The Family Gospel Catechism
- gospellibertynetwo
- Jun 23, 2022
- 19 min read
Our children do not automatically understand the most important truths in the world. We must diligently teach them (Deut 6:7). Catechisms summarize the Bible in a series of questions and answers.
Catechisms have been used for hundreds of years in Biblical Christianity to help Christians learn what the Bible teaches through a series of questions and answers. They do not replace the Bible, but are a helpful supplement in explaining the Bible’s teaching and guarding Bible students from taking individual Bible passages out of the context of the entire Bible’s teaching.
The catechism below is designed to be used in family worship and family discipleship, for children of all ages. It is found in John Kuyper Liberty, Gospel Theology: God’s Good News for Everything (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2021), 611-624. Used with permission.
The Family Gospel Catechism
Part 1 – God, Man, and Sin
Q. Who made you?
A. God made me (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7; Eccl 12:1; Acts 17:24-29).[1]
Q. What else did God make?
A. God made all things (Gen 1; Acts 14:15; Rom 11:36; Col 1:16).
Q. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory (Ps 19:1; Jer 9:23-24; Rev 4:11; Isa 43:7).
Q. How can you glorify God?
A. By loving him and doing what he commands (Eccl 12:13; Mark 12:29-31; John 15:8-10; 1 Cor 10:31).
Q. Why ought you to glorify God?
A. Because he made me and takes care of me (Rom 11:36; Rev 4:11).
Q. Are there more gods than one?
A. There is only one God (Deut 6:4; Jer 10:10; Mark 12:29; Acts 17:22-31).
Q. In how many persons does this one God exist?
A. In three persons (Matt 3:16-17; John 5:23; 10:30; 14:9-10; 15:26; 16:13-15; 1 Jn 5:20; 2 Jn 9; Rev 1:4-5).
Q. Who are they?
A. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2; Jude 20-21).
Q. Who is God?
A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men (John 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17; 1 Tim 1:17; Luke 24:39).
Q. Where is God?
A. God is everywhere (Ps 139:7-12; Jer 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28).
Q. Can you see God?
A. No. I cannot see God, but he always sees me (Exod 33:20; John 1:18; 1 Tim 6:16; Ps 139:1-5; Prov 5:21; Heb 4:12-13).
Q. Does God know all things?
A. Yes. Nothing can be hidden from God (1 Chron 28:9; 2 Chron 16:9; Luke 12:6-7; Rom 2:16).
Q. Can God do all things?
A. Yes. God can do all his holy will (Ps 147:5; Jer 32:17; Dan 4:34-35; Eph 1:11).
Q. Where do you learn how to love and obey God?
A. In the Bible alone (Job 11:7; Ps 119:104; Isa 8:20; Matt 22:29; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Acts 17:11).
Q. Who wrote the Bible?
A. Holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet 1:10-11; 1:20-21; Acts 1:16; 2 Tim 3:16).
Q. Who were our first parents?
A. Adam and Eve (Gen 2:18-25; 3:20; 5:1-2; Acts 17:26; 1 Tim 2:13).
Q. Of what were our first parents made?
A. God made the body of Adam out of the ground, and formed Eve from the body of Adam (Gen 2:7; 2:21-23; 3:19; Ps 103:14).
Q. What did God give Adam and Eve besides bodies?
A. He gave them souls that could never die (1 Cor 15:45; Eccl 12:7; Zech 12:1).
Q. Have you a soul as well as a body?
A. Yes. I have a soul that can never die (Matt 10:28; Mark 8:34-38; 12:30).
Q. How do you know that you have a soul?
A. Because the Bible tells me so (Matt 10:28; Mark 8:34-38; 12:30).
Q. What is your soul?
A. My soul includes all of me that should know and love God (Mark 8:34-38; Eph 3:16-19).
Q. In what condition did God make Adam and Eve?
A. He made them holy and happy (Gen 1:26-28; Ps 8:4-8; Eccl 7:29).
Q. Did Adam and Eve stay holy and happy?
A. No. They sinned against God (Gen 3:1-7; Eccl 7:29).
Q. What was the sin of our first parents?
A. Eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17; 3:6).
Q. Why did they eat the forbidden fruit?
A. Because they did not believe what God had said (Gen 3:1-6; Heb 11:6).
Q. Who tempted them to this sin?
A. The devil tempted Eve, and she gave the fruit to Adam (Gen 3:1-13; 2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 2:13-14; Rev 12:9).
