| Question
31. What do you affirm when you confess your faith in Jesus Christ
as "our Lord"?
That having been raised from the dead he reigns with compassion
and justice over all things in heaven and on earth, especially
over those who confess him by faith; and that by loving and
serving him above all else, I give glory and honor to God.
1 Cor. 15:3-4 "For I handed on to you
as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ
died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that
he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the scriptures."
Rev. 11:15 "The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and
he will reign forever and ever."
Eph. 1:20-23 "God put this power to
work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated
him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every
name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age
to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has
made him the head over all things for the church, which is
his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."
Phil. 2:9-11 "Therefore God also highly
exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
Question 32. What do you affirm when you say
he was "conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin
Mary"?
First, that being born of a woman, Jesus was truly a human
being. Second, that our Lord's incarnation was a holy and mysterious
event, brought about solely by free divine grace surpassing
any human possibilities. Third, that from the very beginning
of his life on earth, he was set apart by his unique origin
for the sake of accomplishing our salvation.
Luke 1:31 "You will conceive in your
womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus."
Luke 1:35 "The angel said to her, 'The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will
be holy; he will be called Son of God.'"
Heb. 2:14 "Since, therefore, the children
share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same
things, so that through death he might destroy the one who
has the power of death, that is, the devil."
Phil. 2:5-7 "Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form
of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be
exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness."
Question 33. What is the significance of affirming
that Jesus is truly God?
Only God can properly deserve worship. Only God can reveal
to us who God is. And only God can save us from our sins. Being
truly God, Jesus meets these conditions. He is the proper object
of our worship, the self-revelation of God, and the Savior of
the world.
John 20:28 "Thomas answered him, 'My
Lord and my God!'"
Matt. 11:27 "All things have been handed
over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone
to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
1 John 4:14 "And we have seen and do
testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of
the world."
Question 34. What is the significance of affirming
that Jesus is also truly a human being?
Being truly human, Jesus entered fully into our fallen situation
and overcame it from within. By his pure obedience, he lived
a life of unbroken unity with God, even to the point of accepting
a violent death. As sinners at war with grace, this is precisely
the kind of life we fail to live. When we accept him by faith,
he removes our disobedience and clothes us with his perfect
righteousness.
Heb. 2:17-18 "Therefore he had to become
like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he
might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service
of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the
people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested."
Heb. 4:15 "For we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are,
yet without sin."
Heb. 5:8-9 "Although he was a Son,
he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having
been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation
for all who obey him."
Rom. 5:19 "For just as by the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's
obedience the many will be made righteous."
Question 35. How can Jesus be truly God and
yet also truly human at the same time?
The mystery of Jesus Christ's divine-human unity passes our
understanding; only faith given by the Holy Spirit enables us
to affirm it. When Holy Scripture depicts Jesus as someone with
divine power, status and authority, it presupposes his humanity.
And when it depicts him as someone with human weakness, neediness
and mortality, it presupposes his deity. We cannot understand
how this should be, but we can trust that the God who made heaven
and earth is free to become God incarnate and thus to be God
with us in this wonderful and awe-inspiring way.
Mark 1:27 "They were all amazed, and
they kept on asking one another, 'What is this? A new teaching—with
authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they
obey him."
Mark 4:41 "And they were filled with
great awe and said to one another, 'Who then is this, that
even the wind and the sea obey him?'"
Matt. 28:18 "And Jesus came and said
to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me.'"
Luke 22:44 "In his anguish he prayed
more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood
falling down on the ground."
Job 5:9 "He does great things and unsearchable,
marvelous things without number."
Question 36. How did God use the people of
Israel to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus?
God made a covenant with Israel, promising that God would
be their light and their salvation, that they would be God's
people, and that through them all the peoples of the earth would
be blessed. Therefore, no matter how often Israel turned away
from God, God still cared for them and acted on their behalf.
In particular, God sent them prophets, priests and kings. Each
of these was "anointed" by God's Spirit — prophets,
to declare God's word; priests, to make sacrifice for the people's
sins; and kings, to rule justly in the fear of God, upholding
the poor and needy, and defending the people from their enemies.
Gen. 17:3-4 "Then Abram fell on his
face; and God said to him, 'As for me, this is my covenant
with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations."
Gen. 12:1-4 "Now the Lord said to Abram,
'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house
to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great
nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so
that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless
you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all
the families of the earth shall be blessed.'"
