The Christian Catechism for Families and Disciples
A Teaching Tool for Church and Family
God
Lord’s Day 1 – God the Creator
Q. Who made you?
A. God
Q. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.
Q. How do we know God made all things?
A. Because the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
Q. Is it reasonable to believe in God?
A. Yes, all houses have builders. The Maker and Builder of all things is God.
Lord’s Day 2 – Human Life
Q. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory and to share his love with creation.
Q. What is the chief purpose of human life?
A. To glorify God and enjoy him forever.
Q. How can you glorify God?
A. By loving him and doing what he commands.
Q. Why should you glorify God?
A. Because he made me and takes care of me.
Q. Is it possible to refuse to acknowledge God?
A. Yes, but it is the height of ingratitude.
Lord’s Day 3 – God’s Nature
Q. What is God?
A. God is a Spirit and does not have a body like we do.
Q. Where is God?
A. God is everywhere.
Q. Can you see God?
A. No, but he always sees me.
Q. Is there evidence of God’s existence?
A. Yes, creation reveals the power and majesty of God.
Q. Is God the same as the world he created?
A. No. God created the world but is separate from it. Nothing in the world is God, therefore nothing in the world should be worshiped.
Lord’s Day 4 – God’s Knowledge and Power
Q. Does God know all things?
A. Yes, nothing can be hidden from God.
Q. Can God do all things?
A. Yes, God can do all his holy will.
Q. What do we call these aspects of God’s character?
A. God’s knowledge is called his omniscience and God’s power is called his omnipotence.
Q. How can God know all things and have all power?
A. Because he is the one true and almighty God.
Lord’s Day 5 – God’s Attributes
Q. How do we say what God is like?
A. By describing his attributes.
Q. What are the attributes of God?
A. God is infinite, eternal, invisible, and almighty. God is most wise, most holy, most merciful, most loving, and most just. God forgives sins and rewards those who seek him but is also righteous in his judgments.
Q. What else can we say about God?
A. God has all life, glory, and goodness in himself. He is the One in whom all things live, move, and have their being.
Q. Can a God like this exist?
A. Yes, God is a reasonable answer to the question, “Why is there something instead of nothing?”
Lord’s Day 6 – The Trinity
Q. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is only one God.
Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. In three persons.
Q. Who are they?
A. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Q. Are they all God?
A. Yes, each is uncreated, unlimited, and to be worshiped. They are equal in substance, power, and eternity.
Q. What do we call this aspect of God’s nature?
A. The Trinity.
Lord’s Day 7 – The Uniqueness of Christianity
Q. Why do we say there is only one God?
A. Because the Bible teaches it.
Q. Why do we say there are three persons in God?
A. Because the Bible makes distinctions between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Q. Does any other religion affirm this view of God?
A. No, the doctrine of the Trinity is unique to Christianity.
Q. What does this teach us about the nature of God?
A. It teaches us that God has relationship within himself, so that his love is not merely self-love.
Q. Are all religions the same?
A. No, they are different in many respects. Christianity reveals the one true and living God.
Lord’s Day 8 – The Problem of Evil
Q. Why does evil exist?
A. Because we are part of a larger cosmic drama that includes angels and demons.
Q. Does this mean that God created evil?
A. No, all that God created is good. Evil is a falling away from the good.
Q. Why does God allow evil?
A. Because he gives freedom to angels and humans so that no one is forced to serve him.
Q. Does this mean that there are two equal powers, good and evil?
A. No, God is greater than evil and will, in the end, bring all forms of evil under his judgment.
Q. Does God’s gracious care extend to everyone?
A. Yes, he makes the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the good and evil alike.
Lord’s Day 9 – God’s Providence
Q. What is God’s care for us and the world called?
A. God’s providence.
Q. What does it mean that God cares for us and the world?
A. The world and our lives are not governed by chance but the fatherly care of God. For that reason, we should be patient in trouble, grateful in abundance, and firm to trust God in all things.
Q. If God cares for us and the world, what is the role of evil?
A. God, who is wise, powerful, and good, temporarily permits evil in order to bring about other good outcomes that would not otherwise exist.
