Heidelberg Catechism

Question 54. What believest thou concerning the “holy catholic church” of Christ?

Answer: That the Son of God (a) from the beginning to the end of the world, (b) gathers, defends, and preserves (c) to himself by his Spirit and word, (d) out of the whole human race, (e) a church chosen to everlasting life, (f) agreeing in true faith; (g) and that I am and forever shall remain, (h) a living member thereof. (i)

(a) Eph.5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Eph.4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Eph.4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Eph.4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (b) Ps.71:17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Ps.71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Isa.59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. 1 Cor.11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. (c) Matt.16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. John 10:30 I and my Father are one. Ps.129:1 <<A Song of degrees.>> Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Ps.129:2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. Ps.129:3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. Ps.129:4 The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Ps.129:5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. (d) Isa.59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Rom.10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Rom.10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Rom.10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? Rom.10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Eph.5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (e) Gen.26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Rev.5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (f) Rom.8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Rom.8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Eph.1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Eph.1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Eph.1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Eph.1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (g) Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Eph.4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph.4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; Eph.4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, Eph.4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (h) Ps.23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 1 Cor.1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor.1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1 Pet.1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (i) 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 1 John 3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 2 Cor.13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Rom.8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Question 55. What do you understand by “the communion of saints”?

Answer: First, that all and every one, who believes, being members of Christ, are in common, partakers of him, and of all his riches and gifts; (a) secondly, that every one must know it to be his duty, readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts, for the advantage and salvation of other members. (b)

(a) 1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 Cor.1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom.8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 1 Cor.12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 1 Cor.12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Cor.6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (b) 1 Cor.12:21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 1 Cor.13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Cor.13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Philip.2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philip.2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philip.2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Philip.2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Philip.2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Question 56. What believest thou concerning “the forgiveness of sins”?

Answer: That God, for the sake of Christ’s satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither my corrupt nature, against which I have to struggle all my life long; (a) but will graciously impute to me the righteousness of Christ, (b) that I may never be condemned before the tribunal of God. (c)

(a) 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 2 Cor.5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Cor.5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (b) Jer.31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Ps.103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Ps.103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Ps.103:10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Ps.103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Mic.7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Rom.7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Rom.7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom.7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (c) Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom.8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom.8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Rom.8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.