Q. What happened to our first parents when they had sinned?
A. Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable (Gen 3:14-24; 4:1-24; Jas 1:14-15).
Q. What effect did the sin of Adam have on all mankind?
A. All mankind is born in a state of sin and misery (Ps 51:5; Rom 5:12; 5:18-19; 1 Cor 15:21-22; 1 Jn 5:19).
Q. What do we inherit from Adam as a result of this original sin?
A. A sinful nature (1 Kings 8:46; Ps 14:2-3; 58:3; Eccl 9:3; Matt 15:18-20; John 2:24-25; Rom 8:7).
Q. What is sin?
A. Sin is any transgression of the law of God (1 Jn 3:4; Rom 3:20; Jas 2:9-11).
Q. What is meant by transgression?
A. Doing what God forbids (1 Sam 13:8-14; 15:22-23; Hos 6:7; Rom 1:21-32).
Q. What does every sin deserve?
A. The anger and judgment of God (Deut 27:26; Rom 1:18; 2:2; Gal 3:10; Eph 5:6).
Q. Do we know what God requires of us?
A. Yes, he has given us his law both in our hearts and in writing (Ps 19:7-11; 119; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Rom 2:14-15).
Part 2 – The Ten Commandments
Q. How many commandments did God give on Mt. Sinai?
A. Ten commandments (Exod 20:1-17; Deut 5:1-22).
Q. What are the ten commandments sometimes called?
A. God’s moral law (Rom 2:14-15; 10:5).
Q. What do the first four commandments teach?
A. Our duty to God (Deut 6:5-6; 10:12-13).
Q. What do the last six commandments teach?
A. Our duty to our fellow men (Deut 10:19; Mic 6:8; Gal 6:10).
Q. What is the sum of the ten commandments?
A. To love God with all my heart, and my neighbor as myself (Deut 6:1-15; 11:1; Matt 22:35-40; Jas 2:8).
Q. Who is your neighbor?
A. All my fellow men are my neighbors (Luke 6:35; 10:25-37).
Q. Is God pleased with those who love and obey him?
A. Yes. He says, ‘I love those who love me’ (Prov 8:17; Exod 20:6; 1 Jn 4:7-16).*
Q. Is God pleased with those who do not love and obey him?
A. No. ‘God is angry with the wicked every day’ (Ps 7:11; Mal 2:17; Prov 6:16-19; 1 Cor 16:22).
Q. What is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, You shall have no other gods before me (Exod 20:3; Deut 5:7).*
Q. What does the first commandment teach us?
A. To worship God only (Isa 45:5-6; Matt 4:10; Rev 22:8-9).
Q. What is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, You shall not worship images (Exod 20:4-6; Deut 5:8-10).*
