for us in the
second commandment?
A. That we in no
way make any image of God (Deut. 4:15-19; Isa. 40:18-25; Acts 17:29; Rom.
1:22-23) nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word
(Lev. 10:1-7; 1 Sam. 15:22-23; John 4:23-24).
97 Q. May we then not make any image at
all?
A. God can not and
may not be visibly portrayed in any way. Although creatures may
be portrayed, yet God forbids making or having such images if one's intention
is to worship them or to serve God through them (Ex. 34:13-14, 17; 2 Kings
18:4-5).
98 Q. But may not images be permitted in the churches
as teaching aids for the unlearned?
A. No, we
shouldn't try to be wiser than God. He wants his people instructed by the living
preaching of his Word (Rom. 10:14-15, 17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19)-- not
by idols that cannot even talk (Jer. 10:8; Hab. 2:18-20).
LORD'S DAY 36
99 Q. What is God's will for us in the
third commandment?
A. That we neither
blaspheme nor misuse the name of God by cursing (Lev. 24:10-17), perjury
(Lev. 19:12), or unnecessary oaths (Matt. 5:37; James 5:12), nor share in
such horrible sins by being silent bystanders (Lev. 5:1; Prov. 29:24). In a
word, it requires that we use the holy name of God only with reverence and
awe (Ps. 99:1-5; Jer. 4:2), so that we may properly confess him (Matt.
10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10), pray to him (Ps. 50:14-15; 1 Tim. 2:8), and praise
him in everything we do and say (Col. 3:17).
100 Q. Is blasphemy of God's name by swearing and
cursing really such serious sin that God is angry also with those who do not
do all they can to help prevent it and forbid it?
A. Yes, indeed
(Lev. 5:1). No sin is greater, no sin makes God more angry than blaspheming
his name. That is why he commanded the death penalty for it (Lev. 24:10-17).
LORD'S DAY 37
101 Q. But may we swear an oath in God's
name if we do it reverently?
A. Yes, when the
government demands it, or when necessity requires it, in order to maintain and
promote truth and trustworthiness for God's glory and our neighbor's
good. Such oaths are approved in God's Word (Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Jer.
4:1-2; Heb. 6:16) and were rightly used by Old and New Testament believers
(Gen. 21:24; Josh. 9:15; 1 Kings 1:29-30; Rom. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:23).
102 Q. May we swear by saints or other
creatures?
A. No. A
legitimate oath means calling upon God as the one who knows my heart to
witness to my truthfulness and to punish me if I swear falsely (Rom. 9:1; 2
Cor. 1:23). No creature is worthy of such honor (Matt. 5:34-37; 23:16-22;
James 5:12).
LORD'S DAY 38
103 Q. What is God's will for you in the
fourth commandment?
A. First, that the
gospel ministry and education for it be maintained (Deut. 6:4-9, 20-25; 1
Cor. 9:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:13-17; Tit. 1:5), and that, especially on the
festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God's people (Deut.
12:5-12; Ps. 40:9-10; 68:26; Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:23-25) to learn what God's
Word teaches (Rom. 10:14-17; 1 Cor. 14:31-32; 1 Tim. 4:13), to participate in
the sacraments (1 Cor. 11:23-25), to pray to God publicly (Col. 3:16; 1 Tim.
2:1), and to bring Christian offerings for the poor (Ps. 50:14; 1 Cor. 16:2;
2 Cor. 8 & 9). Second, that every day of my life I rest from
my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin
already in this life the eternal Sabbath (Isa. 66:23; Heb. 4:9-11).
LORD'S DAY 39
104 Q. What is God's will for you in the
fifth commandment?
A. That I honor,
love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over
me; that I obey and submit to them, as is proper, when they correct and
punish me (Ex. 21:17; Prov. 1:8; 4:1; Rom. 13:1-2; Eph. 5:21-22; 6:1-9; Col.
3:18- 4:1); and also that I be patient with their failings (Prov.
20:20; 23:22; 1 Pet. 2:18)-- for through them God chooses to rule us (Matt.
22:21; Rom. 13:1-8; Eph. 6:1-9; Col. 3:18-21).
LORD'S DAY 40
105 Q. What is God's will for you in the
sixth commandment?
A. I am not to
belittle, insult, hate, or kill my neighbor-- not by my thoughts, my words,
my look or gesture, and certainly not by actual deeds-- and I am not to be
party to this in others (Gen. 9:6; Lev. 19:17-18; Matt. 5:21-22; 26:52);
rather, I am to put away all desire for revenge (Prov. 25:21-22; Matt. 18:35;
Rom. 12:19; Eph. 4:26). I am not to harm or recklessly endanger myself either
(Matt. 4:7; 26:52; Rom. 13:11-14). Prevention of murder is also why
government is armed with the sword (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:14; Rom. 13:4).
