Heidelberg Catechism Project » Resources

Protected: The Reformed Elder In Perilous Times

Admin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:13:05 +0000

Bierma on the Heidelberg Catechism’s Origins

Admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:02:24 +0000

Depending on the interpreter, the Heidelberg Catechism supposedly is dependent directly on Zwingli, Calvin, Bullinger, Beza – and even Melancthon and Luther in parts. How can one catechism apparently serve the interests and purposes of so many different people and movements?

Recent scholarship by Bierma surveys the various theories and seeks to find a resolution in, essentially, the faith of the Elector in whose service this Catechism was drafted. Bierma, without using the words, essentially sees the catechism as an attempt at forging a “Pan Protestant” unity under Frederick’s reign. It’s subsequent adoption in so many churches outside his own nation shows his success in this attempt. Bierma isn’t alone in this evaluation, Rev. Gilbert Van Dooren mentions this briefly as one of the three purposes of the catechism in an article on catechism preaching.

As history records, the Heidelberg Catechism was able to express the living evangelical and reformed faith of churches across the world. Bierma notes that the Heidelberg Catechism embodies the common elements of the Protestant faith throughout the Palatinate and promotes a common Protestant consensus while remaining within the boundaries of the Augsburg Confession that Frederick was obligated to uphold. For that reason, the Catechism proper says no more (and no less) than was commonly held by followers of Bullinger, Calvin, and many Lutherans in the Palatinate on this topic.

At the same time, it’s recognized that individual adherents to the catechism may confess and use the catechism while going farther in some regards than the catechism itself in their personal beliefs. For example, some Calvinists are shocked by the Heidelberg’s muted exposition of the doctrines of predestination and reprobation. That is why the Dutch Reformed augment the catechism with the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort to round out their understanding of the Reformed Faith. Another example is the instance in Ursinus’ commentary on the catechism where he discusses predestination and reprobation. His comments go well beyond anything found in the catechism itself. Understanding the larger purpose of the catechism as an instrument for maintaining the peace, unity, and purity of the church also likely accounts for differences between the Heidelberg Catechism and catechisms Ursinus had drafted for his own use, the Smaller and Larger catechisms.

So far as literary dependence is concerned, we cannot say, for example, that the HC [Heidelberg Catechism] any more obviously derived its structure directly from Melancthon’s Loci than it did from the Lutheran “Summa” of Regensburg or the Reformed confessions of Theodore Beza. Furthermore, the theological slant of the theme of gratitude in HC part 3 or of the uses of the law in parts 1 and 3 is not distinctively Calvinistic, as has often been claimed. Nor does the sacramental teaching of the HC reflect a distinctive doctrinal viewpoint. Indeed, on theological issues where such angularities might most be expected to surface–predestination, covenant, the relationship between sign and signified in the sacraments–the HC is either muted or silent. The focus is nearly always on common theological ground among the followers of Melancthon, Calvin, and Bullinger. In this limited respect, at least, we may speak of the ecumenical spirit of the HC.

This elusive theological ancestry should not really surprise us. By the time the HC was being composed in the early 1560s, the triadic structure and much of the doctrinal material that filled out that structure had become part of the common property of the Protestant world, and without records of the actual sources used in the preparation of the catechism, we are not in a position to establish precise literary paternity. Even more important, however, is that the HC represented an attempt by Frederick III, who personally disliked theological labels, to forge a consensus among the Melancthonians, Calvinists, and Zwinglians in his realm. Little wonder, then, that so few distinctives of these theological traditions can be detected in the structure or doctrinal content of the HC. If one still insists on using labels, the most that should be said is that the HC was a Melancthonian-Reformed gloss on the altered Augsburg Confession–but a gloss that emphasized consensus among the Protestant parties of the Palatinate. To press these labels on the HC any harder is to do it an injustice, for the intent of the catechism was to overcome the very divisions that such labels represented.

Lyle D. Bierma, Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism, An: Sources, History, and Theology (Texts and Studies in Reformation and Post-Reformation Thought), p. 102.