Q. What does the second commandment teach us?
A. To worship God in the right way, and to avoid idolatry (Isa 44:9-20; 46:5-9; John 4:23-24; Acts 17:29; Jer 2:13).
Q. What is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain (Exod 20:7; Deut 5:11).*
Q. What does the third commandment teach us?
A. To reverence God’s name, word, and works (Isa 8:13; Ps 29:2; 138:2; Rev 15:3-4).
Q. What is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exod 20:8-11; Deut 5:12-15).*
Q. What does the fourth commandment teach us?
A. To keep the Sabbath holy (Lev 23:3; Isa 58:13-14).
Q. What day of the week is the Christian Sabbath?
A. The first day of the week, called the Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2; Rev 1:10).
Q. Why is it called the Lord’s Day?
A. Because on that day Christ rose from the dead (Matt 28:1; Luke 24:1-6; John 20:1).
Q. How should the Sabbath be kept?
A. The Sabbath is a day of delight and celebration in which we worship with the people of God, rest from our ordinary vocation, and focus more explicitly on the Lord. Also, we keep the Sabbath holy every day of the week by resting from trying to earn God’s love, and trusting in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2; Luke 4:16; Matt 12:10-13; Rev 19:6-9; Heb 3:7-4:13; Deut 5:12-15; Exod 20:8-11).*
Q. What is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, Honor your father and your mother (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16).*
Q. What does the fifth commandment teach us?
A. As children, we are to love and obey our parents. Adults are to love, respect, and support our parents all of the days of our lives (Matt 15:3-6; Eph 6:1-3; Col 3:20; 1 Tim 5:4; Prov 30:17).*
Q. What is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, You shall not murder (Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17).*
Q. What does the sixth commandment teach us?
A. To avoid hatred, all that leads to it, and all that follows from it (Matt 5:21-24; 1 Jn 3:15; Jas 4:1-3).
Q. What is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, You shall not commit adultery (Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18).*
Q. What does the seventh commandment teach us?
A. To be pure in heart, language, and conduct (Matt 5:27-28; Eph 5:3-5; Phil 4:8-9).
Q. What is the eighth commandment?
A. The eighth commandment is, You shall not steal (Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19).*
Q. What does the eighth commandment teach us?
A. To be honest and not to take the things of others (Exod 23:4; Prov 21:6-7; Eph 4:28).
Q. What is the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment is, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20).*
Q. What does the ninth commandment teach us?
A. To tell the truth and not to speak evil of others (Ps 15:1-3; Zech 8:16; 1 Cor 13:6; Jas 4:11).
Q. What is the tenth commandment?
A. The tenth commandment is, You shall not covet (Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21; Rom 7:7).*
Q. What does the tenth commandment teach us?
A. To be content with what we have (Phil 4:11; 1 Tim 6:6-8; Heb 13:5).
Q. Can any man keep these ten commandments?
A. No mere man, since the fall of Adam, ever did or can keep the ten commandments perfectly (Prov 20:9; Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:19-20; Jas 2:10; 1 Jn 1:8-10).
Q. Of what use are the ten commandments to us?
A. They teach us our duty, make clear our condemnation, and show us our need of a Savior (Rom 3:19-20, 31; 7:7-12; Gal 3:24).
Q. Does God condemn all men?
A. No. Though he could justly have done so, he has graciously entered into a covenant to save many (Rom 3:23-25; John 17:11-12; Isa 53:11-12; Heb 8; Mark 10:45; 14:24).
Part 3 – Salvation
Q. What is a covenant?
A. A covenant is an agreement between two or more persons (1 Sam 18:3).
Q. What is the covenant of grace?
A. It is the triune God’s commitment to the elect to provide them all the means of salvation apart from their works (Gen 17:1-8; Rom 11:27; Heb 8:8-11; 10:16-17; 13:20-21; Jer 31:31-34; Eph 1:3-14).*
Q. Who is Jesus?
A. Jesus is the Son of God, fully God and fully man; our Lord, Savior, and Treasure (Phil 2:11; Rom 10:9; 1 Pet 3:15; 2 Cor 4:5; Luke 2:11; 1 Tim 1:15; Tit 2:13; Matt 1:21; 1 Cor 16:22; Phil 1:21; 3:8; Matt 13:44; 1 Pet 3:18; Ps 16:11).*
Q. What did Christ undertake in the covenant of grace?
A. Christ undertook to keep the whole law for his people, and to suffer the punishment due to their sins (Rom 8:3-4; Gal 4:4-5; Heb 6:17-20; 7:22; 9:14-15; 13:20-21).
Q. Did our Lord Jesus Christ ever sin?
A. No. He was holy, blameless and undefiled (Heb 4:15; 7:26; Luke 23:47; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 Jn 3:5).