Q. What should I do when bad things happen?
A. I should trust God’s goodness in all things.
Q. Why should I trust God’s goodness in all things?
A. Because he loves me and promises to work all things for my good. (Romans 8:28)
The Bible
Lord’s Day 10 – The Bible
Q. Where do we learn to love and obey God?
A. In the Bible.
Q. What is the Bible?
A. God’s living word through which God reveals himself to the world and speaks to his people.
Q. What does the Bible teach us?
A. Everything we need to know about life, godliness, and the way of salvation.
Q. Can we trust the Bible?
A. Yes, we trust it to teach us what to believe and how to live.
Q. How do I know I can trust the Bible?
A. Because God speaks to me through it.
Lord’s Day 11 – The Importance of the Bible
Q. Who wrote the Bible?
A. Holy people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Q. What are the two major sections of the Bible?
A. The Old Testament tells about the nation of Israel and promises a Messiah. The New Testament is the story of Jesus and the early church.
Q. Why is the Bible important?
A. Because it gives God’s word permanence and extension, so people in all times and places can learn about God.
Q. How does God make himself known in the Bible?
A. Through history, laws, prayers, proverbs, prophecies, and people.
Q. How should I use the Bible?
A. I should read it regularly, believe its promises and warnings, and put it into practice.
Lord’s Day 12 – The Books of the Bible
Q. How many books are in the Old Testament?
A. 39
Q. What are they?
A. They are:
Law – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
History – Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra,
Nehemiah, Easter
Writings – Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets – Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah,
Malachi
Q. How many books are in the New Testament?
A. 27.
Q. What are they?
A. They are:
Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
History – Acts
Letters – Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James,
I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude
Apocalypse – Revelation
Lord’s Day 13 – How to Interpret the Bible
Q. Is the Bible open to all possible interpretations?
A. No, we should use reasonable principles to interpret the Bible correctly.
Q. What is the first rule for rightly interpreting the Bible?
A. Use the plain sense of scripture.
Q. What is the second rule for rightly interpreting the Bible?
A. Interpret scripture with scripture, using clearer passages to interpret the less clear.
Q. What is the third rule for rightly interpreting the Bible?
A. Come to the Bible with faith and humility, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it.
Q. Is the Bible opposed to science?
A. No, God encourages us to learn, explore, and discover.
Humanity
Lord’s Day 14 – The Image of God
Q. What do we learn from the account of Adam and Eve in the Bible?
A. God made us in his image and likeness.
Q. What does this mean?
A. God put something of his likeness in us.
Q. Did God give Adam and Eve souls?
A. Yes, he gave them souls through which they could know God.
Q. Do you also have a soul as well as a body?
A. Yes, I have a soul that enables me to be in relationship with God and makes me morally responsible to him.
Q. What other gifts did God give Adam and Eve?
A. He made them male and female, gave them work to do, commanded them to be fruitful and multiply, and gave them dominion over the animals.
Lord’s Day 15 – Original Righteousness
Q. In what condition did God make Adam and Eve?
A. He made them holy and happy.
Q. What is this condition called?
A. Original righteousness.
Q. Where did God place Adam and Eve?
A. In the Garden of Eden.
Q. What covenant did God make with Adam and Eve?
A. God promised to provide for them abundantly but warned them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Q. Does God make covenants with people in the Bible?
A. Yes, God shows grace toward his people through covenants with Noah, Abraham, Israel, and David, culminating in a new covenant of grace in Jesus Christ.
Lord’s Day 16 – The Fall
Q. What was the sin of Adam and Eve?
A. Eating the forbidden fruit.
Q. Who tempted them to this sin?
A. The devil tempted Eve and she gave the fruit to Adam.
Q. Why did the devil tempt Adam and Eve?
A. Because he always works against the good plan of God.
Q. What happened to Adam and Eve when they sinned?
A. Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful, miserable, and subject to death.