106 Q. Does this commandment refer only to
killing?
A. By forbidding
murder God teaches us that he hates the root of murder: envy, hatred, anger,
vindictiveness (Prov. 14:30; Rom. 1:29; 12:19; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 John 2:9-11).
In God's sight all such are murder (1 John 3:15).
107 Q. Is it enough
then that we do not kill our neighbor in any such way?
A. No. By
condemning envy, hatred, and anger God tells us to love our neighbors as
ourselves (Matt. 7:12; 22:39; Rom. 12:10), to be patient, peace-loving,
gentle, merciful, and friendly to them (Matt. 5:3-12; Luke 6:36; Rom. 12:10,
18; Gal. 6:1-2; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 3:8), to protect them from harm
as much as we can, and to do good even to our enemies (Ex. 23:4-5; Matt.
5:44-45; Rom. 12:20-21 (Prov. 25:21-22)).
LORD'S DAY 41
108 Q. What is God's will for us in the
seventh commandment?
A. God condemns
all unchastity (Lev. 18:30; Eph. 5:3-5). We should therefore thoroughly
detest it (Jude 22-23) and, married or single, live decent and chaste lives
(1 Cor. 7:1-9; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 13:4).
109 Q. Does God, in this commandment, forbid only
such scandalous sins as adultery?
A. We are temples
of the Holy Spirit, body and soul, and God wants both to be kept clean and
holy. That is why he forbids everything which incites unchastity (1 Cor.
15:33; Eph. 5:18), whether it be actions, looks, talk, thoughts, or desires
(Matt. 5:27-29; 1 Cor. 6:18-20; Eph. 5:3-4).
LORD'S DAY 42
110 Q. What does God forbid in the eighth
commandment?
A. He forbids not
only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law (Ex. 22:1; 1 Cor. 5:9-10;
6:9-10). But in God's sight theft also includes cheating and swindling
our neighbor by schemes made to appear legitimate (Mic. 6:9-11; Luke 3:14;
James 5:1-6), such as: inaccurate measurements of weight, size, or volume; fraudulent
merchandising; counterfeit money; excessive interest; or any other
means forbidden by God (Deut. 25:13-16; Ps. 15:5; Prov. 11:1; 12:22;
Ezek. 45:9-12; Luke 6:35). In addition he forbids all greed (Luke
12:15; Eph. 5:5) and pointless squandering of his gifts (Prov. 21:20;
23:20-21; Luke 16:10-13).
111 Q. What does God require of you in
this commandment?
A. That I do
whatever I can for my neighbor's good, that I treat others as I would like
them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those
in need (Isa. 58:5-10; Matt. 7:12; Gal. 6:9-10; Eph. 4:28).
LORD'S DAY 43
112 Q. What is God's will for you in the
ninth commandment?
A. God's will is
that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one's words, not
gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without
a just cause (Ps. 15; Prov. 19:5; Matt. 7:1; Luke 6:37; Rom.
1:28-32). Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid
lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and
they would call down on me God's intense anger (Lev. 19:11-12; Prov. 12:22;
13:5; John 8:44; Rev. 21:8). I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and
openly acknowledge it (1 Cor. 13:6; Eph. 4:25). And I should do what I can to
guard and advance my neighbor's good name (1 Pet. 3:8-9; 4:8).
LORD'S DAY 44
113 Q. What is God's will for you in the
tenth commandment?
A. That not even
the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments
should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should
always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right (Ps. 19:7-14;
139:23-24; Rom. 7:7-8).
114 Q. But can those converted to God obey
these commandments perfectly?
A. No. In this
life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience (Eccles.
7:20; Rom. 7:14-15; 1 Cor. 13:9; 1 John 1:8-10). Nevertheless,
with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not
only some, of God's commandments (Ps. 1:1-2; Rom. 7:22-25; Phil. 3:12-16).
115 Q. No one in this life can obey the Ten
Commandments perfectly: why then does God want them preached so pointedly?
A. First, so that
the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more
eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness (Ps. 32:5;
Rom. 3:19-26; 7:7, 24-25; 1 John 1:9). Second, so that, while
praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving
to be renewed more and more after God's image, until after this life we reach
our goal: perfection (1 Cor. 9:24; Phil. 3:12-14; 1 John 3:1-3).
Prayer
LORD'S DAY 45
116 Q. Why do Christians need to pray?
A. Because prayer
is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us (Ps.
50:14-15; 116:12-19; 1 Thess. 5:16-18). And also because God gives his grace
and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking
God for these gifts and thanking him for them (Matt. 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-13).
117 Q. How does God want us to pray so
that he will listen to us?
A. First, we must
pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed
himself in his Word, asking for everything he has commanded us to ask for
(Ps. 145:18-20; John 4:22-24; Rom. 8:26-27; James 1:5; 1 John 5:14-15).
Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble
ourselves in his majestic presence (2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 2:11; 34:18; 62:8;
Isa. 66:2; Rev. 4). Third, we must rest on this unshakable
foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our
prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what he promised us in his Word
(Dan. 9:17-19; Matt. 7:8; John 14:13-14; 16:23; Rom. 10:13; James 1:6).
118 Q. What did God command us to pray
for?
A. Everything we
need, spiritually and physically (James 1:17; Matt. 6:33), as embraced in the
prayer Christ our Lord himself taught us.
119 Q. What is this prayer?
A. Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as
we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever. Amen (Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).*
*Earlier and
better manuscripts of Matthew 6 omit the words "For yours is . . .
Amen."
LORD'S DAY 46
120 Q. Why did Christ command us to call
God "our Father"?
A. At the very
beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our
prayer-- the childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our
Father. Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our
Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith (Matt. 7:9-11;
Luke 11:11-13).
121 Q. Why the words "in
heaven"?
A. These words
teach us not to think of God's heavenly majesty as something earthly (Jer.
23:23-24; Acts 17:24-25), and to expect everything for body and soul from his
almighty power (Matt. 6:25-34; Rom. 8:31-32).
LORD'S DAY 47
122 Q. What does the first request mean?
A. "Hallowed
be your name" means, Help us to really know you (Jer. 9:23-24;
31:33-34; Matt. 16:17; John 17:3), to bless, worship, and praise you for all
your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom,
kindness, justice, mercy, and truth (Ex. 34:5-8; Ps. 145; Jer. 32:16-20; Luke
1:46-55, 68-75; Rom. 11:33-36). And it means, Help us to direct
all our living-- what we think, say, and do-- so that your name will never be
blasphemed because of us but always honored and praised (Ps. 115:1; Matt.
5:16).
LORD'S DAY 48
123 Q. What does the second request mean?
A. "Your
kingdom come" means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that
more and more we submit to you (Ps. 119:5, 105; 143:10; Matt. 6:33).
Keep your church strong, and add to it (Ps. 122:6-9; Matt. 16:18; Acts
2:42-47). Destroy the devil's work; destroy every force which
revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word (Rom. 16:20; 1
John 3:8). Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it
you are all in all (Rom. 8:22-23; 1 Cor. 15:28; Rev. 22:17, 20).
LORD'S DAY 49
124 Q. What does the third request mean?
A. "Your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven" means, Help us and all people
to reject our own wills and to obey your will without any back talk. Your
will alone is good (Matt. 7:21; 16:24-26; Luke 22:42; Rom. 12:1-2; Tit.
2:11-12). Help us one and all to carry out the work we are called to (1 Cor.
7:17-24; Eph. 6:5-9), as willingly and faithfully as the angels in heaven
(Ps. 103:20-21).
LORD'S DAY 50
125 Q. What does the fourth request mean?
A. "Give us
today our daily bread" means, Do take care of all our physical needs
(Ps. 104:27-30; 145:15-16; Matt. 6:25-34) so that we come to know that you
are the only source of everything good (Acts 14:17; 17:25; James 1:17), and
that neither our work and worry nor your gifts can do us any good without
your blessing (Deut. 8:3; Ps. 37:16; 127:1-2; 1 Cor. 15:58). And so
help us to give up our trust in creatures and to put trust in you alone (Ps.
55:22; 62; 146; Jer. 17:5-8; Heb. 13:5-6).
LORD'S DAY 51
126 Q. What does the fifth request mean?
A. "Forgive
us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" means, Because
of Christ's blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of
the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us (Ps. 51:1-7; 143:2;
Rom. 8:1; 1 John 2:1-2). Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as
evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors (Matt. 6:14-15;
18:21-35).
LORD'S DAY 52
127 Q. What does the sixth request mean?
A. "And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" means, By
ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment (Ps. 103:14-16;
John 15:1-5). And our sworn enemies-- the devil (2 Cor. 11:14; Eph. 6:10-13;
1 Pet. 5:8), the world (John 15:18-21), and our own flesh (Rom. 7:23; Gal.
5:17)-- never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us
strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to
defeat in this spiritual struggle (Matt. 10:19-20; 26:41; Mark 13:33; Rom.
5:3-5), but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete
victory (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23).
128 Q. What does your conclusion to this
prayer mean?
A. "For yours
is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" means, We have made
all these requests of you because, as our all-powerful king, you not only
want to, but are able to give us all that is good (Rom. 10:11-13; 2 Pet.
2:9); and because your holy name, and not we ourselves, should receive all
the praise, forever (Ps. 115:1; John 14:13).
129 Q. What does that little word
"Amen" express?
A.
"Amen" means, This is sure to be! It is even more sure that
God listens to my prayer, than that I really desire what I pray for (Isa.
65:24; 2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Tim. 2:13).