Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism
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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.
- Q&A 1
- What is your only comfort
- in life and in death?
- That I am not my own,^1
- but belong--
- body and soul,
- in life and in death--^2
- to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.^3
- He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,^4
- and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.^5
- He also watches over me in such a way^6
- that not a hair can fall from my head
- without the will of my Father in heaven:^7
- in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.^8
- Because I belong to him,
- Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
- assures me of eternal life^9
- and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
- from now on to live for him.^10
- ^1 1 Cor. 6:19-20
- ^2 Rom. 14:7-9
- ^3 1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14
- ^4 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:2
- ^5 John 8:34-36; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 John 3:1-11
- ^6 John 6:39-40; 10:27-30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:5
- ^7 Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 21:16-18
- ^8 Rom. 8:28
- ^9 Rom. 8:15-16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14
- ^10 Rom. 8:1-17
- Q&A 2
- What must you know
- to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
- Three things:
- first, how great my sin and misery are;^1
- second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery;^2
- third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.^3
- ^1 Rom. 3:9-10; 1 John 1:10
- ^2 John 17:3; Acts 4:12; 10:43
- ^3 Matt. 5:16; Rom. 6:13; Eph. 5:8-10; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:9-10
Part I: Human Misery
- Q&A 3
- How do you come to know your misery?
- The law of God tells me.^1
- ^1 Rom. 3:20; 7:7-25
- Q&A 4
- What does God's law require of us?
- 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.^1^*
- This is the first and greatest commandment.
- And the second is like it:
- Love your neighbor as yourself.^2
- All the Law and the Prophets hang
- on these two commandments.
- ^1 Deut. 6:5
- ^2 Lev. 19:18
- *Earlier and better manuscripts of Matthew 22 omit the words "and with all
your strength." They are found in Mark 12:30.
- Q&A 5
- Can you live up to all this perfectly?
- No.^1
- I have a natural tendency
- to hate God and my neighbor.^2
- ^1 Rom. 3:9-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10
- ^2 Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:23-24; 8:7; Eph. 2:1-3; Titus 3:3
- Q&A 6
- Did God create people
- so wicked and perverse?
- No.
- God created them good^1 and in his own image,^2
- that is, in true righteousness and holiness,^3
- so that they might
- truly know God their creator,^4
- love him with all their heart,
- and live with him in eternal happiness
- for his praise and glory.^5
- ^1 Gen. 1:31
- ^2 Gen. 1:26-27
- ^3 Eph. 4:24
- ^4 Col. 3:10
- ^5 Ps. 8
- Q&A 7
- Then where does this corrupt human nature
- come from?
- From the fall and disobedience of our first parents,
- Adam and Eve, in Paradise.^1
- This fall has so poisoned our nature^2
- that we are born sinners--
- corrupt from conception on.^3
- ^1 Gen. 3
- ^2 Rom. 5:12, 18-19
- ^3 Ps. 51:5
- Q&A 8
- But are we so corrupt
- that we are totally unable to do any good
- and inclined toward all evil?
- Yes,^1 unless we are born again,
- by the Spirit of God.^2
- ^1 Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Job 14:4; Isa. 53:6
- ^2 John 3:3-5
- Q&A 9
- But doesn't God do us an injustice
- by requiring in his law
- what we are unable to do?
- No, God created humans with the ability to keep the law.^1
- They, however, tempted by the devil,^2
- in reckless disobedience,^3
- robbed themselves and all their descendants of these gifts.^4
- ^1 Gen. 1:31; Eph. 4:24
- ^2 Gen. 3:13; John 8:44
- ^3 Gen. 3:6
- ^4 Rom. 5:12, 18, 19
- Q&A 10
- Will God permit
- such disobedience and rebellion
- to go unpunished?
- 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.^1
- He has declared:
- "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do
- everything written in the Book of the Law.\9^2
- ^1 Ex. 34:7; Ps. 5:4-6; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Heb. 9:27
- ^2 Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26
- Q&A 11
- But isn't God also merciful?
- God is certainly merciful,^1
- but he is also just.^2
- His justice demands
- that sin, committed against his supreme majesty,
- be punished with the supreme penalty--
- eternal punishment of body and soul.^3
- ^1 Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 103:8-9
- ^2 Ex. 34:7; Deut. 7:9-11; Ps. 5:4-6; Heb. 10:30-31
- ^3 Matt. 25:35-46
Part II: Deliverance
Q&A 12
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?