Q. What is the transgression of Adam and Eve called?
A. The Fall.
Lord’s Day 17 – Original Sin
Q. Did Adam and Eve act for themselves alone in the Garden of Eden?
A. No, they represented all humanity.
Q. What effect did the sin of Adam and Eve have?
A. All people are now subject to death and are born in a state of sin and misery.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Sin darkens our understanding, corrupts our affections, and separates us from God.
Q. What is the sinful nature that we inherit from Adam and Eve called?
A. Original sin.
Q. Is it reasonable to assert that all people are sinful?
A. Yes, human history bears out this fact repeatedly.
Lord’s Day 18 – Sin
Q. What is Sin?
A. Sin is any lack of conformity unto, or transgression of the law of God.
Q. What is meant by lack of conformity?
A. Not being or doing what God requires.
Q. What are these sins called?
A. Sins of omission.
Q. What is meant by transgression?
A. Being or doing what God forbids.
Q. What are these sins called?
A. Sins of commission.
Lord’s Day 19 – Forgiveness
Q. What does every sin deserve?
A. The wrath and judgment of God.
Q. Why is this?
A. Because God is perfect, pure, and holy. Everything sinful is an object of his displeasure.
Q. Can anyone go to heaven with a sinful nature?
A. No, we must be forgiven and our hearts changed before we can go to heaven.
Q. What is a change of heart called?
A. Being born from above, which is also called being born again.
Q. Who can change the human heart?
A. The Holy Spirit alone.
The Moral Law
Lord’s Day 20 – The Moral Law
Q. What kind of life should a Christian live?
A. A life of faith, hope, and love, characterized by good works.
Q. How do we know what is good?
A. We learn the difference between right and wrong in God’s law.
Q. What is the law of God?
A. It is God’s will for humankind, revealed in the Bible, through commandments, promises, warnings, and instructions.
Q. What part of the law applies to us today?
A. The moral law, found in both the Old and New Testaments.
Q. Do the civil and ceremonial laws of the Old Testament apply to us?
A. No, they were for the nation of Israel in Old Testament times.
Lord’s Day 21 – The Three Uses of the law
Q. What kind of covenant has God made with us in Jesus Christ?
A. A covenant of grace.
Q. In this covenant of grace, are the laws of God useful?
A. Yes, there are three appropriate uses of the law.
Q. What is the first use of God’s moral laws?
A. To show us our sins.
Q. What is the second use of God’s moral laws?
A. To restrain public wickedness.
Q. What is the third use of God’s moral laws?
A. To guide Christian behavior.
Lord’s Day 22 – Righteousness
Q. What does God’s moral law teach us?
A. It shows us the righteousness God requires.
Q. Should we add to or take away from God’s law?
A. Because God’s law teaches perfect righteousness, we should neglect none of God’s moral commands or go beyond them for the sake of human desires.
Q. Why do we need the law of God?
A. So we have a moral standard that transcends human opinion.
Q. How do the Old Testament prophets teach us to live?
A. We should do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8)
Lord’s Day 23 - Salvation
Q. To whom do God’s commandments apply?
A. Everyone in the world.
Q. Does salvation come from the commandments?
A. No, for no one can fulfill them.
Q. From where does our salvation come?
A. Only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. Why is this?
A. Because only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ can we be reconciled to God.
Q. Is this true for everyone?
A. Yes, there is no other name under heaven by whom we can be saved.
Lord’s Day 24 –Jesus Christ
Q. Does God allow us to worship him as we please?
A. No, God tells us how to worship him.
Q. How were people to worship God in the Old Testament?
A. By faith in God through the law.
Q. How are people to worship God now?
A. By faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. What does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?
A. It means to trust in Christ alone for our salvation.
Q. What did God do to accomplish our salvation?
A. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.
Jesus and the Gospel
Lord’s Day 25 – The Incarnation
Q. When was Jesus born?
A. Over 2,000 years ago.
Q. What did Jesus do?
A. He became human and lived a perfect life.
Q. Did our Lord Jesus Christ ever commit the least sin?
A. No, he was holy, innocent, and unstained by sin. (Hebrews 7:26)
Q. Can any person live a sinless life?
A. Jesus Christ is the only person who has done so.
Q. What do we call Christ’s becoming human?
A. The Incarnation.
Lord’s Day 26 – The Atonement
Q. What kind of life did Christ live on earth?
A. A life of poverty and suffering.
Q. What kind of death did Christ die?
A. The painful and shameful death of the cross.
Q. How could the Son of God suffer?
A. He became human so he might keep the law for our sakes and suffer in our nature.
Q What do we call Christ’s suffering for our sakes?
