Catechism
Chicago, Illinois
New Member Class Materials
Question 1. What is God's purpose for your life?
God wills that I should live by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the love of God, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit.
2 Cor. 13:13 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you."
Question 2. How do you live by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ?
I am not my own. I have been bought with a price. The Lord Jesus Christ loved me and gave himself for me. I entrust myself completely to his care, giving thanks each day for his wonderful goodness.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 "You are not your own for you were bought with a price"
Gal. 2:20 "And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Ps. 136:1 "O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."
Question 3. How do you live for the love of God?
I love because God first loved me. God loves me in Christ with a love that never ends. Amazed by grace, I no longer live for myself. I live for the Lord who died and rose again, triumphant over death, for my sake. Therefore, I take those around me to heart, especially those in particular need, knowing that Christ died for them no less than for me.
1 John 4:19 "We love because he first loved us."
2 Cor. 5:15 "And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them."
Rom. 12:15-16 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are."
Question 4. How do you live in the communion of the Holy Spirit?
By the Holy Spirit, I am made one with the Lord Jesus Christ. I am baptized into Christ's body, the church, along with all others who confess him by faith. As a member of this community, I trust in God's Word, share in the Lord's Supper, and turn to God constantly in prayer. As I grow in grace and knowledge, I am led to do the good works that God intends for my life.
1 Cor. 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."
Gal. 3:27 "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
1 Cor. 6:17, 19 "But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?"
2 Pet. 3:18 "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
Eph. 2:10 "For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life."
I. The Apostles' Creed
Question 5. What does a Christian believe?
All that is promised in the gospel. A summary is found in the Apostles' Creed, which affirms the main content of the Christian faith.
John 20:31 "But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name."
Question 6. What is the first article of the Apostles' Creed?
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth."
Question 7. What do you believe when you confess your faith in "God the Father Almighty"?
That God is a God of love, and that God's love is powerful beyond measure.
Lam. 3:22 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end."
Song 8:7 "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one's house, it would be utterly scorned."
1 John 4:8 "Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love."
Question 8. How do you understand the love and power of God?
Through Jesus Christ. In his life of compassion, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead, I see how vast is God's love for the world -- a love that is ready to suffer for our sakes, yet so strong that nothing will prevail against it.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
Heb. 1:3 "He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being."
1 John 4:9 "God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him."
Matt. 9:36 "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Ps. 106:8 "Yet he saved them for his name's sake, so that he might make known his mighty power."
Question 9. What comfort do you receive from this truth?
This powerful and loving God is the one whose promises I may trust in all the circumstances of my life, and to whom I belong in life and in death.
Ps. 12:6 "The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times."
Rom. 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Question 10. Do you make this confession only as an individual?
No. With the apostles, prophets and martyrs, with all those through the ages who have loved the Lord Jesus Christ, and with all who strive to serve him on earth here and now, I confess my faith in the God of loving power and powerful love.
Heb. 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us."
Rom. 1:12 "So that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine."
Question 11. When the creed speaks of "God the Father," does it mean that God is male?
No. Only creatures having bodies can be either male or female. But God has no body, since by nature God is Spirit. Holy Scripture reveals God as a living God beyond all sexual distinctions. Scripture uses diverse images for God, female as well as male. We read, for example, that God will no more forget us than a woman can forget her nursing child (Is. 49:15). "'As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you,' says the Lord" (Is. 66:13).
Is. 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
Is. 66:13 "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
Matt. 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"
Question 12. Why then does the creed speak of God the Father?
First, because God is identified in the New Testament as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Second, because Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of this Father. Third, because when we are joined to Christ through faith, we are adopted as sons and daughters into the relationship he enjoys with his Father.
Rom. 1:7 "To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
John 14:9-10 "Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works."
John 17:24 "Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."
John 1:12 "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God."
Gal. 4:6 "Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'"
Question 13. When you confess the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, are you elevating men over women and endorsing male domination?
No. Human power and authority are trustworthy only as they reflect God's mercy and kindness, not abusive patterns of domination. As Jesus taught his disciples, "The greatest among you will be your servant" (Matt. 23:11). God the Father sets the standard by which all misuses of power are exposed and condemned. "Call no one your father on earth," said Jesus, "for you have one Father -- the one in heaven" (Matt. 23:9). In fact God calls women and men to all ministries of the church.
Gal. 3:28 "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
Eph. 5:21 "Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Question 14. If God's love is powerful beyond measure, why is there so much evil in the world?
No one can say why, for evil is a terrible abyss beyond all rational explanation. Its ultimate origin is obscure. Its enormity perplexes us. Nevertheless, we boldly affirm that God's triumph over evil is certain. In Jesus Christ God suffers with us, knowing all our sorrows. In raising him from the dead, God gives new hope to the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is himself God's promise that suffering will come to an end, that death shall be no more, and that all things will be made new.