Q. How could the Son of God suffer?
A. Christ, the Son of God, took flesh and blood, that he might obey and suffer as a man (John 1:14; Rom 8:3; Gal 4:4; Phil 2:7-8; Heb 2:14-17; 4:15).
Q. What is meant by the atonement?
A. The atonement consists of Christ’s satisfying divine justice, by his sufferings and death, in the place of sinners (Mark 10:45; Acts 13:38-39; Rom 3:24-26; 5:8-9; 2 Cor 5:19-21; Gal 3:13; 1 Pet 3:18).
Q. For whom did Christ obey and suffer?
A. Christ obeyed and suffered for those whom the Father had given him (Isa 53:8; Matt 1:21; John 10:11; 10:15-16; 10:26-29; 17:9; Heb 2:13).
Q. What kind of life did Christ live on earth?
A. Christ lived a life of perfect obedience to the law of God (Matt 5:17; Rom 10:4; 1 Pet 2:21-22).
Q. What kind of death did Christ die?
A. Christ experienced the painful and shameful death of the cross (Ps 22; Isa 53; Matt 27:32-56).
Q. Who will be saved?
A. Only those who repent of sin and believe in Christ will be saved (Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3-5; Acts 2:37-41; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:20).
Q. What is it to repent?
A. Repentance involves sorrow for sin, leading one to hate and forsake it because it is displeasing to God (Luke 19:8-10; Rom 6:1-2; 2 Cor 7:9-11; 1 Thess 1:9-10).
Q. What is it to believe in Christ?
A. A person believes who knows that his only hope is Christ and trusts in Christ alone for salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5; 1 Jn 5:11-12).
Q. How were godly persons saved before the coming of Christ?
A. They believed in the Savior to come (John 8:56; Gal 3:8-9; 1 Cor 10:1-4; Heb 9:15; 11:13, 26; Luke 2:25).
Q. How did they show their faith?
A. They offered sacrifices according to God’s commands (Exod 24:3-8; 1 Chron 29:20-22; Heb 9:19-23; 10:1; 11:28).
Q. What did these sacrifices represent?
A. They were symbolic of Christ, the Lamb of God, who was to die for sinners (Exod 12:46; John 1:29; 19:36; Heb 9-10; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:19).
What does Christ do for his people?
A. He does the work of a prophet, a priest and a king (Heb 1:1-3; Rev 1:5; Matt 13:57; Heb 5:5-10; John 18:37).
Q. How is Christ a prophet?
A. He teaches us the will of God, reveals God to us, and really was God in human flesh (Deut 18:15, 18; John 1:18; 4:25; 14:23-24; 1 Jn 5:20).
Q. Why do you need Christ as a prophet?
A. Because I am ignorant (Job 11:7; Matt 11:25-27; John 6:67-69; 17:25-26; 1 Cor 2:14-16; 2 Cor 4:3-6).
Q. How is Christ a priest?
A. He died for our sins and prays to God for us (Ps 110:4; 1 Tim 2:5-6; Heb 4:14-16; 7:24-25; 1 Jn 2:1-2).
Q. Why do you need Christ as a priest?
A. Because I am guilty (Prov 20:9; Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:19-23; Heb 10:14; 10:27-28; 1 Jn 1:8-9).
Q. How is Christ a King?
A. He rules over us and defends us (Ps 2:6-9; Matt 28:18-20; Eph 1:19-23; Col 1:13, 18; Rev 15:3-4).
Q. Why do you need Christ as a king?
A. Because I am weak and helpless (John 15:4-5; 2 Cor 12:9; Phil 4:13; Col 1:11; Jude 24-25).
Q. What did God the Father undertake in the covenant of grace?
A. By His goodness and mercy, God the Father elected, and determined to justify, adopt, and sanctify those for whom Christ should die (Exod 33:18-19; Eph 1:3-5; Rom 8:29-33; Gal 4:4-7; Heb 10:9-10; 1 Cor 1:8-9; Phil 1:6; 1 Thess 4:3-7; 5:23-24).