God requires that his justice be satisfied.^1
Therefore the claims of his justice
must be paid in full,
either by ourselves or another.^2
^1 Ex. 23:7; Rom. 2:1-11
^2 Isa. 53:11; Rom. 8:3-4
Q&A 13
Can we pay this debt ourselves?
Certainly not.
Actually, we increase our guilt every day.^1
^1 Matt. 6:12; Rom. 2:4-5
Q&A 14
Can another creature--any at all--
pay this debt for us?
No.
To begin with,
God will not punish another creature
for what a human is guilty of.^1
Besides,
no mere creature can bear the weight
of God's eternal anger against sin
and release others from it.^2
^1 Ezek. 18:4, 20; Heb. 2:14-18
^2 Ps. 49:7-9; 130:3
Q&A 15
What kind of mediator and deliverer
should we look for then?
One who is truly human^1 and truly righteous,^2
yet more powerful than all creatures,
that is, one who is also true God.^3
^1 Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:17
^2 Isa. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
^3 Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Jer. 23:6; John 1:1
Q&A 16
Why must he be truly human
and truly righteous?
God's justice demands
that human nature, which has sinned,
must pay for its sin;^1
but a sinner could never pay for others.^2
^1 Rom. 5:12, 15; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:14-16
^2 Heb. 7:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:18
Q&A 17
Why must he also be true God?
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.^1
^1 Isa. 53; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:21
Q&A 18
And who is this mediator--
true God and at the same time
truly human and truly righteous?
Our Lord Jesus Christ,^1
who was given us
to set us completely free
and to make us right with God.^2
^1 Matt. 1:21-23; Luke 2:11; 1 Tim. 2:5
^2 1 Cor. 1:30
Q&A 19
How do you come to know this?
The holy gospel tells me.
God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise;^1
later, he proclaimed it
by the holy patriarchs^2 and prophets,^3
and portrayed it
by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law;^4
finally, he fulfilled it
through his own dear Son.^5
^1 Gen. 3:15
^2 Gen. 22:18; 49:10
^3 Isa. 53; Jer. 23:5-6; Mic. 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb. 1:1-2
^4 Lev. 1-7; John 5:46; Heb. 10:1-10
^5 Rom. 10:4; Gal. 4:4-5; Col. 2:17
Q&A 20
Are all saved through Christ
just as all were lost through Adam?
No.
Only those are saved
who by true faith
are grafted into Christ
and accept all his blessings.^1
^1 Matt. 7:14; John 3:16, 18, 36; Rom. 11:16-21
Q&A 21
What is true faith?
True faith is
not only a knowledge and conviction
that everything God reveals in his Word is true;^1
it is also a deep-rooted assurance,^2
created in me by the Holy Spirit^3 through the gospel,^4
that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ,^5
not only others, but I too,^6
have had my sins forgiven,
have been made forever right with God,
and have been granted salvation.^7
^1 John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19
^2 Rom. 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16
^3 Matt. 16:15-17; John 3:5; Acts 16:14
^4 Rom. 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21
^5 Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10
^6 Gal. 2:20
^7 Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:10
Q&A 22
What then must a Christian believe?
Everything God promises us in the gospel.^1
That gospel is summarized for us
in the articles of our Christian faith--
a creed beyond doubt,
and confessed throughout the world.
^1 Matt. 28:18-20; John 20:30-31
Q&A 23
What are these articles?
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.
Q&A 24
How are these articles divided?
Into three parts:
God the Father and our creation;
God the Son and our deliverance;
God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
Q&A 25
Since there is but one God,^1
why do you speak of three:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
Because that is how
God has revealed himself in his Word:^2
these three distinct persons
are one, true, eternal God.
^1 Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6
^2 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
God the Father
Q&A 26
What do you believe when you say,
"I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth"?