Ex. 6:4-5 "I also established my covenant
with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which
they resided as aliens. I have also heard the groaning of
the Israelites whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and
I have remembered my covenant."
Gal. 3:14 "In order that in Christ
Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles,
so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith."
Jer. 30:22 "And you shall be my people,
and I will be your God."
1 Pet. 2:9-10 "But you are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people,
in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once
you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once
you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
Zech. 1:6 "But my words and my statutes,
which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake
your ancestors?"
Lev. 5:6 "And the priest shall make
atonement on your behalf for your sin."
Ps. 72:1, 4 "Give your king justice,
O God,. . . May he defend the cause of the people, give deliverance
to the needy, and crush the oppressor."
Question 37. Was the covenant with Israel
an everlasting covenant?
Yes. With the coming of Jesus the covenant with Israel was
expanded and confirmed. By faith in him Gentiles were welcomed
into the covenant. This throwing open of the gates confirmed
the promise that through Israel God's blessing would come to
all peoples. Although for the most part Israel has not accepted
Jesus as the Messiah, God has not rejected Israel. God still
loves Israel, and God is their hope, "for the gifts and
the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29). The God
who has reached out to unbelieving Gentiles will not fail to
show mercy to Israel as the people of the everlasting covenant.
Is. 61:8 "I will make an everlasting
covenant with them."
Jer. 31:3 "I have loved you with an
everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness
to you."
2 Sam. 23:5 "For he has made with me
[David] an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and
secure."
Rom. 11:29 "The gifts and the calling
of God are irrevocable."
Question 38. Why was the title "Christ,"
which means "anointed one," applied to Jesus?
Jesus Christ was the definitive prophet, priest and king.
All of the Lord's anointed in Israel anticipated and led finally
to him. In assuming these offices Jesus not only transformed
them, but also realized the purpose of Israel's election for
the sake of the world.
2 Cor. 1:20 "For in him every one of
God's promises is a 'Yes.' For this reason it is through him
that we say the 'Amen,' to the glory of God."
Acts 10:37-38 "That message spread
throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that
John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
him."
Luke 4:17-19 "[Jesus] stood up to read,
and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He
unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed
me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor.'"
Question 39. How did Jesus Christ fulfill
the office of prophet?
He was God's Word to a dying and sinful world; he embodied
the love he proclaimed. His life, death and resurrection became
the great Yes that continues to be spoken despite how often
we have said No. When we receive this Word by faith, Christ
himself enters our hearts, that he may dwell in us forever,
and we in him.
Acts 3:20, 22 "That he may send the
Messiah appointed for you, that is, JesusMoses said, 'The
Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a
prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you.
And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be utterly rooted out of the people.'"
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."
Eph. 3:17 "And that Christ may dwell
in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and
grounded in love."
Question 40. How did Jesus Christ fulfill
the office of priest?
He was the Lamb of God that took away the sin of the world;
he became our priest and sacrifice in one. Confronted by our
hopelessness in sin and death, Christ interceded by offering
himself — his entire person and work — in order
to reconcile us to God.
Heb. 4:14 "Since, then, we have a great
high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession."
John 1:29 "Here is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!"
Heb. 2:17 "Therefore he had to become
like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he
might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service
of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the
people."
Eph. 1:7 "In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according
to the riches of his grace."
Question 41. How did Jesus Christ fulfill
the office of king?
He was the Lord who took the form of a servant; he perfected
royal power in weakness. With no sword but the sword of righteousness,
and no power but the power of love, Christ defeated sin, evil
and death by reigning from the cross.
John 19:19 "Pilate also had an inscription
written and put on the cross. It read, 'Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews.'"
Phil. 2:5-8 "Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form
of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be
exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,
he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even
death on a cross."
1 Cor. 1:25 "For God's foolishness
is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger
than human strength."
John 12:32 "And I, when I am lifted
up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
Question 42. What do you affirm when you say
that he "suffered under Pontius Pilate"?
First, that our Lord was humiliated, rejected and abused by
the temporal authorities of his day, both religious and political.
Christ thus aligned himself with all human beings who are oppressed,
tortured, or otherwise shamefully treated by those with worldly
power. Second, and even more importantly, that our Lord, though
innocent, submitted himself to condemnation by an earthly judge
so that through him we ourselves, though guilty, might be acquitted
before our heavenly Judge.