Q. What is election?
A. It is God’s goodness as revealed in his grace by choosing certain sinners for salvation (Eph 1:3-4; 1 Thess 1:4; 1 Pet 1:1-2; Rom 9:6-24).
Q. What is justification?
A. It is God’s regarding sinners as if they had never sinned and granting them righteousness (Zech 3:1-5; Rom 3:24-26; 4:5; 5:17-19; 8:33; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 8:12; Phil 3:9).
Q. What is righteousness?
A. It is God’s goodness as revealed in his law, and as honored in Christ’s perfect obedience to that law (Exod 33:19; 34:6; Ps 33:5; Rom 11:22).
Q. Can anyone be saved by his own righteousness?
A. No. No one is good enough for God (Prov 20:9; Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:10-23; Eph 2:8-10; Phil 3:8-9).
Q. What is adoption?
A. It is God’s goodness in receiving sinful rebels as his beloved children (John 1:12; Eph 1:5; 5:1; Gal 4:4-7, 31; 1 Jn 3:1-3; Rom 8:15).
Q. What is sanctification?
A. In sanctification God makes sinners holy in heart and in conduct so that they will demonstrate his goodness in their lives (John 17:17; Eph 2:10; 4:22-24; Phil 2:12-13; 1 Thess 5:23).
Q. Is this process of sanctification ever complete in this life?
A. No. It is certain and continual, but is complete only in heaven (Phil 3:12-15; 2 Pet 1:4-8; 1 Jn 3:1-3).
Q. What hinders the completion of sanctification in this life?
A. The Scripture says “The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit…to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal 5:17).*
Q. Is the gospel important in the sanctification process?
A. Yes. Heart change occurs through a deeper understanding of and delight in Jesus Christ’s glory and grace (2 Cor 3:18; Col 1:6, 23; 2:6; Acts 20:32; Rom 1:15; 16:25; 1 Cor 1:18; 15:2; 2 Tim 2:1; 1 Jn 2:24; 3:2; Gal 3:1-5; 2 Pet 1:5-9; Tit 2:11-12; Heb 3:6, 14; 10:23; 12:1-2).*
Q. Since we are by nature sinful, how can one ever desire to be holy and to gain heaven where God lives?
A. Our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven (Eph 4:17-24; Col 3:5-12).
Q. Who can change a sinner’s heart?
A. Only the Holy Spirit can change a sinner’s heart (John 3:3; Rom 8:6-11; 1 Cor 2:9-14; 2 Thess 2:13-14; Tit 3:5-6).
Q. What did the Holy Spirit undertake in the covenant of grace?
A. He regenerates, baptizes, and seals those for whom Christ has died (Eph 2:1-8; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22).
Q. What is regeneration?
A. It is a change of heart that leads to true repentance and faith (Gal 5:22; Eph 2:5-8; 2 Thess 2:13).
Q. Can you repent and believe in Christ by your own power?
A. No. I can do nothing good without God’s Holy Spirit (John 3:5-6; 6:44; Rom 8:2-5; 8:8-11; 1 Cor 2:9-14; Gal 5:17-18; Eph 2:4-6).
Q. How does the Holy Spirit baptize believers?
A. He puts them into the body of Christ by making them a living part of all those who truly believe in Him (1 Cor 12).
Q. How does the Holy Spirit seal believers?
A. He comes to live within them to guarantee that they will receive the wonders God has promised those who love Him (Rom 8:9-11; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Tim 1:9; 2 Cor 1:22).
Q. How can you receive the Holy Spirit?
A. God has told us that we must pray to him for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13; John 4:10; 16:24); but the evidence of his presence is seen most clearly in our trusting and loving the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 12:8-10; John 3:3-5, 16-21; 14:17-21; 1 Cor 12:3; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 Jn 5:6-12).