That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who out of nothing created heaven and earth
and everything in them,^1
who still upholds and rules them
by his eternal counsel and providence,^2
is my God and Father
because of Christ his Son.^3
I trust him so much that I do not doubt
he will provide
whatever I need
for body and soul,^4
and he will turn to my good
whatever adversity he sends me
in this sad world.^5
He is able to do this because he is almighty God;^6
he desires to do this because he is a faithful Father.^7
^1 Gen. 1 & 2; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6; Isa. 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15
^2 Ps. 104; Matt. 6:30; 10:29; Eph. 1:11
^3 John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15-16; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 1:5
^4 Ps. 55:22; Matt. 6:25-26; Luke 12:22-31
^5 Rom. 8:28
^6 Gen. 18:14; Rom. 8:31-39
^7 Matt. 7:9-11
Q&A 27
What do you understand
by the providence of God?
Providence is
the almighty and ever present power of God^1
by which he upholds, as with his hand,
heaven
and earth
and all creatures,^2
and so rules them that
leaf and blade,
rain and drought,
fruitful and lean years,
food and drink,
health and sickness,
prosperity and poverty--^3
all things, in fact, come to us
not by chance^4
but from his fatherly hand.^5
^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 17:24-28
^2 Heb. 1:3
^3 Jer. 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; John 9:3; Prov. 22:2
^4 Prov. 16:33
^5 Matt. 10:29
Q&A 28
How does the knowledge
of God's creation and providence
help us?
We can be patient when things go against us,^1
thankful when things go well,^2
and for the future we can have
good confidence in our faithful God and Father
that nothing will separate us from his love.^3
All creatures are so completely in his hand
that without his will
they can neither move nor be moved.^4
^1 Job 1:21-22; James 1:3
^2 Deut. 8:10; 1 Thess. 5:18
^3 Ps. 55:22; Rom. 5:3-5; 8:38-39
^4 Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov. 21:1; Acts 17:24-28
God the Son
Q&A 29
Why is the Son of God called "Jesus,"
meaning "savior"?
Because he saves us from our sins.^1
Salvation cannot be found in anyone else;
it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere.^2
^1 Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25
^2 Isa. 43:11; John 15:5; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:5
Q&A 30
Do those who look for
their salvation and security
in saints, in themselves, or elsewhere
really believe in the only savior Jesus?
No.
Although they boast of being his,
by their deeds they deny
the only savior and deliverer, Jesus.^1
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.^2
^1 1 Cor. 1:12-13; Gal. 5:4
^2 Col. 1:19-20; 2:10; 1 John 1:7
Q&A 31
Why is he called "Christ,"
meaning "anointed"?
Because he has been ordained by God the Father
and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit^1
to be
our chief prophet and teacher^2
who perfectly reveals to us
the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance;^3
our only high priest^4
who has set us free by the one sacrifice of his body,^5
and who continually pleads our cause with the Father;^6
and our eternal king^7
who governs us by his Word and Spirit,
and who guards us and keeps us
in the freedom he has won for us.^8
^1 Luke 3:21-22; 4:14-19 (Isa. 61:1); Heb. 1:9 (Ps. 45:7)
^2 Acts 3:22 (Deut. 18:15)
^3 John 1:18; 15:15
^4 Heb. 7:17 (Ps. 110:4)
^5 Heb. 9:12; 10:11-14
^6 Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24
^7 Matt. 21:5 (Zech. 9:9)
^8 Matt. 28:18-20; John 10:28; Rev. 12:10-11
Q&A 32
But why are you called a Christian?
Because by faith I am a member of Christ^1
and so I share in his anointing.^2
I am anointed
to confess his name,^3
to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks,^4
to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil
in this life,^5
and afterward to reign with Christ
over all creation
for all eternity.^6
^1 1 Cor. 12:12-27
^2 Acts 2:17 (Joel 2:28); 1 John 2:27
^3 Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9-10; Heb. 13:15
^4 Rom. 12:1; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9
^5 Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:18-19
^6 Matt. 25:34; 2 Tim. 2:12
Q&A 33
Why is he called God's "only Son"
when we also are God's children?
Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.^1
We, however, are adopted children of God--
adopted by grace through Christ.^2
^1 John 1:1-3, 14, 18; Heb. 1
^2 John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-17; Eph. 1:5-6
Q&A 34
Why do you call him "our Lord"?