Luke 18:32 "For he will be handed over
to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and spat
upon."
Is. 53:3 "He was despised and rejected
by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised,
and we held him of no account."
Ps. 9:9 "The Lord is a stronghold for
the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."
Luke 1:52 "He has brought down the
powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly."
2 Cor. 5:21 "For our sake he made him
to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God."
2 Tim. 4:8 "From now on there is reserved
for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also
to all who have longed for his appearing."
Question 43. What do you affirm when you say
that he was "crucified, dead and buried"?
That when our Lord passed through the door of real human death,
he showed us that there is no sorrow he has not known, no grief
he has not borne, and no price he was unwilling to pay in order
to reconcile us to God.
Matt. 26:38-39 "Then he said to them,
'I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay
awake with me.' And going a little farther, he threw himself
on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.'"
Is. 53:5 "But he was wounded for our
transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the
punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed."
Gal. 3:13 "Christ redeemed us from
the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for
it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.'"
Heb. 2:9 "But we do see Jesus, who
for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned
with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so
that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."
2 Cor. 5:19 "That is, in Christ God
was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses
against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation
to us."
Question 44. What do you affirm when you say
that he "descended into hell"?
That our Lord took upon himself the full consequences of our
sinfulness, even the agony of abandonment by God, in order that
we might be spared.
Mark 15:34 "At three o'clock Jesus
cried out with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?'
which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'"
Heb. 9:26 "He has appeared once for
all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of
himself."
Rom. 4:24-25 "It will be reckoned to
us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised
for our justification."
Question 45. Why did Jesus have to suffer
as he did?
Because grace is more abundant — and sin more serious
— than we suppose. However cruelly we may treat one another,
all sin is primarily against God. God condemns sin, yet never
judges apart from grace. In giving Jesus Christ to die for us,
God took the burden of our sin into God's own self to remove
it once and for all. The cross in all its severity reveals an
abyss of sin swallowed up by the suffering of divine love.
Rom. 8:1, 3-4 "There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For God
has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do:
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the
just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us."
1 Cor. 1:18 "For the message about
the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to
us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Rom. 5:8 "But God proves his love for
us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us."
Col. 1:20 "Through him God was pleased
to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in
heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross."
James 2:13 "For judgment will be without
mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment."
Question 46. What do you affirm when you say
that "on the third day he rose again from the dead"?
That our Lord could not be held by the power of death. Having
died on the cross, he appeared to his followers, triumphant
from the grave, in a new, exalted kind of life. In showing them
his hands and his feet, the one who was crucified revealed himself
to them as the Lord and Savior of the world.
Acts 2:24 "But God raised him up, having
freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to
be held in its power."
1 Cor. 15:3-4 "For I handed on to you
as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ
died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that
he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in
accordance with the scriptures."
Luke 24:36-40 "While they were talking
about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them,
'Peace be with you.' They were startled and terrified, and
thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, 'Why
are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch
me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you
see that I have.' And when he had said this, he showed them
his hands and his feet."
John 20:15-18 "Jesus said to her, 'Woman,
why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?' Supposing
him to be the gardener, she said to him, 'Sir, if you have
carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will
take him away.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and
said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni!' (which means Teacher).
Jesus said to her, 'Do not hold on to me, because I have not
yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say
to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to
my God and your God.' Mary Magdalene went and announced to
the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord'; and she told them that
he had said these things to her."
1 Cor. 15:5-8 "He appeared to Cephas,
then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred
brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive,
though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to
all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he
appeared also to me."
John 20:27 "Then he said to Thomas,
'Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand
and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.'"
Question 47. What do you affirm when you say
that "he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right
hand of the Father"?
First, that Christ has gone to be with the Father, hidden
except to the eyes of faith. Second, however, that Christ is
not cut off from us in the remote past, or in some place from
which he cannot reach us, but is present to us here and now
by grace. He reigns with divine authority, protecting us, guiding
us, and interceding for us until he returns in glory.
Acts 1:6-11 "So when they had come
together, they asked him, 'Lord, is this the time when you
will restore the kingdom to Israel?' He replied, 'It is not
for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set
by his own authority. But you will receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth.' When he had said this, as they were watching,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said,
'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?
This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will
come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'"
Col. 3:1 "So if you have been raised
with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ
is, seated at the right hand of God."
Question 48. How do you understand the words
that "he will come again to judge the living and the dead"?