Catechist’s Assistant – Question Three

Admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:01:37 +0000

These questions and answers expand the beginning student’s knowledge of the Bible as a whole.

Q: Where is God’s Law revealed?

A: In the Bible.

Q: What does the word “Bible” mean?

A: The Book

Q: Where is the Law of God first summarized in the Bible?

A: The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)

Q: Into how many parts is the Bible divided?

A: Two parts.

Q: What are those parts called?

A: The Old and the New Testaments.

Q: What is meant by the Old Testament?

A: The Covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bless all mankind.

Q: What is meant by the New Testament?

A: The Covenant God made with Jesus Christ to bless mankind.

Q: What does “covenant” mean?

A: These biblical covenants are terms of fellowship given by God to bless mankind.

Q: Why use the word “Testament” if “Covenant” is meant?

A: The word “Testament” is a New Covenant word. It emphasizes that the covenants or testaments in the Bible are the gift of God’s mercy ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. These blessings are never earned by man’s good works.

Q: Does “mankind” include women and children?

A: Yes, the word “mankind” means all people descended from Adam – male, female, adults, and children.

Q: How are the Old and New Testaments related?

A: The Old Testament is the preparation for the New Testament. The New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

Q: In what languages was the Bible originally written?

A: The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew and some Aramaic. The New Testament was written in a form of Greek.

Q: How many books are in the Old Testament?

A: Thirty Nine.

Q: Into how many classes are these divided?

A. Four.

Q: How many in the first?

A: The Five books of Moses.

Q: How many in the second?

A: Twelve books of History.

Q: How many in the third?

A: Five books of Poety (or Wisdom).

Q: How many in the fourth?

A: Seventeen books of Prophecy.

Q: Name the Five books of Moses?

A: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Q: Name the Twelve books of History:

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1& 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

Q: Name the Five books of Poetry?

A: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs).

Q: For the sake of memory, how many divisions are in the 17 Books of Prophecy?

A: Four divisions

Q: Name the books of the first division?

A: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel.

Q: Name the books of the second division?

A: Daniel, Hosea, Joel, and Amos.

Q: Name the books of the third division?

A: Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum.

Q: Name the books of the fourth divison?

A: Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Q: How many books are in the New Testament?

A. Twenty Seven.

Q: What are the first four called?

A: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Q: What other name do they have?

A: Gospel.

Q: What do you mean by the word ‘Gospel’?

A: Glad tidings of Salvation.

Q: What are the ‘Glad tidings of Salvation’?

A: That Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners.

Q: Is there more than one Savior?

A: No.

Q: How do you explain that there is only One Christ, but four Gospels?

A: The same Good News is told by four different persons.

Q: What follows the four Gospels?

A: The Acts of the Apostles.

Q: How many letters did Paul write?

A: Thirteen.

Q: Name them.

A: Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Q: What books follow Paul’s letters and complete the New Testament?

A: Hebrews; James; 1st and 2nd Peter; 1st, 2nd and 3rd John; Jude and the Book of Revelation.

Catechist’s Assistant – Question 1

Admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:16:23 +0000

Q: What is your only comfort?
A: That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Q: Why is Jesus Christ called a Savior?
A: He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.

Q: Why do you call the Savior faithful?
A: Because He watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Q: Of what does He assure you?
A: Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Catechist’s Assistant – Introducing the Heidelberg Catechism

Admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:16:41 +0000

For the original version of The Heidelberg Catechism and Catechist’s Assistant, check the resources pages. This reflects my updating, editing and at points expanding on that resource.

For introducing the Heidelberg Catechism to students not familiar with it already, these questions will prove helpful:

Q: What do you understand by the word “Catechism”?
A: It teaches the way of Salvation through questions and answers.

Q: Why is this called the “Heidelberg Catechism”?
A: Because it was first published in the city of Heidelberg.

Q:When was it published?
A: 1563 A.D.

Q:Who was it’s chief author?
A. Zacharias Ursinus

Q: Who was Zacharias Ursinus?
A: He was professor of theology at the University of Heidelberg

Q: How many questions and answers does the Heidelberg Catechism contain?
A: 129

Q: How many parts is the Heidelberg Catechism divided into?
A: Into 52 parts.