Because--
not with gold or silver,
but with his precious blood--^1
he has set us free
from sin and from the tyranny of the devil,^2
and has bought us,
body and soul,
to be his very own.^3
^1 1 Pet. 1:18-19
^2 Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 2:14-15
^3 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Tim. 2:5-6
Q&A 35
What does it mean that he
"was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary"?
That the eternal Son of God,
who is and remains
true and eternal God,^1
took to himself,
through the working of the Holy Spirit,^2
from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,^3
a truly human nature
so that he might become David's true descendant,^4
like his brothers in every way^5
except for sin.^6
^1 John 1:1; 10:30-36; Acts 13:33 (Ps. 2:7); Col. 1:15-17; 1 John 5:20
^2 Luke 1:35
^3 Matt. 1:18-23; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 2:14
^4 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 132:11; Matt. 1:1; Rom. 1:3
^5 Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:17
^6 Heb. 4:15; 7:26-27
Q&A 36
How does the holy conception and birth of Christ
benefit you?
He is our mediator,^1
and with his innocence and perfect holiness
he removes from God's sight
my sin--mine since I was conceived.^2
^1 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 9:13-15
^2 Rom. 8:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Pet. 1:18-19
Q&A 37
What do you understand
by the word "suffered"?
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.^1
This he did in order that,
by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice,^2
he might set us free, body and soul,
from eternal condemnation,^3
and gain for us
God's grace,
righteousness,
and eternal life.^4
^1 Isa. 53; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18
^2 Rom. 3:25; Heb. 10:14; 1 John 2:2; 4:10
^3 Rom. 8:1-4; Gal. 3:13
^4 John 3:16; Rom. 3:24-26
Q&A 38
Why did he suffer
"under Pontius Pilate" as judge?
So that he,
though innocent,
might be condemned by a civil judge,^1
and so free us from the severe judgment of God
that was to fall on us.^2
^1 Luke 23:13-24; John 19:4, 12-16
^2 Isa. 53:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13
Q&A 39
Is it significant
that he was "crucified"
instead of dying some other way?
Yes.
This death convinces me
that he shouldered the curse
which lay on me,
since death by crucifixion was accursed by God.^1
^1 Gal. 3:10-13 (Deut. 21:23)
Q&A 40
Why did Christ have to go all the way to death?
Because God's justice and truth demand it:^1
only the death of God's Son could pay for our sin.^2
^1 Gen. 2:17
^2 Rom. 8:3-4; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 2:9
Q&A 41
Why was he "buried"?
His burial testifies
that he really died.^1
^1 Isa. 53:9; John 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor. 15:3-4
Q&A 42
Since Christ has died for us,
why do we still have to die?
Our death does not pay the debt of our sins.^1
Rather, it puts an end to our sinning
and is our entrance into eternal life.^2
^1 Ps. 49:7
^2 John 5:24; Phil. 1:21-23; 1 Thess. 5:9-10
Q&A 43
What further advantage do we receive
from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?
Through Christ's death
our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him,^1
so that the evil desires of the flesh
may no longer rule us,^2
but that instead we may dedicate ourselves
as an offering of gratitude to him.^3
^1 Rom. 6:5-11; Col. 2:11-12
^2 Rom. 6:12-14
^3 Rom. 12:1; Eph. 5:1-2
Q&A 44
Why does the creed add,
"He descended to hell"?
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.^1
^1 Isa. 53; Matt. 26:36-46; 27:45-46; Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7-10
Q&A 45
How does Christ's resurrection
benefit us?
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.^1
Second, by his power we too
are already now resurrected to a new life.^2
Third, Christ's resurrection
is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection.^3
^1 Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:16-20; 1 Pet. 1:3-5
^2 Rom. 6:5-11; Eph. 2:4-6; Col. 3:1-4
^3 Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:12-23; Phil. 3:20-21
Q&A 46
What do you mean by saying,
"He ascended to heaven"?
That Christ,
while his disciples watched,
was lifted up from the earth to heaven^1
and will be there for our good^2
until he comes again
to judge the living and the dead.^3
^1 Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11
^2 Rom. 8:34; Eph. 4:8-10; Heb. 7:23-25; 9:24
^3 Acts 1:11
Q&A 47
But isn't Christ with us
until the end of the world
as he promised us?^1
Christ is truly human and truly God.
