The Heidelberg Catechism in Questions and Answers (1)

Lord's Day 1

1. What is thy only comfort in life and death

That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong un to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservien t to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

1. What is the content of the first Lord's Day? It is a brief summary of the content of the entire catechism.

2. Why is the question asked regarding thy comfort? Because it is necessary to personally learn to know this only comfort.

3. Why is it an only comfort? Because there is under heaven no other name given whereby we must be saved.

4. What does this comfort involve? It is that with body and soul, both in life and in death, I am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

5. How has Christ obtained this possession? He has paid for the sins of His church with His precious blood and delivered them from all the dominion of the devil. 6. Can this comfort be lost? No, the Lord Himself preserves His own and assures them of this by His Holy Spirit. 7. What is the fruit of this in their life? They are made sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.

2. How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily

Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, howl maybe delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, howl shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance

Lord's Day 2

3. Whence knowest thou thy misery

Out of the law of God.

1. Of what misery is it here speaking? Of the misery of fallen man.

2. What is the meaning of the word misery, and what does it involve? It means total wretchedness, that is, without God in the world.

3. From where does the sinner learn his misery? From the law of God.

4. Of which law is here spoken? Of the moral law or the law of the Ten Commandments.

5. How does the sinner learn to know his misery from the law of God? By the operation of God's Spirit he learns to know himself as a transgressor of all God's commandments.

4. What doth the law of God require of us?

Christ teaches us that briefly, Matthew22:37-40, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

1. What is the chief requirement of God's law? It is to love God above all and our neighbor as ourselves.

2. What does it mean to love God above all? To acknowledge Him as the greatest good, and to cleave unto Him and serve Him.

3. Who is our neighbor? It is every human being, without distinction.

4. How are we to love our neighbor? We are to love him as ourselves, that means, to prevent everything which might be harmful for him and to seek everything which could serve to his salvation.

5. Why does Christ mention the love to God as the first and the great commandment? It is because love to God needs to be first and foremost above all things (Matthew 10:37).

6. Why is the love to the neighbor like unto it? It is because the same Lawgiver has commanded it, and therefore this commandment also has divine authority.

5. Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

In no wise; for lam prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.

1. Who is it that is speaking in this answer and in the entire catechism? It is a child of God, who by grace has received the only comfort.

2. Why is it asked: Canst thou keep all these things perfectly? It is because the Lord requires not a half, but a complete obedience, both inwardly and outwardly.

3. What does “by nature” signify? It is as we are fallen in Adam.

4. What does this answer say of every person? That he by nature is prone to hate God and his neighbor.

5. Does every person give equal evidence of this in his life? No, for because of God's common goodness, man is restrained, so that it is still possible for people to live together.

6. What does this answer then indicate? It is that in the heart of man by nature there dwells nothing good.

to be continued

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