INTRODUCTION TO THE CATECHISM

What is your only comfort (a) in life and death?

That I am not my own,(b)
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—(c)
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. (d)
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, (e)
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. (f)
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head (g)
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. (h)
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life (i)
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him. (j)

(a) Ps. 73:25-26 (b) 1 Cor 6:19-20 (c) Rom. 14:7-8 (d) 1 Cor 3:23; Matt 1:21; 2 Tim 2:13 (e) Tit 2:14 ; 1 Pet 1:18-19; 1 John 1:7, 2:2,12 (f) John 8:34-36; Heb 2:14,15; 1 John 3:8 (g) John 6:39; 10:28-29; Luke 21:18; Matt 10:28,29,30 (h) Rom 8:28 (i) Rom 8:16-17; 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5 (j) Rom 8:14; 7:22; 14:19; Ps 110:3; Phil 2:12-13; Luke 1:74,75; Heb 13:21

Catechist’s Assistant – Question 1

Confessional Parallels:

Luther’s Small Catechism (1530)

Luther’s Small Catechism does not have an introduction as later catechisms do. The word comfort in English translation first emerges in the closing segment in the discussion of Confession: “But those who have great burdens upon their consciences, or are distressed and tempted, the confessor will know how to comfort and to encourage to faith with more passages of Scripture.”

Calvin’s Geneva Catechism (1545)

Calvin’s Geneva catechism’s introduction foreshadows the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “What is the chief end of human life?” The word comfort does not appear in the catechism. The concept of assurance, however, appears for the first time in the discussion of the sacraments where the topic of comfort appears in other confessional documents.

The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article XVII
The Recovery of Fallen Man

We believe that our most gracious God, in His admirable wisdom and goodness, seeing that man had thus thrown himself into physical and spiritual death and made himself wholly miserable, was pleased to seek and comfort him, when he trembling fled from His presence, promising him that He would give His Son (who would be born of a woman) to bruise the head of the serpent and to make him blessed.

Other mentions of “Comfort”:

The Belgic Confession Article 34 and French Confession Article 34 use the word “comfort” in relation to the blessing of assurance linked to God’s gifts related to sacrament of baptism. The context in which it is used in the Belgic Confession is this sentence: The ministers, therefore, on their part administer the sacrament and that which is visible, but our Lord gives that which is signified by the sacrament, namely, the gifts and invisible grace; washing, cleansing, and purging our souls of all filth and unrighteousness; renewing our hearts and filling them with all comfort; giving unto us a true assurance of His fatherly goodness; putting on us the new man, and putting off the old man with all his deeds.

The French Confession uses “comfort” in this context: We believe that the sacraments are added to the Word for more ample confirmation, that they may be to us pledges and seals of the grace of God, and by this means aid and comfort our faith, because of the infirmity which is in us, and that they are outward signs through which God operates by his Spirit, so that he may not signify any thing to us in vain.  Yet we hold that their substance and truth is in Jesus Christ, and that of themselves they are only smoke and shadow.

The Second Helvetic Confession – Chapter 14 on “Of Repentance and the Conversion of Man” likewise use the word “comfort” to denote that sense of assurance of salvation or adoption that properly belong to those who know their sins to be forgiven by the mercy of Jesus Christ. Chapter 18 of the same document uses the word “comfort” to describe the role of the minister in seeking to give biblical comfort and “strengthen the fainthearted” and “arm them against the manifold temptations of Satan” through the ministry of the word. Chapter 25 adds that the pastor’s ministry should aim to bring this comfort to those who are ill.

Synopsis of Ursinus’ Commentary:

Ursinus in commenting on the first Question and Answer agrees with the confessional documents mentioned above regarding the definition and import of the concept of “comfort”. This comfort’s blessing is in the fact that it serves to “mitigate grief” and allows us to “patiently endure evil”. Any other comforts sought by our own self-serving and self-righteous quests do not suffice to bring abiding comfort because they rest on the unsure foundation of sinful man.

Only God offers unshakable comfort. How?