Part 4 – Prayer
Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is talking with God (Neh 1:4-11; 2:4; Matt 6:6; Rom 8:26-27).
Q. In whose name should we pray?
A. We should pray in the name of the Lord Jesus (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24; Heb 4:14-16).
Q. What has Christ given to teach us how to pray?
A. The Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:5-15; Luke 11:1-13).
Q. Can you repeat 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”*
Q. How many petitions are there in the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Six.
Q. What is the first petition?
A. “Hallowed be your name” (Matt 6:9; Luke 11:2).*
Q. What do we pray for in the first petition?
A. That God’s name may be magnified by us and all men (Ps 8:1; 72:17-19; 113:1-3; 145:21; Isa 8:13; 43:6-7; Rom 11:36; 1 Cor 10:31; Phil 1:20).*
Q. What is the second petition?
A. “Your kingdom come” (Matt 6:10; Luke 11:2).*
Q. What do we pray for in the second petition?
A. That the gospel of grace and the kingdom of God would spread throughout the whole world (Matt 28:18-20; John 17:20-21; Acts 8:12; 28:30-31; 2 Thess 3:1; Hab 2:14; Ps 72:8, 19; Gen 1:28; Col 1:6; Phil 1:12; Dan 7:14).*
Q. What is the third petition?
A. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10; Luke 11:2).*
Q. What do we pray for in the third petition?
A. That men on earth may serve God as the angels do in heaven (Ps 67; 103:19-22; John 9:31; Rev 4:11).
Q. What is the fourth petition?
A. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt 6:11; Luke 11:3).
Q. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
A. That God will give us all things needful for our bodies (Ps 145:15-16; Prov 30:8-9; 1 Tim 4:4-5).
Q. What is the fifth petition?
A. “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4).*
Q. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
A. That God will pardon our sins, and help us to forgive those who have sinned against us (Ps 51; Matt 5:23-24; 18:21-35; 1 Jn 4:20-21).
Q. What is the sixth petition?
A. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt 6:13; Luke 11:4).
Q. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
A. That God will keep us from sin (1 Chron 4:10; Ps 119:11; Matt 26:41).
Part 5 – The Word, the Church, and the Sacraments
Q. How does the Holy Spirit bring us to salvation?
A. He uses the Bible, which is the Word of God (1 Thess 1:5-6; 2:13; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Jas 1:18; 1 Pet 1:22-23).
Q. How can we know the Word of God?
A. We are commanded to hear, read, and search the Scriptures (1 Pet 2:2; Rev 3:22; Matt 21:42; 22:29; 2 Tim 3:14-17).
Q. What is the church?
A. The universal church, which is invisible, is the community of the whole number of the elect in every age. The visible church is the community of all professing Christians throughout the world who have been baptized and receive the Lord’s Supper (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor 10:32; 12:28; 15:9; Matt 16:18; Eph 1:22-23; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 3:15; Rev 2-3; 1 Thess 1:1; 1 Cor 1:2; 4:17; 2 Cor 11:8; Rom 16:5).*
Q. What two sacraments did Christ give to his Church?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 11:24-26).*
Q. Why did Christ give these sacraments?
A. To preach the gospel in pictures, strengthen the faith of his people, and identify those belonging to the visible church (Matt 28:19; 1 Cor 11:24-26; Acts 2:41).*
Q. What is baptism?
A. The dipping of believers into water as a sign of their union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (John 3:23; Acts 2:41; 8:12; 8:35-38; Col 2:12; Rom 6:1-4).
Q. What is the purpose of baptism?
A. Baptism testifies to believers that God has cleansed them from their sins through Jesus Christ (Acts 22:16; Col 2:11-14).
Q. Who are to be baptized?
A. Only those who repent of their sins and believe in Christ for salvation should be baptized (Acts 2:37-41; 8:12; 18:8; 19:4-5).