Ps. 23:4 "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me."
1 Pet. 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
2 Pet. 3:13 "But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.
Rom. 8:21 "The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
<Job 19:25 "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth."
Question 15. What do you believe when you say that God is "Maker of heaven and earth"?
First, that God called heaven and earth, with all that is in them, into being out of nothing simply by the power of God's Word. Second, that by that same power all things are upheld and governed in perfect wisdom, according to God's eternal purpose.
Rev. 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
Gen. 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Heb. 11:3 "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible."
Question 16. What does it mean to say that we human beings are created in the image of God?
That God created us to live together in love and freedom -- with God, with one another, and with the world. Our distinctive capacities -- reason, imagination, volition and so on -- are given primarily for this purpose. We are created to be loving companions of others so that something of God's goodness may be reflected in our lives.
Gen. 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'"
Gen. 1:27 "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
Question 17. What does our creation in God's image reflect about God's reality?
Our being created in and for relationship is a reflection of the Holy Trinity. In the mystery of the one God, the three divine persons -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- live in, with and for one another eternally in perfect love and freedom.
Luke 3:21-22 "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'"
John 1:18 "No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known."
John 5:19 "Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise."
John 17:21-22 "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one."
Question 18. What does our creation in God's image reflect about God's love for us?
We are created to live wholeheartedly for God. When we honor our Creator as the source of all good things, we are like mirrors reflecting back the great beam of love that God shines on us. We are also created to honor God by showing love toward other human beings.
Ps. 9:1 "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds."
1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."
1 John 4:11 "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another."
Matt. 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Question 19. As creatures made in God's image, what responsibility do we have for the earth?
God commands us to care for the earth in ways that reflect God's loving care for us. We are responsible for ensuring that earth's gifts be used fairly and wisely, that no creature suffers from the abuse of what we are given, and that future generations may continue to enjoy the abundance and goodness of the earth in praise to God.
Ps. 24:1 "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it."
Ps. 89:11 "The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it you have founded them."
Gen. 2:15 "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it."
Gen. 1:26 "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.'"
Is. 24:5 "The earth lies polluted under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant."
Rom. 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Question 20. Was the image of God lost when we turned from God by falling into sin?
Yes and no. Sin means that all our relations with others have become distorted and confused. Although we did not cease to be with God, our fellow human beings, and other creatures, we did cease to be for them; and although we did not lose our distinctive human capacities completely, we did lose the ability to use them rightly, especially in relation to God. Having ruined our connection with God by disobeying God's will, we are persons with hearts curved in upon ourselves. We have become slaves to the sin of which we are guilty, helpless to save ourselves, and are free, so far as freedom remains, only within the bounds of sin.
John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin."
Rom. 3:23 "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Rom. 3:10 "There is no one who is righteous, not even one."
Rom. 1:21 "Though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened."
Is. 59:1-3 "See, the Lord's hand is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness."
Question 21. What does it mean to say that Jesus Christ is the image of God?
Despite our turning from God, God did not turn from us, but instead sent Jesus Christ in the fullness of time to restore our broken humanity. Jesus lived completely for God, by giving himself completely for us, even to the point of dying for us. By living so completely for others, he manifested what he was -- the perfect image of God. When by grace we are conformed to him through faith, our humanity is renewed according to the divine image that we lost.
Is. 65:2 "I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices."
Phil. 2:8 "He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross."
Col. 1:15 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation."
Rom. 8:29 "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family."
Question 22. What do you understand by God's providence?
That God not only preserves the world, but also continually attends to it, ruling and sustaining it with wise and benevolent care. God is concerned for every creature: "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, you satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Ps. 145:15). In particular, God provides for the world by bringing good out of evil, so that nothing evil is permitted to occur that God does not bend finally to the good. Scripture tells us, for example, how Joseph said to his brothers: "As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen. 50:20).
Rom. 8:28 "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
Ps. 103:19 "The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all."
Ps. 145:17 "The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings."
Question 23. What comfort do you receive by trusting in God's providence?
The eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ watches over me each day of my life, blessing and guiding me wherever I may be. God strengthens me when I am faithful, comforts me when discouraged or sorrowful, raises me up if I fall, and brings me at last to eternal life. Entrusting myself wholly to God's care, I receive the grace to be patient in adversity, thankful in the midst of blessing, courageous against injustice, and confident that no evil afflicts me that God will not turn to my good.
Ps. 146:9 "The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin."
Is. 58:11 "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail."
Is. 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
2 Cor. 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ."
Ps. 30:5 "For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning."
approved by the 210th (1998) General Assembly of the PCUSA
| < back |