Q: Why 52?
A: To use one part for each Lord’s Day and thus go through the Catechism
once per year.

Q: Did the pastors give instruction in the Catechism every Lord’s Day?
A: Yes, every Lord’s Day afternoon.

Heidelberg Catechism and Catechist’s Assistant

Admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:08:42 +0000

I’ve added a link to the “Heidelberg Catechism and Catechist’s Assistant” on the Resources Page.

It’s available free at Google Books and useful for a variety of reasons. If you’re teaching through the Heidelberg Catechism and need resources on how to “break up” the long responses and communicate them to beginning students… this resource may be of great help.

Essential Church: Reclaiming A Generation Of Dropouts

Admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:49:59 +0000

Thom and Sam Rainer’s new book: Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts is worth reading for those pastors who suspect that the common prescriptions for “Church Growth” are essentially worthless.

The Rainers’ work confirms these suspicions! It’s always nice to have books that confirm your suspicions, especially if they seem to offer some way forward! Hopefully we’ve grown tired of complaints that never result in ACTION.

To be sure, this work focuses on the people who drop out in their teenage years (18-22) and it discusses the means that might be used to prevent this occurrence. Most pastors though will immediately see how the material relates to their whole congregation despite it’s admitted focus on young adults.

Here’s a sample of the myths debunked -

- “You need a gymnasium to keep the youth”.

- “You need contemporary music”

- “You need to stop preaching ‘doctrinal’ sermons or emphasizing ‘doctrine’”

- “You need more ‘programs’!”

All these, as they point out, are wrong.

Their refrain throughout the book is that churches seeking to avoid “dropouts” need to:

Simplify – develop a clear structure and process for making disciples.

Deepen – provide strong biblical teaching and preaching.

Expect – let members know the need for commitment to the congregation.

Multiply – emphasize evangelism, outward focus, and starting new churches.

Increasingly, research like this is showing that virtually all the “prescriptions” given by the “Megachurch” promoters were empty and now these King Kong monstrosities are having to pump cement to firm up the shaky foundations of these organizations.

The solutions go increasingly back to

1. Intentional biblical and doctrinal teaching
2. Authenticity (i.e. forsaking our hypocrisy and “walking the talk”)
3. True fellowship – beyond saying “Hi” if you see another church member in Wal-Mart during the week
4. A sense of greater mission

Most pastors will welcome the message because these are things a church any size can do if they are faithful – not more “Your church would grow if you had a $50,000 sound system with strobe lights and knew hwo to use them” prescriptions.

Where do the catechisms come in? Thankfully this is where pastors from historic churches have an edge… they already have a “track” to “run on”.

Pastors in non-confessional bodies are often at a loss where to start… they can’t even dust off a catechism and say … “We used to do this, let’s at least check this out!”

Unlike the current crop of “emergents” who are in a race to jettison as many points of orthodoxy while simultaneously getting the most “Starbuckscard Rewards” points, the Rainers’ show that you actually avoid young adult drop outs when you are

A. Giving your existing members a biblical and doctrinal foundation
B. Intentionally giving new visitors and new members this same foundation

Before you say that’s “simple” please realize it must not be – it’s not getting done!

So what should you do?

Teach people the Bible so that they have a firm grasp of the Bible from Creation to Christ. One curriculum that can be used is Firm Foundations: Creation to Christ or another system of “Chronological Bible Storytelling”.

Then…

Teach people the Heidelberg Catechism! (Or another orthodox catechism if you choose!)

Create the expectation that sincere Christians will be reading their Bibles, praying, fellowshipping together, and serving the Lord together.

The point is, we should have known, that Christianity flourishes when it is not just the ape of culture but its own counter culture.

If you’re “evangelizing” people, don’t settle for a quick canned presentation. Ask people to enter into a study like “Christianity Explored” but really for serious students, a Bible Study like “Creation to Christ” and even studying through the Heidelberg Catechism are even better.

The point is we dropped the catechism for whatever reasons, but now is the time for its comeback!

The vitality of the Christian faith demands it!