A. The Atonement.
Q. What is meant by the Atonement?
A. Christ’s satisfying divine justice, by his suffering and death, in the place of sinners.
Lord’s Day 27 – The Offices of Christ
Q. What offices did Christ fulfill?
A. The offices of a prophet, priest, and king.
Q. How is Christ a prophet?
A. Because he teaches us the will of God.
Q. How is Christ a priest?
A. Because he died for our sins and prays to God for us.
Q. How is Christ a king?
A. Because he rules over us and defends us.
Lord’s Day 28 – The Holy Spirit
Q. Why do you need Christ as a prophet?
A. Because I am ignorant.
Q. Why do you need Christ as a priest?
A. Because I am guilty.
Q. Why do you need Christ as a king?
A. Because I am weak and helpless.
Q. How can you receive the benefits of Christ?
A. By believing in him and with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Q. To whom does God give the Holy Spirit?
A. To all who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Lord’s Day 29 – Justification and Sanctification
Q. What is justification?
A. It is God’s forgiving sinners and treating them as if they had never sinned.
Q. What happens in justification?
A. We are forgiven and the penalty of sin is removed.
Q. What is sanctification?
A. It is God’s making sinners holy in heart and conduct.
Q. What happens in sanctification?
A. Our hearts are changed and the power of sin is broken.
Q. What is it to repent?
A. To be sorry for sin and turn away from it, because it is displeasing to God.
Lord’s Day 30 – Christian Experience
Q. What is hope?
A. It is believing in something that has not yet happened.
Q. What is faith?
A. It is believing in something we cannot see.
Q. Who will be saved?
A. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. How do I place my faith in Jesus Christ?
A. I invite him into my heart. (Revelation 3:20)
Q. Is there a normal experience of coming to faith that every Christian must have?
A. No, God works in people’s lives in many and various ways.
Lord’s Day 31 – The Teachings of Jesus
Q. What Great Commandment did Jesus teach?
A. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:29-31)
Q. What Golden Rule did Jesus teach?
A. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Matthew 7:12)
Q. In what statement did Jesus summarize the gospel?
A. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Q. What eight sayings of Jesus begin with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 5:3)
A. The Beatitudes.
Q. What Great Commission did Jesus give his disciples?
A. “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Lord’s Day 32 – The Fruit of the Spirit
Q. Is it important to obey God’s commandments?
A. Yes, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
Q. What righteousness did Jesus teach?
A. We should obey God’s commands outwardly and inwardly, both in our actions and from the heart.
Q. Why should we obey God from the heart?
A. We should obey God’s commands outwardly and inwardly, both in our actions and from the heart.
Q. How does the Holy Spirit help us obey God from the heart?
A. Because our relationship with God is spiritual and requires grateful obedience, not only in words and actions, but with the affections of the heart.
Q. What change in our hearts does the Holy Spirit produce?
A. The fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22, 23)
Lord’s Day 33 - Adoption
Q. How does God adopt us into his family?
A. By making sinners into children of God.
Q. Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God since we are also children of God?
A. We are adopted children of God but Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God.
Q. What do we call the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
A. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Q. What does this mean?
A. God’s Holy Spirit unites with our spirit to make us truly children of God.
Q. What are the benefits that come from our adoption into the family of God?
A. We are assured of God’s love, have peace of conscience, experience joy in the Holy Spirit, grow in grace, and persevere to eternal life.
Prayer
Lord’s Day 34 – What Is Prayer?
Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is conversation with God, in which we thank him for his blessings, confess to him our sins, and ask him for things he has promised to give.