Q. What is the Lord’s Supper?
A. At the Lord’s Supper, Christ shares spiritual fellowship with the church, nourishing the souls of Christians as they eat bread and drink wine with faith, remembering Christ’s sufferings and death (Mark 14:22-24; 1 Cor 10:16; 11:23-29).*
Q. What does the bread represent?
A. The bread represents the body of Christ, broken for our sins (Matt 26:26; 1 Cor 11:24).
Q. What does the wine represent?
A. The wine represents the blood of Christ, shed for our salvation (Matt 26:27-28; 1 Cor 11:25).
Q. Who should partake of the Lord’s Supper?
A. The Lord’s Supper is for those only who repent of their sins, believe in Christ for salvation, receive baptism, and love their fellow men (Matt 5:21-24; 28:19-20; 1 Cor 10:16-17; 11:18-20; 11:27-33; 1 Jn 3:14-17; 4:9-11).
Part 6 – The Kingdom of God
Q. What has Jesus redeemed?
A. Jesus has redeemed his people and all of creation (Matt 1:21; Mark 10:45; Heb 9:28; John 6:37, 44; Tit 2:14; Gal 3:13; Eph 1:7; Rom 8:19-22; Acts 3:20-21; Col 1:19-20; Eph 1:10; Matt 19:28; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 11:15; 21:1; Matt 5:5; 1 Jn 4:14).*
Q. Did Christ remain in the tomb after his crucifixion?
A. No. He rose from the tomb on the third day after his death (Luke 24:45-47; 1 Cor 15:3-4).
Q. Where is Christ now?
A. Christ is in heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father (Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 10:12; 12:2).
Q. What is Christ doing now?
A. Christ is ruling as king of heaven and earth, redeeming all things, and putting all of his enemies under his feet (Matt 13:31-33; 28:18; Phil 2:9-10; Eph 1:10, 20-22; Col 1:19-20; 2:10; Dan 2:35, 44; 7:13-14; 1 Cor 15:24-26; Ps 2:7-12; 8:6; 110:1; 145:13; Jude 25; Rom 8:21; 16:20; Isa 9:7).*
Q. What is the task of mankind?
A. To be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it for God’s glory, by making disciples of Jesus who delight in him and joyfully obey him in all areas of life (Gen 1:28; Matt 28:18-20; Col 3:17; 1 Cor 10:31; Ps 24:1; 67:4; 100:2; 2 Tim 3:16-17).*
Q. What is the kingdom of God?
A. The kingdom of God is his power, authority, and rule over all of creation, which is demonstrated in individuals and communities wherever Christ is honored and obeyed as Lord, and where the Spirit of God is working (Matt 28:18-20; Dan 2:44; 7:13-14; John 3:5; Matt 6:33; 7:21; 12:28; Eph 1:20-22; Col 1:19-20; John 19:11; Luke 17:21; 1 Cor 4:20; 6:19-20; 7:14; Gal 5:21; Rom 14:17).*
Q. What are the major spheres of government in Christ’s kingdom?
A. Self, family, church, and state. Each sphere has a distinct role, and is ultimately governed by Christ and his Word (1 Cor 9:24-27; 10:31; Gal 5:23; 2 Tim 1:7; Tit 1:8; 2:2, 5, 6, 12; 1 Pet 1:14-15; 4:7; 2 Pet 1:6; Rom 6:12; 14:12; Prov 25:28; 1 Thess 4:4; Gen 3:9; Eph 5:22-33; 6:1-4; Col 3:18-21; 1 Pet 2:13-17; 3:1-7; 5:1-5; Heb 13:17; Matt 18:15-20; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 5:17; Rom 13:1-7; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Ps 2:10-12; Isa 2:2-4; 42:4; Deut 4:5-8; Rev 1:5).*