Through our reconciliation to God through Jesus Christ. That reconciliation is accomplished through our Lord’s satisfaction of the divine wrath which results in our adoption as sons and the accompanying benefits. These bring abiding comfort because of the Father’s ongoing preservation of His saints. In the face of every evil – even death – comfort can remain because of the confidence we have in the Sovereign God to turn every evil into something truly good that serves to promote our own ultimate well being.  Instead of the blessed life being one free of suffering, the catechism teaches that the blessed life is one lived in the possession of Jesus Christ which guarantees that all that ordinary mortals suffer only come at the Fatherly discretion of our Master and that they will ultimately become a source of blessing to us. When we understand these things and entrust ourselves daily to Jesus Christ, we experience the comfort available through Him.

Ursinus concludes his exposition by addressing common fears that would keep one from finding comfort in Jesus Christ. These objections whispered by Satan in the ear point out the obvious – we are sinners, we were God’s enemies, we will one day die, that many evils will befall us in this life, that we are subject to fail, and that our faith is weak.  All these are true enough but miss the point. Comfort derives from what Christ has accomplished and Christ’s work in us – that is the lens we must learn to see life through based on the Word of God and the objective reality of our Lord’s Death and Resurrection now made available to us by grace.

Ursinus ends his commentary on the first question by reminding us why comfort is necessary. The answer may seem surprising… it is not only or even ultimately for man’s benefit that comfort is necessary. Ultimately our subjective comfort and assurance has a Godward direction as we see from this extended quote:

From what has been said, it is clearly manifest that this comfort is necessary for us; First, on account of our salvation, that we may neither faint nor despair under our temptations, and the conflict in which we are all called to engage, as christians. And, Secondly, it is necessary on account of praising and worshipping God; for if we would glorify God in this, and in a future life, (for which we were created,) we must be delivered from sin and death; and not rush into desperation, but be sustained, even to the end, with sure consolation.

Conclusions: “Comfort” is a term related to the assurance of Salvation and a gift from God to strengthen us in this life so that the Christian will not be overcome by temptation and fear.  Comfort is the gift of God to enable us to persevere to the end in faith, praise, and worship. As seen in its uses above, the point of the first question in the catechism might be paraphrased in this way: “What has the power to sustain you and give you the strength to face the uncertainties of life and the dreadful prospect of death?”

While the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks about man’s purpose in the universe in general, the Heidelberg Catechism immediately moves to the question of what alone can sustain us throughout the trials of this life and is sufficient to overcome death?

In the answer we are immediately pointed to Jesus Christ and His salvation as the One able to sustain us and offer the comfort – the assurance of divine protection and blessing – able to strengthen us in the time of testing and temptation, to overcome of fears, and encourage us to keep going when the world, the flesh, and the devil would tell us to “curse God and die” as Job’s wife suggested he do.

As such the catechism “cuts to the chase” immediately asking us – “Is what you’re living for able to sustain you whatever comes your way – even death?” Nothing is able to sustain us EXCEPT Jesus Christ for the reasons mentioned in the first answer and expounded upon in the balance of the catechism.

This first question is exceedingly “evangelistic”. Do we want to know how to begin talking to people about Jesus? No elaborate course in “evangelistic technique” or “strategy” is required. We need only ask “So what really IS the thing that you are relying on to sustain you in this life and the next?” All answers, except the one provided, are lacking because they do not focus on man’s ultimate need – salvation through Jesus Christ.

The catechism begins by pointing us to Jesus Christ and telling us to find comfort only in Him instead of ourselves or the idols we would otherwise serve. This theme of Christ’s sufficiency will be amplified again and again as we study the catechism – and even use it to inspire our prayers and meditations.

Other Catechism Resources for Question 1:

Answer 1 in metrical version:

Text I Belong
Posted with permission of the author.

Music (offsite at Dr. Koyzis’ Genevan Psalter website)

Text based on question & answer 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism, 1563
Text and music copyright © 1986, 2001 by David T. Koyzis
Tune: HEIDELBERG, David T. Koyzis

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