Like everyone else, I too must stand in fear and trembling
before the judgment seat of Christ. But the Judge is the one
who submitted to judgment for my sake. Nothing will be able
to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
All the sinful failures that cause me shame will perish as through
fire, while any good I may have done will be received with gladness
by God.
2 Cor. 5:10 "For all of us must appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive
recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good
or evil."
Eccl. 12:14 "For God will bring every
deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether
good or evil."
Acts 17:31 "He has fixed a day on which
he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom
he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all
by raising him from the dead."
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."
1 John 4:17 "Love has been perfected
among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of
judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world."
1 Cor. 3:12-15 "Now if anyone builds
on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible,
for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed
with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has
done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the
builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the
builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only
as through fire."
Acts 10:42 "He is the one ordained
by God as judge of the living and the dead."
Question 49. Will all human beings be saved?
No one will be lost who can be saved. The limits to salvation,
whatever they may be, are known only to God. Three truths above
all are certain. God is a holy God who is not to be trifled
with. No one will be saved except by grace alone. And no judge
could possibly be more gracious than our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ.
Heb 10:31 "It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of the living God."
Rom. 11:32 "For God has imprisoned
all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all."
Matt. 18:12-14 "What do you think?
If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone
astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains
and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds
it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the
ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will
of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should
be lost."
Eph. 2:8 "For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is
the gift of God."
1 Tim. 2:3-4 "This is right and is
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
John 3:17-18 "Indeed, God did not send
the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe
in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are
condemned already, because they have not believed in the name
of the only Son of God."
Ezek. 18:32 "For I have no pleasure
in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and
live."
2 Cor. 5:14-15 "Because we are convinced
that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 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."
Question 50. Is Christianity the only true
religion?
Religion is a complex matter. When used as a means to promote
self-justification, war-mongering or prejudice, it is a form
of sin. Too often all religions — and not least Christianity
— have been twisted in this way. Nevertheless, by grace,
despite all disobedience, Christianity offers the truth of the
gospel. Although other religions may enshrine various truths,
no other can or does affirm the name of Jesus Christ as the
hope of the world.
Matt 7:3 "Why do you see the speck
in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your
own eye?"
James 1:26 "If any think they are religious,
and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts,
their religion is worthless."
James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and
undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans
and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained
by the world."
Acts 4:12 "There is salvation in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among
mortals by which we must be saved."
John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, 'I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.'"
Rom. 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of
the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone
who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
2 Cor. 4:7 "But we have this treasure
in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary
power belongs to God and does not come from us."
Question 51. How will God deal with the followers
of other religions?
God has made salvation available to all human beings through
Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. How God will deal with those
who do not know or follow Christ, but who follow another tradition,
we cannot finally say. We can say, however, that God is gracious
and merciful, and that God will not deal with people in any
other way than we see in Jesus Christ, who came as the Savior
of the world.
Rev. 7:9 "And there was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes
and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and
before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their
hands."
Ps. 103:8 "The Lord is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."
John 3:19 "And this is the judgment,
that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness
rather than light because their deeds were evil."
Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God has
appeared, bringing salvation to all."
Question 52. How should I treat non-Christians
and people of other religions?
As much as I can, I should meet friendship with friendship,
hostility with kindness, generosity with gratitude, persecution
with forbearance, truth with agreement, and error with truth.
I should express my faith with humility and devotion as the
occasion requires, whether silently or openly, boldly or meekly,
by word or by deed. I should avoid compromising the truth on
the one hand and being narrow-minded on the other. In short,
I should always welcome and accept these others in a way that
honors and reflects the Lord's welcome and acceptance of me.
Rom. 15:7 "Welcome one another, therefore,
just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will
not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Matt. 5:44 "But I say to you, Love
your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Eph. 4:25 "So then, putting away falsehood,
let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are
members of one another."
Acts. 13:47 "For so the Lord has commanded
us, saying, 'I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles,
so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
Rom. 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good."
Rom. 13:10 "Love does no wrong to a
neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law."
Question 53. What is the third article of
the Apostles' Creed?
"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. Amen."
Question 54. What do you believe when you
confess your faith in the Holy Spirit?