Q. Should I submit to these spheres of human government?
A. Yes, as long as they act within their scope of authority and do not command sin, we have a duty to obey. The Bible defines a government’s scope of authority under Christ. We are ultimately accountable to God and not man, so biblical resistance may sometimes be appropriate (Acts 5:29; 9:23-25; Exod 1:17-21; Dan 3; Dan 6; 1 Kings 18:3-4; 1 Sam 14:24-46; Rom 14:4, 12; Gen 3:9; 7:1; 24:2; 31:14; 47:12; Exod 1:1; Eph 5:22-33; 1 Pet 3:1-7; Col 3:18-19; 1 Cor 11:3; 2 Cor 11:32-33; 1 Sam 3:13; Josh 24:15; 2 Tim 1:16; Eph 6:1-4; Col 3:20-21; Deut 6:4-9; 1 Tim 5:8; 1 Thess 2:7; John 4:47; Acts 6:4; 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2; 1 Tim 3:1; 5:17; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:14; 1 Tim 2:1-2; Deut 4:5-8; Isa 2:2-4; 42:4; Acts 25:11; Exod 21:24; Gen 9:6).*
Q. Do we participate in Christ’s task of redeeming all things?
A. Yes. The church, as his body and his bride, helps him in this task by winsomely speaking the gospel to all people, and joyfully obeying him in all areas of life (Rom 12:5; 16:20; Col 1:24; 3:17; 4:5-6, 11; John 14:12; Eph 4:12, 29; 5:22-33; Gen 2:18; 1 Pet 2:9; 3:15; Acts 8:4; 1 Cor 3:9; 10:31; 12:27; Matt 28:18-20).*
Q. Will Christ be successful in his task?
A. Yes. The gospel will continue to increase and multiply, the saved will number more than the sand on the seashore, and his creation will be restored and enhanced into the completed new heavens and new earth (Gen 12:3; 15:5; 22:17; Matt 13:31-33; Dan 2:35; Isa 9:7; Rev 7:9-10; 11:15; 21:1, 24-26; 22:1-2; Acts 2:47; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; John 3:17; Ps 22:27; 1 Jn 4:14).*
Part 7 – The Last Things
Q. Will Christ come again?
A. Yes. At the last day he will come to judge the world and consummate his kingdom (Matt 25:31-46; 2 Thess 1:7-10; 2 Tim 4:1; Luke 22:29-30; Rev 21-22; 1 Cor 15:24-26; John 5:28-29; 2 Pet 3:13; Rom 2:5-8; Acts 3:20-21; 17:31).*
Q. What happens to men when they die?
A. The body returns to dust, and the soul goes to be with God or to a place of suffering and waiting for judgment (Gen 3:19; Eccl 12:7; 2 Cor 5:1-10; Heb 12:22-23; Phil 1:23; 2 Pet 2:9; Rom 2:5).
Q. Will the bodies of the dead be raised to life again?
A. Yes. “There will be a resurrection of both the just and unjust” (Acts 24:14-15; John 5:28-29; Dan 12:2; Matt 22:23-33; 1 Cor 15:35-49).*
Q. What will happen to the wicked in the day of judgment?
A. They shall be cast into hell (Ps 9:16-17; Luke 12:5; Rom 2:8-9, 12; 2 Thess 1:8-9; Rev 20:12-15).
Q. What is hell?
A. Hell is a place of dreadful and endless punishment (Matt 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Rev 14:11; 20:12-15).
Q. What will happen to the righteous in the day of judgment?
A. They shall live with Christ forever in the new heavens and new earth (1 Thess 4:16-17; 2 Pet 3:10-13; Rev 21:1-4; Heb 13:14).*
Q. In light of these truths, what should you do?
A. I should strive with all my energy to repent of sin, believe savingly in the Lord Jesus Christ, and live for his glory in all areas of life (Luke 13:23-24; John 3:16; 6:27; Acts 16:31; 20:21; 1 Cor 10:31; Col 2:6; 3:17).*
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[1] This catechism is a revision of Tom J. Nettles, “Section 1 Catechism for Girls and Boys,” Founders, 2020, accessed September 28, 2020, https://founders.org/library/section-1-catechism-for-girls-and-boys/. Used by permission. An asterisk (*) marks a question or answer that I have modified or added from this version.