In his human nature Christ is not now on earth;^2
but in his divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit
he is not absent from us for a moment.^3
^1 Matt. 28:20
^2 Acts 1:9-11; 3:19-21
^3 Matt. 28:18-20; John 14:16-19
Q&A 48
If his humanity is not present
wherever his divinity is,
then aren't the two natures of Christ
separated from each other?
Certainly not.
Since divinity
is not limited
and is present everywhere,^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.^2
^1 Jer. 23:23-24; Acts 7:48-49 (Isa. 66:1)
^2 John 1:14; 3:13; Col. 2:9
Q&A 49
How does Christ's ascension to heaven
benefit us?
First, he pleads our cause
in heaven
in the presence of his Father.^1
Second, we have our own flesh in heaven--
a guarantee that Christ our head
will take us, his members,
to himself in heaven.^2
Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth
as a further guarantee.^3
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.^4
^1 Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1
^2 John 14:2; 17:24; Eph. 2:4-6
^3 John 14:16; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5
^4 Col. 3:1-4
Q&A 50
Why the next words:
"and is seated at the right hand of God"?
Christ ascended to heaven,
there to show that he is head of his church,^1
and that the Father rules all things through him.^2
^1 Eph. 1:20-23; Col. 1:18
^2 Matt. 28:18; John 5:22-23
Q&A 51
How does this glory of Christ our head
benefit us?
First, through his Holy Spirit
he pours out his gifts from heaven
upon us his members.^1
Second, by his power
he defends us and keeps us safe
from all enemies.^2
^1 Acts 2:33; Eph. 4:7-12
^2 Ps. 110:1-2; John 10:27-30; Rev. 19:11-16
Q&A 52
How does Christ's return
"to judge the living and the dead"
comfort you?
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.^1
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.^2
^1 Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:22-25; Phil. 3:20-21; Tit. 2:13-14
^2 Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Thess. 1:6-10
God the Holy Spirit
Q&A 53
What do you believe
concerning "the Holy Spirit"?
First, he, as well as the Father and the Son,
is eternal God.^1
Second, he has been given to me personally,^2
so that, by true faith,
he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings,^3
comforts me,^4
and remains with me forever.^5
^1 Gen. 1:1-2; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4
^2 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 4:6
^3 Gal. 3:14
^4 John 15:26; Acts 9:31
^5 John 14:16-17; 1 Pet. 4:14
Q&A 54
What do you believe
concerning "the holy catholic church"?
I believe that the Son of God
through his Spirit and Word,^1
out of the entire human race,^2
from the beginning of the world to its end,^3
gathers, protects, and preserves for himself
a community chosen for eternal life^4
and united in true faith.^5
And of this community I am^6 and always will be^7
a living member.
^1 John 10:14-16; Acts 20:28; Rom. 10:14-17; Col. 1:18
^2 Gen. 26:3b-4; Rev. 5:9
^3 Isa. 59:21; 1 Cor. 11:26
^4 Matt. 16:18; John 10:28-30; Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-14
^5 Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:1-6
^6 1 John 3:14, 19-21
^7 John 10:27-28; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; 1 Pet. 1:3-5
Q&A 55
What do you understand by
"the communion of saints"?
First, that believers one and all,
as members of this community,
share in Christ
and in all his treasures and gifts.^1
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.^2
^1 Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 6:17; 12:4-7, 12-13; 1 John 1:3
^2 Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:20-27; 13:1-7; Phil. 2:4-8
Q&A 56
What do you believe
concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?
I believe that God,
because of Christ's atonement,
will never hold against me
any of my sins^1
nor my sinful nature
which I need to struggle against all my life.^2
Rather, in his grace
God grants me the righteousness of Christ
to free me forever from judgment.^3
^1 Ps. 103:3-4, 10, 12; Mic. 7:18-19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7; 2:2
^2 Rom. 7:21-25
^3 John 3:17-18; Rom. 8:1-2
Q&A 57
How does "the resurrection of the body"
comfort you?
Not only my soul
will be taken immediately after this life
to Christ its head,^1
but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ,
will be reunited with my soul
and made like Christ's glorious* body.^2
^1 Luke 23:43; Phil. 1:21-23
^2 1 Cor. 15:20, 42-46, 54; Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2
Q&A 58
How does the article
concerning "life everlasting"