Q. In whose name should we pray?
A. Only in the name of Jesus Christ.
Q. Why should we pray?
A. Because we are grateful to God, need his help, and are commanded to do so.
Q. Should we pray with faith?
A. Yes, we should draw near to God, knowing that he exists and rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Q. Should we be persistent in our prayers?
A. Yes, Jesus said we should ask, seek, and knock, because God always gives good things to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:7-11)
Lord’s Day 35 – The Lord’s Prayer
Q. What has Christ given us to teach us how to pray?
A. The Lord’s Prayer.
Q. What is the Lord’s 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 this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Q. How do we address God in the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Our Father in heaven.
Q. What does this teach us?
A. That God cares for us and that we are his children.
Q. Why do we say, our Father instead of my Father?
A. To teach us that we should pray for others as well as ourselves.
Lord’s Day 36 – God’s Name and Kingdom
Q. How many petitions are in the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Six
Q. What is the first petition?
A. Hallowed be your name.
Q. What do we pray for in the first petition?
A. That God’s name may be honored by us and all people.
Q. What is the second petition?
A. Your kingdom come.
Q. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. That the gospel may be preached in all the world, believed, and obeyed by us and all people.
Lord’s Day 37 – God’s Will and Our Needs
Q. What is the third petition?
A. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Q. What do we pray for in the third petition?
A. That people on earth may serve God as the angels do in heaven.
Q. Why is it important to pray the first three petitions?
A. Because they align our heart, mind, and will with the purposes of God.
Q. What is the fourth petition?
A. Give us this day our daily bread.
Q. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A. That God would give us all things necessary for our bodies and souls.
Lord’s Day 38 – Forgiveness and Temptation
Q. What is the fifth petition?
A. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Q. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
A. That God will forgive our sins and enable us to forgive those who have wronged us.
Q. Is it important to forgive others?
A. Yes, Jesus said that God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others.
Q. What is the sixth petition?
A. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Q. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A. That God will keep us from sin.
Living in Obedience
Lord’s Day 39 – The Ten Commandments
Q. What rule has God given to help us live in obedience?
A. The Ten Commandments.
Q. Do the Ten Commandments apply to Christians?
A. Yes, God’s moral law is for Christians and all people, in order to help us live godly lives.
Q. What do the first four commandments teach?
A. How we should love and serve God.
Q. What do the last six commandments teach?
A. How we should love and serve our neighbor.
Q. Is the New Testament in harmony with the Ten Commandments?
A. Yes, its instructions, commandments, and warnings are expositions of them.
Lord’s Day 40 – Worship God Alone
Q. What is the first commandment?
A. You shall have no other gods before me.
Q. What does the first commandment teach us?
A. To worship God alone.
Q. What is the second commandment?
A. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Q. What does the second commandment teach us?
A. To avoid idolatry.
Q. Are we tempted to idolatry?
A. Yes, we invent idols that we worship instead of the living God.
Lord’s Day 41 – Respect God’s Name
Q. What is the third commandment?
A. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Q. What does the third commandment teach us?
A. To respect God’s name, word, and works.
Q. Why is the name of God important?
A. It teaches us that God is personal and can be known. We should live worthy of Jesus Christ because, as Christians, we bear his name.
Q. What is the fourth commandment?
A. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep 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, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Q. What does the fourth commandment teach us?
A. To keep the Sabbath holy.
Lord’s Day 42 – The Christian Sabbath
Q. What day of the week is the Christian Sabbath?
A. The first day of the week, Sunday, which is called the Lord’s Day.
Q. Why is it called the Lord’s Day?
A. Because on that day, Christ rose from the dead.
Q. How should you keep the Lord’s Day?
A. By worshiping God in prayer and praise, in hearing and reading God’s word, and in doing good to others.
Q. Is it important to attend Christian worship?
A. Yes, it honors God, increases my faith, strengthens my family, and encourages others.
Lord’s Day 43 – Do Not Murder
Q. What is the fifth commandment?
A. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Q. What does the fifth commandment teach us?