Apart from the Holy Spirit, our Lord can neither be loved,
nor known, nor served. The Holy Spirit is the personal bond
by which Jesus Christ unites us to himself, the teacher who
opens our hearts to Christ, and the comforter who leads us to
repentance, empowering us to live in Christ's service. As the
work of the one Holy Spirit, our love, knowledge and service
of Christ are all inseparably related.
John 14:26 "But the Advocate, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you."
1 Cor. 12:3 "No one can say 'Jesus
is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit."
Rom. 5:5 "Hope does not disappoint
us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through
the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."
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, and that you are not your own?"
1 Cor. 3:16 "Do you not know that you
are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"
John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those
who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Question 55. How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
By receiving the Word of God. As the midwife of the new creation,
the Spirit arrives with the Word, brings us to rebirth, and
assures us of eternal life. The Spirit nurtures, corrects and
strengthens us with the pure spiritual milk of the Word (1 Pet.
2:2).
Eph. 6:17 "Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,
because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because
he abides with you, and he will be in you."
John 3:5-6 "Jesus answered, 'Very truly,
I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being
born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh,
and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.'"
Luke 11:13 "If you then, who are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him!"
1 Thess. 1:5 "Because our message of
the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power
and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you
know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your
sake."
John 16:8 "When he comes, he will prove
the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment."
Rom. 8:15-16 "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!'
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that
we are children of God."
1 Pet. 2:2 "Like newborn infants, long
for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into
salvation."
Question 56. What do you mean when you speak
of "the Word of God"?
"Jesus Christ as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture
is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have
to trust and obey in life and in death" (Barmen Declaration,
Article I).
John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was in the beginning with God. All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was
the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it."
John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh
and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory
as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth."
Question 57. Isn't Holy Scripture also the
Word of God?
Yes. Holy Scripture is also God's Word because of its content,
its function and its origin. Its central content is Jesus Christ,
the living Word. Its basic function is to deepen our love, knowledge
and service of him as our Savior and Lord. And its ultimate
origin is in the Holy Spirit, who spoke through the prophets
and apostles, and who inspires us with eager desire for the
truths that Scripture contains.
2 Tim. 3:16 "All scripture is inspired
by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
and for training in righteousness."
John 5:39 "You search the scriptures
because you think that in them you have eternal life; and
it is they that testify on my behalf."
Question 58. Isn't preaching also the Word
of God?
Yes. Preaching and other forms of Christian witness are also
God's Word when they are faithful to the witness of Holy Scripture.
By the power of the Spirit, preaching actually gives to us what
it proclaims — the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faith comes by hearing God's Word in the form of faithful proclamation.
Mark 16:15 "And he said to them, "Go
into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole
creation."
2 Cor. 4:5 "For we do not proclaim
ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves
as your slaves for Jesus' sake."
Rom. 1:15-16 "Hence my eagerness to
proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am
not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek."
Rom. 10:17 "So faith comes from what
is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ."
Question 59. Does the Holy Spirit ever speak
apart from God's Word in its written and proclaimed forms?
Since the Spirit is not given to the church without the Word,
true proclamation depends on Scripture. Since the Word cannot
be grasped without the Spirit, true interpretation depends on
prayer. However, as the wind blows where it will, so may the
Spirit speak or work in people's lives in unexpected or indirect
ways, yet always according to the Word, never contradicting
or diluting it.
John 3:8 "The wind blows where it chooses,
and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it
comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is
born of the Spirit."
Acts 8:29-31 "Then the Spirit said
to Philip, 'Go over to this chariot and join it.' So Philip
ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He
asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' He replied,
'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip
to get in and sit beside him."
Eph. 6:18 "Pray in the Spirit at all
times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert
and always persevere in supplication for all the saints."
2 Pet. 1:20-21 "First of all you must
understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter
of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came
by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God."
Is. 45:4 "I call you [Cyrus] by your
name...though you do not know me."
Num. 22:28 "Then the Lord opened the
mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, 'What have I done
to you, that you have struck me these three times?'"
Question 60. Aren't people without faith sometimes
wiser than those who have faith?
Yes. The important question for the church is not so much
where an insight may come from as the norm by which to test
it. Truth is where one finds it, whether inside or outside the
church, and whether supporting or contradicting one's own most
cherished opinions. Our faithful discernment of what is true,
however, depends finally on God's Word as conveyed in Holy Scripture.
The church is therefore reformed and always being reformed according
to the Word of God.
Titus 1:9 "He must have a firm grasp
of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching,
so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine
and to refute those who contradict it."
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