A. To love and obey our parents, teachers, and other proper authorities.
Q. Should we obey government authorities?
A. Yes, God has ordained governments to order society, protect those who do good, and punish those who do evil.
Q. What is the sixth commandment?
A. You shall not murder.
Q. What does the sixth commandment teach us?
A. To avoid angry passions.
Lord’s Day 44 – Do Not Steal
Q. What is the seventh commandment?
A. You shall not commit adultery.
Q. What does the seventh commandment teach us?
A. To be pure in heart, language, and conduct.
Q. What does this mean?
A. Husbands and wives should love one another, and everyone avoid immorality.
Q. What is the eighth commandment?
A. You shall not steal.
Q. What does the eighth commandment teach us?
A. To be honest and industrious.
Lord’s Day 45 – Tell the Truth
Q. What is the ninth commandment?
A. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Q. What does the ninth commandment teach us?
A. To tell the truth.
Q. What is the tenth commandment?
A. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.
Q. What does the tenth commandment teach us?
A. To be content with what we have.
Q. What new commandment did Jesus give us in relation to one another?
A. We should love one another as he has loved us.
The Church and Sacraments
Lord’s Day 46 – The Church
Q. What is the Church?
A. The gathered community of those who have faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. Who is the Head of the Church?
A. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.
Q. How does the world recognize Christ’s Church?
A. Jesus said that they would know it by the love we have for one another.
Q. What sustains the Church?
A. The Holy Spirit indwells the church and empowers it for its work.
Q. Will the church endure?
A. Yes, Jesus said that he will build his church, be with it until the end of the age, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.
Lord’s Day 47 – The Sacraments
Q. What is a sacrament?
A. It is a holy ceremony given to the church by Jesus Christ.
Q. What does each sacrament contain?
A. A promise and a sign.
Q. What is the substance of the promise in both baptism and the Lord’s Supper?
A. It is the promise of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
Q. What is the importance of the sign?
A. It is to proclaim the promise to us and imprint it on our mind and heart.
Q. Why did Christ appoint these sacraments?
A. To distinguish his disciples from the world, and to comfort and strengthen them.
Lord’s Day 48 – Baptism
Q. What is the sign used in baptism?
A. The washing with water.
Q. What does this sign signify?
A. That we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Q. In whose name are we baptized?
A. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Q. What does baptism signify?
A. The forgiveness of our sins and our membership in the people of God.
Lord’s Day 49 – The Lord’s Supper
Q. What are the signs used in the Lord’s Supper?
A. The bread and the cup.
Q. What does the bread represent?
A. The body of Christ that was broken for us.
Q. What does the cup represent?
A. The blood of Christ, shed for our salvation.
Q. Who is allowed to receive the Lord’s Supper?
A. All who humble themselves, turn from their sins, and place their faith in Jesus Christ.
Q. Why do we celebrate the Lord’s Supper frequently?
A. Because our faith is always weak and in need of strengthening.
Our Future Hope
Lord’s Day 50 – The Return of Christ
Q. Did Christ remain in the tomb after his crucifixion?
A. No, he rose from the dead on the third day.
Q. Is there evidence of Christ’s resurrection?
A. Yes, he was seen alive by many people.
Q. Where is Christ now?
A. In heaven, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for the Church.
Q. Will he come again?
A. Yes, at the last day Christ will come to judge the world.
Q. How long in the future will this be?
A. No one knows the day or the hour.
Lord’s Day 51 – Judgment
Q. What happens to people at death?
A. The body returns to dust and our soul returns to God.
Q. Will the bodies of the dead be raised to life again?
A. Yes, the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised.
Q. What will happen to the wicked on the day of judgment?
A. They will be cast into hell.
Q. What is hell?
A. A place of dreadful and endless torment, separated from God and his love.
Q. Why does hell exist?
A. So God’s righteous judgments can be revealed.
Lord’s Day 52 – Heaven
Q. What happens to the righteous at death?
A. They are taken to heaven.
Q. What is heaven?
A. A glorious and happy place, where the righteous will forever be with the Lord.
Q. Can I be assured I will go to heaven?
A. Yes, Jesus said that all who place their faith in him will have eternal life.
Q. What will heaven be like?
A. We will behold the beauty of the Lord and share in his glory. God will wipe every tear from our eyes, the presence of sin will be removed, and we will enjoy God forever.
Q. What does the Apostle’s Creed teach us to affirm?
A. The Apostles’ Creed says –
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From there he shall 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.
Passages with which to be familiar –
Creation – Genesis 1, 2
The Fall – Genesis 3
The Tower of Babel – Genesis 11
The Call of Abraham – Genesis 12:1-9
The Burning Bush – Exodus 3-4:17
The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17
David and Goliath – I Samuel 17
Psalms to Know – Psalms 1, 8, 19, 23, 37, 90, 100, 119, 121, 139, 150
The Suffering Servant – Isaiah 52:13-53:12
The New Covenant – Jeremiah 31:31-34
The Fiery Furnace – Daniel 3
Daniel in the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6
The Coming of the Messiah – Malachi 4
The Birth of Jesus – Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-20
The Temptation of Jesus – Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Calls the Disciples – Luke 4:1-11
The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5-7
The Parable of the Sower – Mark 4:1-20
Jesus Feeds 5,000 and Walks on Water – Mark 6:30-51
Peter’s Faith – Mark 8:27-9:1
Palm Sunday – Mark 11:1-11
The Great Commandments – Mark 12:28-34
Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion – Mark 14-15
The Resurrection – Matthew 28:1-15, Luke 24, John 20-21
The Great Commission – Matthew 28:16-20
The Conversion of Saul – Acts 9:1-31
Paul and Silas in Prison – Acts 16:16-40
Life in the Spirit – Romans 8
Love – I Corinthians 13
The Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23
Prayer – Philippians 4:4-9
The Victory of God’s Kingdom – Revelation 19-22
From the Author
In 1840, a Presbyterian elder named Joseph Engles wrote a brief catechism for young children, called the Catechism for Young Children. It was designed to be an introduction to a more advanced catechism, The Shorter Catechism. The answers were short and memorable, which made the catechism perfect for memorization by children. This child’s catechism turned out to be so good that it was used in the Presbyterian Church for over a hundred years. Children in the Presbyterian Church learned the language and content of the Christian faith by learning and typically memorizing the answers to the 147 questions in this child’s catechism.
What is a catechism? It is a teaching tool based on questions and answers. A question is posed and an answer given. Most Christian catechisms have attempted to give a summary of Christian teaching, realizing that a complete exposition of Christian belief was not possible in the abbreviated form used by most catechisms. Nevertheless, catechisms have been effective ways of teaching the faith for many centuries. Often catechisms have given special attention to the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, as does this catechism.
This catechism, The Christian Catechism for Families and Disciples, is both an updating of that former child’s catechism and a fresh exposition of Christian belief. It seeks to preserve the best from the old while adding new material for today’s needs.
This catechism is not just designed for children, however, but people of all ages. It is broken into 52 segments, one for each Sunday during the year. This catechism may be used in a church service, using one set of questions each week. It can be used as a study guide for individuals; there is an expanded version that explains the individual questions and answers in order to facilitate deeper study. This catechism is particularly useful for parents as they seek to pass along the content of Christianity to their children.
The Christian Catechism for Families and Disciples uses some of the wonderful questions and answers from Joseph Engles’ 1840 catechism (which is now in the Public Domain) and updates the language where appropriate. It also increases the number of questions and answers to over 250, in order to explore more topics. The Christian Catechism adds an apologetic aspect to some of the questions, supporting Christian belief by providing questions and answers that offer a rational defense of the faith. It also includes important passages of scripture, such as the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Just as those who have studied a subject are able to appreciate it to a higher degree, studying the Christian faith will help you gain a greater appreciation for its power, beauty, reasonableness, and truth. The Christian Catechism for Families and Disciples, will not only help you do so, but also enable you to impart these things to your family, your children, your church, and others in your sphere of influence. May God bless your study of Christian belief, making you a more effective Christian in the process, and increasing your gratitude toward God for the great salvation he has brought us through Jesus Christ. To God be all glory and honor, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and forevermore.
Robert Bohler, Jr.
Copyright – Robert Bohler, Jr. - Creative Christian Resources, 2021